Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4099
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4099
404/413-5200
E-mail: dbelcher1@gsu.edu
www.gsu.edu/alesl
Sara Weigle, Chair
Diane Belcher, Director of Graduate Studies
The department offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in applied linguistics that integrates the study of second language acquisition theory with practical applications. Both the theoretical and practical aspects of the program focus on the language acquisition needs of adolescent and adult learners of English as a second language or English as a foreign language.
The department participates in the Master's International Program with the Peace Corps. This program enables students to obtain an M.A. degree and serve in the Peace Corps. Students take one year of coursework, serve two years in the Peace Corps (receiving 6 hours of course credit), and return to Georgia State University to finish their coursework.
Students may obtain additional information about the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies at the addresses above.
In addition to the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language have the following requirements:
The Department offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in response to societal needs resulting from the current status of English as the language of international communication. This worldwide use of English in programs and institutions of higher education has created a need in two areas. The first urgent need is research on an assortment of interrelated topics: language learning by adults who will use English for academic purposes, effective teaching of adult language learners, and the nature of English as an academic language. The second need is for doctoral faculty who can teach in educational programs that prepare master's level teachers of English as a Second/Foreign Language.
Ph.D. students may focus on a range of topics. Research, for example, may be related to issues in second language writing, reading, listening, or speaking; analysis of academic language; assessment; teacher cognition; classroom dynamics; sociolinguistics; or the role of culture in second language acquisition.
Requirements for admission include (1) a master's degree in applied linguistics or a related field, (2) teaching experience in a second or foreign language, and (3) GRE scores appropriate for doctoral level work. Non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL scores of at least 600 on the paper-based test or 250 on the computer-based test and a score of at least 5 on the Test of Written English or the TOEFL Writing Test, or if the Internet-based TOEFL is taken, a composite score of 97 and writing score of 22 and speaking score of 24 are required. At the master's level, successful Ph.D. applicants would have had at least a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale with the strength of the M.A. program taken into consideration. Students who demonstrate prior experience with adult language learners and/or English for Academic Purposes will be preferred. In addition, students who demonstrate research potential based on an M.A. thesis or research papers submitted as part of the application process will be preferred. New students will be admitted only in the fall semester.
Applicants must submit the following materials:
The Ph.D. program in applied linguistics consists of five main components and requirements:
In the first two years of doctoral study, students will take five required core courses (15 semester hours) in conjunction with an additional 15 semester hours of coursework and 21 semester hours of dissertation credit. For students whose M.A. is not in Applied Linguistics, check the website for prerequisite courses.
The courses in the program over three content areas include the following:
The five required core courses from Areas I through III are the following:
Area I:
Area II:
Area III:
*Students are required to fulfill breadth and depth requirements in linguistic theory. The preferred way to do this is by taking both versions of AL 8970. However, students may be exempted from one of the AL 8970 courses if they have taken AL 8240 General Linguistics or an equivalent course from another institution. (General Linguistics itself does not count toward the 30-hour requirement.) Those who wish to teach Introduction to Linguistics need to have taken both Linguistic Theory courses.
Additionally, all PhD students must have taken a course comparable to AL 8550 Second Language Evaluation and Assessment either at the MA level or while in the PhD program in AL/ESL. If it is taken during the PhD program, it counts as 3 of the 6 hours that can be taken in courses that are aimed at both MA and PhD students (see below).
Teacher-scholars who work in the field of applied linguistics need to experience second language study and use. This experience may take different forms.
Students whose language study does not fit one of these three categories are required to successfully complete four semesters of language study or an intensive program that covers at least four semesters of work.
A Qualifying Paper demonstrating strong writing abilities must be submitted following completion of six courses in the program. It may be either a research study or a literature review and is usually based on a paper completed in a course within the program.
After students complete their coursework, they take comprehensive exams. Students receive three topics and have two weeks to write responses to all three. The questions will require the student to address issues in theory, research methodology, research topics of importance in the field, and/or topics related to the student's intended dissertation research. At least one of the topics will require consideration of issues that overlap the boundaries between language, cognition & communication and language teaching & language teacher development.
When students have passed their comprehensive exams, they officially begin work on their dissertation. The dissertation process consists of three stages: a proposal, research and writing, and an oral defense.