fully funded phd in applied linguistics

Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, PHD

On this page:.

At a Glance: program details

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

The PhD program in linguistics and applied linguistics focuses on the scientific study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.

Students in this program select a research specialization in formal linguistics, applied linguistics or some combination within these fields of study.

The curriculum provides professional training in linguistics and applied linguistics with focused research in several linguistic subfields, including syntax, semantics, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, language contact and change, language planning, Indigenous American linguistics, language documentation and revitalization, second language acquisition, second language teaching and learning, teaching English to speakers of other languages, global Englishes and computer-assisted language learning.

The doctoral program in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics focuses on the study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.  Students in this program will choose a research specialization which can be formal linguistics, applied linguistics, or some combination of these areas.  The curriculum will provide training in linguistics and applied linguistics with focused research in several areas such as phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.  Second language acquisition and second language teaching and learning, TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), language contact and change, including World Englishes, are also research possibilities in addition to sociolinguistics, language planning, discourse analysis, language and cognition.

Matthew Prior , Director

Kira Assad, Program Manager

Faculty in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

Doctoral Examinations

Doctoral Procedures and Timeline

Teaching Assistantships

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

• 84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a foreign language exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (18 credit hours) APL 555 Disciplinary Discourses (3) APL 601 Introduction to Applied Linguistics (3) LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology (3) LIN 514 Syntax (3) LIN 515 American English (3) or LIN 516 Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis (3) LIN 655 Advanced Disciplinary Discourses in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (3)

Electives and Research (33 credit hours) LIN 501 Approaches to Research (3)

Specialization (21 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) LIN 799 or APL 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, then 30 credit hours is made up of additional electives and research coursework which must include LIN 510, if they have not previously taken it or its equivalent.

Students must demonstrate evidence of competent knowledge of a natural language other than modern English, to be selected by the student and subject to the approval of the chair of the dissertation committee. The language requirement must be completed before the student is eligible to take the doctoral examinations. This requirement may be met by any of the following:

• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in a 400- or 500-level course in an appropriate (approved) language
• demonstrating comparable proficiency by taking a language examination, administered by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• demonstrating native-speaker proficiency, as determined by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in both ENG 530 Old English and ENG 531 Old English Literature or the equivalent of each
• holding a bachelor's degree in an approved foreign language
• having fulfilled a foreign language requirement toward a previously awarded master's degree that was completed within five years of the semester for which the student was admitted to the doctoral program
• two years (four semesters) of successfully completed college-level coursework (no more than six years prior to admission to the degree program) at least at the 100 and 200 levels with a "C" or better for languages which the School of International Letters and Cultures does not offer or does not offer above the 200 level

The foreign language requirement must be in a language approved by the student's doctoral supervisory committee.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• academic writing sample relevant to the field
• statement of teaching philosophy (teaching assistantship only)
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency. Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency. More information about English proficiency requirements can be found the school website . Please note that official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The well-considered one- to two-page statement of purpose should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, proposed research specialization, any secondary field of interest and why the applicant wishes to pursue a PhD in linguistics and applied linguistics at Arizona State University. Applicants applying for funding must also submit a statement of teaching philosophy.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Independent research expertise: Students will be able to design and carry out an original research study in their discipline and subdisciplines.
• Scholarly writing expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to produce written scholarly work at a level expected by the profession and consistent with the degree program.
• Critical analysis expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to explain, synthesize and critique existing scholarship in their research area.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with research expertise in linguistics and applied linguistics work in a variety of professional contexts, such as academia, government, business, health care, legal settings, publishing, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• computer-assisted language learning expert
• data analyst
• forensic linguist
• language policy or documentation expert
• language program director or coordinator
• language researcher
• linguistic consultant
• program and curriculum developer
• teacher trainer
• university professor

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-3194

Ph.D. Programs

The Department of Linguistics offers four concentrations leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Linguistics (see list below). No matter the concentration, our faculty work closely with students, guiding their research and supporting their passions.

