Linguistics Ph.D.
Pursue a doctoral degree in linguistics
The Ph.D. program in linguistics was established at the University of Delaware in 1985. Its mission is to provide students with the intellectual ability to understand, create, integrate and apply sophisticated, discipline-specific knowledge. It is designed to furnish students with a solid background in theoretical linguistics as well as to direct them to advanced study in the program's major specializations. Discipline sub-areas include theoretical, experimental and applied linguistics.
Students are required to take a minimum of 60 credits beyond the B.A./B.S., including courses and dissertation research. Students entering with an M.A./M.S. in an appropriate area as determined by the department may transfer up to 9 credits, and all transfer credits must be in accordance with the rules of the Graduate College. Approval of transferred degrees and courses is at the discretion of the committee on graduate studies of the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Students may substitute courses only by petitioning in writing the director of graduate studies. The substitution must be approved by the departmental committee on graduate studies.
Students must satisfy all the requirements for academic progress as specified in the academic progress policy guidelines and the department's policy statement for graduate programs.
M.A. and Ph.D. specializations
The cognitive science specialization is appropriate both for students whose ultimate goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in a cognitive science discipline and for those who wish a terminal master's degree. For an M.A. in the cognitive science specialization, students must complete 30 credit hours planned in consultation with the student's advisor.
These credit hours must include at least CGSC 670 (Elements of Cognitive Science), one 800-level seminar in cognitive science, and six courses (18 credits) distributed over one or more of the following areas: human cognition, the structure of human language, computation and cognition, cognitive psychology and neuroscience. A complete list of courses can be obtained from the student’s advisor each semester.
The linguistics specialization is appropriate for students who wish to obtain a Ph.D. in linguistics and for those who wish a terminal master's degree.
To acquire an understanding of the basic concepts of linguistics, students must take at least three courses out of the following core courses in linguistics:
- LING 604 — Structure of Language
- LING 603 — Introduction to Phonology
- CGSC/LING — 618 Meaning and Language Use; or CGSC 690 — Meaning and Reference
- CGSC 696 — Psycholinguistics
In addition, students must take at least one advanced course in linguistics. The following courses count as advanced courses:
- LING 608 — Phonology II
- LING 610 — Syntax II
- Any 800-level courses offered in the Department of Linguistics
Appropriate substitutions may be made with the approval of the student's advisor and the director of graduate studies. The remaining 18 hours of courses are to be selected in consultation with the student's advisor.
The applied linguistics and ESL specialization is appropriate for students who wish to obtain a master's degree in applied linguistics. Note: ESL certification for teaching K–12 is not available in this program. Students who wish to obtain certification for teaching ESL should apply to the M.A. program in TESL in the School of Education at the University of Delaware.
Students are required to take the following 12 credit hours of core courses. Note that most courses are offered only once a year. Please consult with the M.A. advisor during the preregistration period:
- Ling 672 — Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language
- Ling 677 — Structure of English
- Ling 603 — Introduction to Phonology
- Ling 676 — Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism
In addition to the 12 credit core, students must take at least one advanced course in linguistics.
Any 800-level courses offered in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science count as an advanced course. Appropriate substitutions may be made with the approval of the student's advisor.
An additional 18 hours of courses in the specialization must be selected from available courses in applied linguistics, TESL, second language acquisition, psychology, and education. A list of suggested courses follows:
- LING 618 — Meaning and Language Use
- LING 644 — First Language Acquisition
- LING 675 — Language Acquisition
- LING 680 — Introduction to Sociolinguistics
- LING 622 — Language Syllabus Design
- LING 624 — Second Language Testing
- LING 621 — Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages
- LING 622 — Language Syllabus Design
- CGSC 696 — Psycholinguistics
- EDUC 613 — Adolescent Development and Educational Psychology
- EDUC 740 — Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners
- EDUC 741 — Diversity in ESL Classrooms
- EDUC 647 — Advanced ESL Teaching Methods, Design and Strategies
- EDUC 742 — Practicum in TESL
In addition to the offered specializations in linguistics and cognitive science, students may customize their own programs of study. Some examples follow:
- Descriptive linguistics
- Language and cognition
- Linguistic, psychological, philosophical, evolutionary, and computational bases of cognition
- Psycholinguistics
- Endangered and underdescribed languages (linguistic field methods, language typology, language documentation)
Graduate Education Goals
The department is committed to helping students develop their capacity to:
- Identify and investigate substantive research questions in various subfields of Linguistics;
- Critically evaluate previous research, including the use of linguistic data, analytic methods, and theories of language and mind in the work of other scientists;
- Employ appropriate research methods to present, analyze, and articulate research results in the area of concentration;
- Possess the ability to disseminate knowledge in the area of specialization, by writing articles for peer reviewed journals and presenting work at major conferences.
