Graduate Program in English Language and Linguistics

Master’s in English: Applied English Linguistics

*Please note that we are no longer accepting applications for the MA in Applied English Linguistics starting Fall 2024. The current cohort will be the last cohort in the AEL MA program. 

Our area is designed to train students to think critically and knowledgeably about the English language. While the MA is not itself an intensive research degree, it provides a substantial foundation for a variety of teaching and applied research activities in fields – for instance, education, child language development, and communication studies and language disorders – in which knowledge of the structure of the English language is of central concern.

The normal program includes 9-12 credits each semester during the academic year. In order to qualify for the degree, students must satisfy the Graduate School’s residence requirement, complete 33 credits of course work and pass a comprehensive examination.

We also offer a Graduate Certificate in TESOL. Many students who complete the MA in AEL degree complete this certificate concurrently. Details of the certificate can be found on the TESOL Certificate page.

Ph.D. in English: English Language & Linguistics

The PhD in English with a focus on English Language and Linguistics is an advanced research degree. The program assumes that an entering student has a Master’s degree in Applied English Linguistics (or a related field) and has a wide knowledge of linguistics. In particular, entrance into the program presumes courses in the history of English and English dialects, syntax, and phonology.

The degree focus has two major phases: during the first phase, the candidate undertakes course work culminating in the doctoral preliminary examination; during the second phase, the candidate writes the dissertation. The focus is designed to give candidates the skills and the command of materials to do original scholarly work of a high order.

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