• Applied Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Theoretical Linguistics

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to identify prospective research advisors, at least one of whom should be in the concentration to which they apply.

After entering the program, Ph.D. students may elect to add a minor in a second one of these concentrations [new policy effective Spring 2023].

An interdisciplinary (second) concentration in Cognitive Science is also available to Ph.D. students.

Master’s in Passing

If, in their course of the Ph.D. program, a doctoral student meets all of the requirements of a M.S. degree in Linguistics, he or she may apply to receive a “Master’s in Passing.” Please consult section IV.D.3 of the Graduate School Bulletin for full details about the “in passing” or “terminal” Master’s degree.

Search Rochester.edu

• Graduate Program

PhD in Linguistics

The Department of Linguistics invites applications from students interested in pursuing a fully-funded PhD program in linguistics focusing on cross-disciplinary training and collaboration.

The faculty in the Department of Linguistics are grounded in the traditional fields of formal linguistics, employing empirical methodologies to examine data and topics in experimental syntax, semantics, pragmatics, phonetics, laboratory phonology, and morphology in collaboration with researchers in allied fields. Our work incorporates contemporary issues and practices in language documentation, corpus linguistics, dialect variation and psycholinguistics.

Linguistics is a core member of Rochester's Center for Language Sciences , which also includes researchers in computer science , philosophy , and related departments, such as biomedical engineering , brain and cognitive sciences , as well as departments at the Eastman School of Music . At Rochester, cross disciplinary collaborative work is the norm.

Interdisciplinary engagement

Many of our students have benefited from engaging in interdisciplinary work with other departments at the University of Rochester. These departments include computer science, philosophy, biomedical engineering, and brain and cognitive sciences, and might include diverse fields such as anthropology or music theory at the Eastman School of Music.

For more information, please contact [email protected] .

The PhD Handbook in Linguistics

A description of the PhD program, the requirements for the program, a list of the graduate courses and course descriptions, a timeline, and two sample schedules are found in the downloadable PhD Handbook . If you have any more questions, please contact Aaron White , Director of Graduate Studies.

For information about linguistics faculty and their research, visit their web pages:

• Maya Ravindranath Abtahian
• Nadine Grimm
• Scott Grimm
• Joyce McDonough
• Asia Pietraszko
• Aaron White

Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Application deadlines
• Program learning outcomes
• Career opportunities
• Contact information

Applied Linguistics, Discourse, Educational Linguistics, Language Policy, Language Study, Linguistics, PHONOLOGY, SEMANTICS, SYNTAX, Second Language Aquisition, Second Language Writing, english

Prepare for a career in academia or a variety of other professional paths. This program boasts internationally recognized faculty with expertise in a wide range of linguistics and applied linguistics subfields. Supervised internships, innovative mentoring programs, opportunities for research training and professional development, and a vibrant research community help you succeed in your academic and professional goals.

The PhD program in linguistics and applied linguistics focuses on the scientific study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.

Students in this program select a research specialization in formal linguistics, applied linguistics or some combination within these fields of study.

The curriculum provides professional training in linguistics and applied linguistics with focused research in several linguistic subfields, including syntax, semantics, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, language contact and change, language planning, Indigenous American linguistics, language documentation and revitalization, second language acquisition, second language teaching and learning, teaching English to speakers of other languages, global Englishes and computer-assisted language learning.

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a foreign language exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (18 credit hours) APL 555 Disciplinary Discourses (3) APL 601 Introduction to Applied Linguistics (3) LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology (3) LIN 514 Syntax (3) LIN 515 American English (3) or LIN 516 Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis (3) LIN 655 Advanced Disciplinary Discourses in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (3)

Electives and Research (33 credit hours) LIN 501 Approaches to Research (3)

Specialization (21 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) LIN 799 or APL 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, then 30 credit hours is made up of additional electives and research coursework which must include LIN 510, if they have not previously taken it or its equivalent.