Research Expectations
Graduate students are expected to learn the intellectual system that underlies research in all fields of linguistics. The faculty encourage graduate students to conduct original, innovative research by:
- Taking required courses on the core areas of linguistics, such as syntax, morphology, phonology, phonetics and semantics.
- Engaging in original research through advanced seminars and participating in departmental groups that present student and faculty research.
- Combining core areas with specializations in experimental psycholinguistics, language acquisition, philosophy of mind, the description and documentation of endangered and underdescribed languages, and computational linguistics.
Advisement
Graduate students are assigned a temporary advisor, typically the graduate director, when they enter the program. They are free to change advisors at any time, but must inform department staff of the change.
Students are encouraged to choose an advisor and begin working in their specialization early in their academic career. They can select an advisor as early as the second semester of study and are required to do so by the beginning of the third semester.
The departmental committee on graduate studies will continue to monitor students' progress throughout their program of study. Each year, by January 1, students should submit a yearly progress report to the committee on graduate studies via their advisor. The committee on graduate studies will meet to discuss and evaluate the progress of every student in the program. The results of this procedure will be communicated to the students.
Funding
Assistantships and Fellowships
Assistantships and fellowships at the University of Delaware consist of full tuition plus a stipend. Renewal of funding packages each year depends on satisfactory progress toward the degree.
Stipends and Tuition Scholarships
The Graduate College at the University of Delaware is responsible for policies related to the implementation of stipends and tuition scholarships.
For more information about assistantships, fellowships, stipends and tuition scholarships, visit the Graduate College's page on funding opportunities.
Travel Support
Submit the department's travel fund request form for travel support from the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science.
Graduate students may apply for travel awards from the Graduate College, which are funded by the Office of the Provost. You MUST list Alaina Norvell (anorvell@udel.edu) as the department contact on the application form to avoid delays in reimbursement.
Visit the Graduate College's Emergency Support page for resources available to students experiencing financial hardships or mental health issues.
Program Requirements
Advanced Seminars
Both before and after advancement to candidacy, all students are expected to participate in advanced courses and research forums. Specifically, all students who have not yet advanced to candidacy are required to enroll in at least one advanced seminar at the 3-credit level per semester; all students who have advanced to candidacy and are in sustaining status are required to register for one advanced seminar at the 0-credit level per semester. All students are expected to participate in other research forums related to the student's area of specialization (e.g., departmental colloquia, brown bag or lab meetings).
Students are required to submit two qualifying papers that are judged to be substantial and meet professional standards of scholarship by the qualifying paper committee, which consists of the primary advisor for the paper and a second reader. The two papers must be in distinct areas of linguistics, and no faculty member can serve as the primary advisor for both papers. A substantial draft of the first paper must be submitted to the student's qualifying paper advisor by the end of the fall semester of the second year. The advisor must certify to the committee on graduate studies that an acceptable draft has been submitted. By the end of the student's second year, the final version of the first paper must be submitted and approved by the advisor and the committee on graduate studies. A substantial draft of the second paper must be submitted to the student's qualifying paper advisor by the end of the fall semester of the third year. The advisor must certify to the committee on graduate studies that an acceptable draft has been submitted. By the end of the student's third year, the final version of the second paper must be submitted and approved by the advisor and the committee on graduate studies.
Students who do not comply with these deadlines will no longer be considered to be in good academic standing, which may result in the discontinuation of the students' funding. If one semester passes without a student meeting these deadlines, the student will be dismissed from the program. Students may petition in writing the Graduate Committee for an extension to these deadlines. The petition must be submitted prior to the deadlines and should explain any exceptional circumstance which made the timely completion of the requirement impossible. Petitions should also include a supporting letter from the academic advisor.
The Committee on Graduate Studies will appoint an evaluation committee for the paper. Possible grades are Pass, Revise, and Fail. The grade of Revise indicates that in the judgment of the committee, the paper will be acceptable with revision. The grade of Fail indicates that the student should submit a different paper to meet the requirements. Students whose paper has received the grade of Revise or Fail will be allowed one semester to satisfactorily complete the requirement for the research paper. Course papers may be submitted as a qualifying paper, but a grade of A in a course does not imply that the paper is acceptable as a qualifying paper. Faculty will evaluate QPs based on criteria in the assessment form.
