Oct 10, 2024  
2024-25 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-25 Graduate Catalog

English/Composition and Applied Linguistics, PhD


The program is designed to meet the needs of English, Applied Linguists, and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) instructors at two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

The core curriculum connects theory with practice and is designed to increase the professional qualifications and teaching effectiveness of instructors in teaching positions. It builds a foundation of research methods, technology and literacy, and language theory while fostering professionalization at every program level.  
 
Complementing the core curriculum are a variety of electives that meet the needs of individual student’s interests and goals. Students have 12 elective hours in the program, with course offerings such as Research on Writing Centers and Writing Program Administration, World Englishes in Composition and Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, and Narrative Inquiry. In addition, students may take courses from graduate programs in adjacent disciplines. 
  
The program emphasizes the flexible yet intensive preparation of instructors of literacy while providing a shared body of knowledge in central courses that allows students to focus their research on the uses of interdisciplinary knowledge for the transmission of literacy in the teaching of English.  
 
The Composition and Applied Linguistics program has a low-residency requirement. Students take face-to-face classes on the IUP campus for four weeks during the summer and online classes during the fall and spring semesters. Students begin the program in the summer and return each summer until coursework is completed. 

Program Requirements


Total Course Hours: 36 cr.


12 Dissertation Credits


Qualifying Portfolio


At the end of their first year, students will complete a portfolio that includes an original manuscript, a final course paper, and reports from course instructors.

Three Chapter Defense


Students will orally defend the first three chapters of their dissertation, or the equivalent if they are opting for the three- article dissertation option.

Dissertation Defense


Students will orally defend their completed dissertation.

SLOs


#

Program Outcome

Content knowledge, professional skill or other competency obtained from program

Indicator

How the outcome will be assessed

Course(s)

Where the outcome will be assessed

Category

A-Knowledge
B-Skills
C-Capabilities
1Articulate in oral and written forms current disciplinary knowledge concerning literacy, writing, and language in relation to a range of first-language and multilingual student populations.Three-Chapter Defense and  Dissertation DefenseAfter coursework, during dissertation draftingA, C
2Formulate and appropriately express critical understandings concerning the relationship between writing and language pedagogy and issues of social justice.Required CAL Theory & Pedagogy Courses (ENGL 825, ENGL 830, ENGL 880)Years 1 and 2 of the programA
3Construct and appropriately implement writing and language pedagogies that are informed by current, quality disciplinary research.
  • Qualifying Portfolio
  • Dissertation
  • End of Year 1
  • End of Year 2
  • Conclusion of program
B, C
4Conduct, analyze, and report both qualitative and quantitative research studies on appropriate disciplinary research questions in accordance with established and accepted ethical and methodological practices.Required CAL Research Courses (ENGL 815, ENGL 820, ENGL 835, ENGL 900)Years 1 and 2 of programB