Students must demonstrate evidence of competent knowledge of a natural language other than modern English, to be selected by the student and subject to the approval of the chair of the dissertation committee. The language requirement must be completed before the student is eligible to take the doctoral examinations. This requirement may be met by any of the following:

• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in a 400- or 500-level course in an appropriate (approved) language
• demonstrating comparable proficiency by taking a language examination, administered by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• demonstrating native-speaker proficiency, as determined by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in both ENG 530 Old English and ENG 531 Old English Literature or the equivalent of each
• holding a bachelor's degree in an approved foreign language
• having fulfilled a foreign language requirement toward a previously awarded master's degree that was completed within five years of the semester for which the student was admitted to the doctoral program
• two years (four semesters) of successfully completed college-level coursework (no more than six years prior to admission to the degree program) at least at the 100 and 200 levels with a "C" or better for languages which the School of International Letters and Cultures does not offer or does not offer above the 200 level

The foreign language requirement must be in a language approved by the student's doctoral supervisory committee.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• academic writing sample relevant to the field
• statement of teaching philosophy (teaching assistantship only)
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency. Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency. More information about English proficiency requirements can be found the school website . Please note that official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The well-considered one- to two-page statement of purpose should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, proposed research specialization, any secondary field of interest and why the applicant wishes to pursue a PhD in linguistics and applied linguistics at Arizona State University. Applicants applying for funding must also submit a statement of teaching philosophy.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Critical analysis expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to explain, synthesize and critique existing scholarship in their research area.
• Independent research expertise: Students will be able to design and carry out an original research study in their discipline and subdisciplines.
• Scholarly writing expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to produce written scholarly work at a level expected by the profession and consistent with the degree program.

Graduates with research expertise in linguistics and applied linguistics work in a variety of professional contexts, such as academia, government, business, health care, legal settings, publishing, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• computer-assisted language learning expert
• data analyst
• forensic linguist
• language policy or documentation expert
• language program director or coordinator
• language researcher
• linguistic consultant
• program and curriculum developer
• teacher trainer
• university professor

Department of English | RBHL 170 [email protected] 480-965-3194 Admission deadlines

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UMass Boston

• Applied Linguistics PhD

Join a cohort of scholars, researchers, and activists dedicated to linguistic diversity.

UMass Boston's PhD program in Applied Linguistics is a critically-oriented community of scholars, researchers, and activists dedicated to understanding linguistic diversity in everyday life. Our unique program emphasizes learning-by-doing through mentorship, coursework, and community-engagement. The Applied Linguistics PhD prepares candidates for teaching, research, and public advocacy careers in higher education, government, community, nonprofits, and private organizations.

Our apprenticeship model combines intensive faculty mentoring from the department’s internationally recognized faculty with structured support from a diverse and active doctoral student community . We also draw on the interdisciplinary expertise of our colleagues across Greater Boston and around the world to provide opportunities for community-engaged scholarship . Applied Linguistics doctoral students are involved in a range of local and global projects and initiatives related to our areas of inquiry : bilingual/multilingual education, multilingual language policy, critical applied linguistics, social resources and social contexts in language learning, and sociocultural theory.

Our curriculum is designed to engage future researchers in critical study of language in society. Through the exploration of cutting-edge research methods, students will develop a comprehensive and deep understanding of the theoretical, empirical, and practical dimensions of language use, language teaching and learning, and language policy in local and transnational contexts; and how they interrogate systems of power that produce marginalization, exploitation, and discrimination. Simultaneously, students cultivate their own scholarly identity, develop their inquiries, and generate knowledge to improve life in our schools, communities, and society. Students and faculty collaborate on research projects, manuscripts, advocacy work, and conference presentations throughout the doctoral program. 

