English/Composition and Applied Linguistics, PhD

The program is designed to meet the needs of English and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) instructors at two-year and four-year colleges and universities. The core courses provide a foundation for students to specialize in composition or TESOL or both. This foundation is flexible enough to meet students’ individual needs and those of the academic marketplace.

The core curriculum connects theory with practice and is designed to increase the professional qualifications and teaching effectiveness of instructors in teaching positions. The Composition and TESOL Program began in 1975 and was revised in 1986 and again in 2000.

The Composition and TESOL Program recognizes the changing structure of education and the interdisciplinary nature of research into the nature and transmission of literacy. It provides central courses in research methods, technology and literacy, and language theory and offers options for a 9-credit specialization in Composition or TESOL. Doctoral students may begin the program in the summer or fall and must start with ENGL 800 and ENGL 808. Students have 15 elective hours in the program, with courses offered in rhetoric, reading theory, and literacy theory. In addition, students may take courses from other programs, or they may opt to take the second specialization in the CT Program.

The program emphasizes the flexible yet intensive preparation of instructors of literacy. To achieve this flexibility, the program permits variation in the fields of concentration. All students study a common body of knowledge in central courses and focus their research on the uses of interdisciplinary knowledge for the transmission of literacy in the teaching of English. A unique feature is that students can select an academic year or a summers-only program option.

Admissions Criteria

To apply, students must submit the following to the IUP Admissions Office:

Official transcripts from previous schools attended. A grade-point average of 3.5 in the master’s degree is considered competitive.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores (international applicants only; please see more information below)
Three letters of recommendation are preferred; two are required
A goal statement that describes the applicant’s research interests and goals for doctoral studies (about three pages, double-spaced)
Vita or résumé
Application Deadlines: Complete application by November 1 for Summer program and February 1 for Fall program

Program Requirements

Total Course Hours: 36 cr.

12 Dissertation Credits

Participation in Reserach Teams

Students will be assigned to a research team that is led by a faculty member upon admission. They will be required to interact with this team on a monthly basis.

Qualifying Portfolio

At the end of their first year, students will complete a portfolio that includes an original manuscript, a final course paper, reports from course instructors, a report from their research team leader, and a Professionalization Plan that details how they plan to meet the Year 2 Professionalization Portfolio requirements.

Professionalization Portfolio

At the end of their second year, students will submit a portfolio that includes an original teacher-scholar study, evidence of engagement with their scholarly community (detailed to be determined in Year 1 Professionalization Plan), reports from course instructors, and a report from their research team leader.

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.