The final requirement for admission to candidacy is the acceptance of the dissertation prospectus. Before the fall semester of their fourth year, each student must choose a dissertation director, form a dissertation committee, and submit a dissertation prospectus for approval. The dissertation director must hold a primary appointment in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science or be approved by the committee on graduate studies. There must be at least three other members, chosen by the student, that are acceptable to the dissertation director, one of whom must be outside the student's major area. At least 50 percent of the committee members must have primary appointments in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. In all cases the committee must be approved by the chair of the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Any changes to the committee after it has been formed must also be approved by the department chair.
The dissertation committee will meet with the student to examine the proposal and the qualifications of the student to carry out the proposed research. The results of this review will be acceptance into candidacy or a re-examination to be held at a later date to be determined by the dissertation director. The committee may also require further course work if deficiencies are found.
Students whose research proposals involve human volunteers must comply with all University and governmental requirements, including obtaining human subjects approval from the University's Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
A student who has advanced to candidacy has completed all of the requirements for the Ph.D. apart from the dissertation. Once a student has advanced to candidacy and completed the minimum number of dissertation credits, it is possible to enroll with 'sustaining' status. In order to advance to candidacy, all of the requirements listed above must be completed.
As part of the Ph.D. requirements, students must also complete nine credits of dissertation research. Nine credits of pre-candidacy study may also count towards satisfying this requirement, provided that they are taken no earlier than the full semester immediately preceding advancement to candidacy.
Students who have completed all of the above requirements are allowed to write the dissertation. The dissertation director has the responsibility of distributing the dissertation to the readers in ample time for the dissertation to be read adequately; the director also must see to it that the dissertation committee meet when necessary as a group to discuss the progress of the dissertation. The committee is to administer a final oral defense of the dissertation. Certification of successful defense is then submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of the University.
In addition to the academic progress policy guidelines of the Graduate College at UD, the graduate committee closely evaluates students' progress each semester, based on the students' performance in classes, timely satisfaction of program requirements, performance as teaching or research assistants (if applicable), conference presentations, publications, and other qualitative factors that demonstrate progress towards successful research and scholarship.
Students taking the basic courses specified above (phonology 1-2, syntax 1-2, experimental linguistics) are evaluated twice a semester, at midterm and at the end of the semester. The instructor reports midterm and final grades to the director of graduate studies. Students must receive a minimum grade of B in each of these courses. If a student receives a grade below a B in any of these courses, their case is evaluated by the graduate committee within two weeks of final grades being posted. The graduate committee will decide on one of two remedies: (1) The student will be immediately dismissed from the program. (2) The student will be allowed to move on in the program, but will be considered to be on probation during the next semester. All requirements and deadlines must be met by a student on probation or they will be subject to dismissal at the end of the semester. If all requirements and deadlines for that semester are met they will be removed from probation and will be in good academic standing again.
When the graduate committee finds a student's performance less than satisfactory, the student will receive a letter stating the reasons for the concern and what the student must do to improve performance. Lack of sufficient improvement / progress after two or more warning letters may result in discontinuation of the student's funding or dismissal from the program.
As described under individual requirements above, students who do not successfully complete any of the requirements may be terminated from the program. Students can grieve termination for failure by a written application to the committee on graduate studies within 14 days of notification of failure.
Financial Aid
The Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science offers a small number of teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, and/or research assistantships to Ph.D. students. The awards are granted to full-time students, normally for five years (the amount of time a full-time student needs to complete the Ph.D.), and are renewed each year based on satisfactory progress in the program.
Students funded by the department normally work as TAs/graders for undergraduate courses or RAs in a lab setting. The Linguistics Department therefore requires that first-year students whose native language is not English successfully complete the University's ITA program and pass the UDIA and the University's Speak Test with a score of 45. The ITA program is administered in August and January; we strongly advise students to complete it in August. Students must score 50 or higher on the Speak Test by the start of their second semester and need to establish proof of their English proficiency by retaking the University UDIA and SPEAK tests, scoring 250 and 55, respectively by the start of their second year, or they will not continue to receive funding.
Students who are appointed as TAs on a nine-month contract are expected to work an average of 20 hours per week, except during official university holiday breaks (Dec 22 to Jan 2/3) and the week of spring break. All other absences from campus (for example, extended absences during the winter term) have to be approved by the departmental committee on graduate studies.
Students on TA contracts are evaluated at the end of each semester by the Director of Graduate Studies; students on RA contracts are evaluated by their research supervisor. Evaluations have to be forwarded to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Chair. TA and RA support can be discontinued if the evaluations are not satisfactory.
In addition, the department provides the majority of the PhD students with summer research fellowships. Those who wish to receive the fellowships must submit their research proposals and the letters of endorsement from their advisors in early April.