Our PhD program requires three years of residency. During the first two years, a typical course load is three courses per semester (fall and spring) plus department events including the Colloquium, Roundtables, working groups, and talks; classes are offered between 4 and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Funding, including tuition, living stipend, and health insurance, is available for up to three years on a competitive basis.

Please contact Graduate Program Director Professor Avary Carhill-Poza for information about the program, application process, or connection to current students: [email protected] .

Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to apply.

The Department of Applied Linguistics at UMass Boston is committed to cultivating diversity in scholarship and scholar identity and to providing intellectual, social, emotional, and financial support to students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. As such, we strongly encourage students with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, including first generation students, international students, students of color, and linguistically diverse students to apply.

The deadline to submit all materials is January 1 for fall admission. Applicants are responsible for confirming with Graduate Admissions that their application is complete (including all documents and transcripts) well before January 1. Applicants to the PhD Program in Applied Linguistics should submit the following admissions materials:

• UMass Boston Graduate Application
• Official transcript from each college and university attended (including evidence of a master’s degree in applied linguistics or related field, with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0)
• A current Curriculum Vitae
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from individuals who can assess the applicant’s academic preparation for advanced graduate work
• One well-written sample of academic work (e.g. MA thesis, course paper, research project, published article, etc.)
• Statement of purpose [1500 words maximum] that addresses the following questions:
• How do your research interests map onto the areas of inquiry supported by the PhD Program in Applied Linguistics (bilingual/multilingual education, multilingual language policy, critical applied linguistics, social resources and social contexts in language learning, and sociocultural theory)?
• What practical or real-world changes do you hope to see as a result of your research, scholarship, and/or activism?
• What professional, personal, and academic experiences have especially equipped you to bring a critical perspective to your research, scholarship, and/or activism? And, how do your experiences as a multilingual language learner, language teacher, or language user inform your goals? (For applicants who are not multilingual, please explain your plans for developing fluency in another language while completing the PhD program.)

For international students who have not completed at least two academic years of full-time study (excluding ESL or test-prep) at an approved English-speaking college, proof of English language proficiency is required.

Deadlines & Cost

Deadlines: December 1 for fall

Cost: For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s Office or send an email to [email protected] . Please refer to Graduate Student Financial Aid for more information on financial aid.

Application Fee Waivers: Fee waivers are automatic for all UMass Boston alumni, veterans, and McNair Scholars. Additionally, fee waivers for financial hardship are granted to applicants on a first-come-first-serve basis. To request a fee waiver, applicants should first complete their application (but not submit it), then send an email to the Program Director with the subject line: PhD Fee Waiver Request. State your reasons for requesting the fee waiver in your email and attach a letter from your academic advisor attesting to the financial need to waive the application fee. Applications must be complete in order to receive a fee waiver.

Support: Funding for doctoral students—including tuition, living stipend, and health insurance—is available for up to three years on a competitive basis. Applicants to the PhD program in Applied Linguistics are considered for Graduate Assistantships during the application review process in January.

Coursework is the primary way for students to develop their scholarly identity, knowledge, and research skills as they refine a dissertation topic for study. During the first two years of the PhD program, students are encouraged to explore a range of topics and get to know faculty before they choose an advisor for their dissertation project. In their third year, students move on to candidacy by passing associated benchmarks supported by their inquiry courses. The following courses are offered in the Applied Linguistics PhD Program:

Core Courses (9 Credits)

• APLING 700 - Issues in Applied Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 701 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 702 - Issues in Sociolinguistics 3 Credit(s)

Seminars (9 Credits)

• APLING 707 - Current Research on Language and Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 708 - Corpus Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 709 - Language Policy 3 Credit(s)

Colloquium (1 Credit)

• APLING 890 - Graduate Colloquium in Applied Linguistics 1 Credit(s)

Research Methods Courses (9 to 15 Credits)

Complete at least three courses from below.

• APLING 703 - Applied Linguistics Research Methods 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 704 - Advanced Discourse Analysis 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 705 - Advanced Ethnography 3 Credit(s)
• PPOL-G 604L - Statistical Methods in the analysis of Social Problems I 3 Credit(s)
• PPOL-G 605L - Statistical Methods in the Analysis of Social Problems II 3 Credit(s)

Electives (3 to 9 Credits)

Complete no more than three from below.

• APLING 601 - Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 603 - Language, Culture and Identity 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 605 - Theories and Principles of Language Teaching 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 611 - Methods and Materials in Foreign Language Instruction 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 612 - Integrating Culture into the Language Curriculum 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 614 - Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 615 - Dual Language Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 618 - Teaching ESL: Methods and Approaches 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 621 - Psycholinguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 623 - Sociolinguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 627 - Phonetics and Phonemics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 629 - The Structure of the English Language 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 633 - Discourse Analysis in ESL 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 635 - Literacy & Culture 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 637 - Ethnography of Education: Culture, Language, & Literacy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 670 - Testing in the Bilingual/ESL Classroom 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 673 - Reading in the Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) Classroom 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 696 - Independent Study 1-6 Credit(s)
• APLING 697 - Special Topics in Applied Linguistics 1-6 Credit(s)

Inquiry Courses (6 Credits)

• APLING 891 - Qualifying Paper Seminar 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 892 - Dissertation Proposal Writing Seminar 3 Credit(s)

Dissertation Research Course (12 Credits)

• APLING 899 - Dissertation Research 1-12 Credit(s)

Graduation Criteria

Complete 55 credits from 16 courses including three core courses, three seminars, one colloquium, three to five research methods courses, one to three electives, two inquiry courses, and one dissertation research course.

Students with a master’s degree in a relevant field earned no more than seven years before matriculation may be eligible for advanced standing awarding them up to twelve credits toward the degree.

Doctoral candidacy:   Acceptance of a qualifying paper and dissertation proposal. Dissertation:   Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.

Statute of limitations:   Seven years.

Graduate Program Director Professor Avary Carhill-Poza [email protected]

Applied Linguistics Department

UMass Boston's Department of Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts offers a diverse range of programs and research opportunities aimed at exploring theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, and interdisciplinary areas of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

Explore the Applied Linguistics PhD Program

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• Applied Linguistics Department Blog

College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

Funding and Aid

PhD students who matriculate in Summer 2020 and after will be guaranteed to have funding support from the University of Chicago, external sources, or a combination of the two for the duration of their program to include the following:

● Full tuition coverage ● Annual stipend ● Fully paid individual annual health insurance premiums

The goal of the University’s commitment to ensuring that students are supported is to allow students to prioritize their studies and prepare for rewarding careers. Funding is contingent on remaining in good academic standing and making progress toward completing degree requirements.

Students in the Division of the Humanities who entered their PhD program in Summer 2016 or later, and who are still enrolled in 2022-2023 will be fully incorporated into this new funding model, and will receive at least the guaranteed stipend level (subject to applicable taxes), full tuition coverage, and fully paid health insurance premiums for the duration of their program, as long as they remain in good academic standing.

Students who matriculated before Summer 2016 will receive at least the funding they were offered at the time of admission and may be eligible for additional funding, such as dissertation completion fellowships. Over the past several years, the Division of the Humanities has increased investments in funding to support students in degree completion.

Additional fellowships and awards are available to support language study, conference travel, and research travel. 

Research and Dissertation Funds

University of chicago internal fellowships and grants.

The following are internal fellowships that students may apply for. Additional information is available at the  Division of the Humanities’ website .

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

Foreign Language and Area Studies  fellowships are for Ph.D. students in their first five years or two-year M.A. students in their second year who must study certain languages for their programs. In 2024-2025, the University will be accepting applications for languages in two world areas: Middle East and East Asia. The FLAS program provides funding for study on campus during the academic year and on campus or elsewhere (domestic or abroad) during the summer.

Humanities CMES, MAPH TLO, and doctoral students who will register for qualifying language courses in the year of the fellowship are strongly encouraged to apply for an Academic Year FLAS. Master's students receive a $20,000 stipend, tuition aid (amount dependent on their program), and student services fee coverage. PhD students receive a $5000 stipend supplement.

Summer award benefits for all students: $2,500 stipend and up to $5,000 in tuition for the applicant's language program of choice.

Applications  are available on the  UChicagoGRAD website Questions?  Contact  Maggie Kurkoski  (UChicago GRAD) at  [email protected] 

For more information, please review the  UChicagoGRAD FLAS website . 

The following internal fellowships require nomination by the department.

Hanna Holborn Gray Fellowship

The Division of the Humanities is able to award two Hanna Holborn Gray Dissertation Completion Fellowships during the 2024-25 academic year to a rising 6th year or 7th year doctoral student who is sufficiently advanced in the writing of their dissertation that they are expected to complete the dissertation during the time they hold the award. This fellowship recognizes the student’s academic achievement and will enable the student to devote full attention and effort towards completing the dissertation.

Students who have applied for other Divisional Dissertation Completion Fellowships will be considered for this award, which will provide a stipend (generally higher than the minimum stipend available), tuition, the required student services fee, and University student health insurance premium. The terms of the fellowship prohibit students from engaging in any remunerative activity during the period of the fellowship. The sole exception to this prohibition to this rule is that fellows may undertake a modest teaching assignment in spring quarter if it is in fulfillment of their pedagogical training plan per the student teaching policy, and when it is clear from the fellow’s progress on the dissertation that teaching will not delay completion of the degree. Requests to undertake a teaching assignment must be made in writing to the Dean of Students, and are subject to departmental approval as all teaching must be in fulfillment of the pedagogical training plan. 

As with our other Divisional Dissertation Completion Fellowships, the student who holds a Hanna Holborn Gray Fellowship in 2024-25 must graduate in Summer 2025 or before. If they do not defend, complete the dissertation, and graduate during the fellowship year, they will be withdrawn from their program at the end of the summer quarter.

Franke Residential Dissertation Completion Fellowships

Each year the Franke Institute for the Humanities awards approximately four Residential Dissertation Completion Fellowships. There is no separate application for a Franke Residential DCF, but to be considered for these fellowships students must commit to being in residence during the fellowship year, and attend meetings with other Franke fellows. These fellowships differ from other DCFs in a number of ways, and include enhanced support and participation in various activities at the Institute .  

Humanities Division Dissertation Completion Fellowships

The Division of the Humanities is able to award approximately 24 Dissertation Completion Fellowships to doctoral students who are sufficiently advanced in the writing of their dissertation that they are expected to complete the dissertation during the time they hold the award. These fellowships recognize the student’s academic achievements, and enable the student to devote full attention and effort towards completing the dissertation.

Fellowships will provide tuition, the required student services fee, University student health insurance, and a stipend. For students under the new funding model, fellowships will include a financial bonus. The terms of the fellowship prohibit students from engaging in any remunerative activity during the period of the fellowship. The sole exception to this prohibition to this rule is that fellows may undertake a modest teaching assignment in spring quarter if it is in fulfillment of their pedagogical training plan per the student teaching policy, and when it is clear from the fellow’s progress on the dissertation that teaching will not delay completion of the degree. Requests to undertake a teaching assignment must be made in writing to the Dean of Students, and are subject to departmental approval as all teaching must be in fulfillment of the pedagogical training plan.

Please Note: Students who hold a Dissertation Completion Fellowship in 2024-2025 must graduate by or before Summer 2025. Students who do not defend, complete the dissertation, and graduate during the fellowship year will be withdrawn from their program at the end of the Summer 2025 quarter.

Eligibility for all 2024-2025 Dissertation Completion Fellowships: Some fellowships may only be held by students up to and including the sixth year in their program; others may only be held by students up to and including the seventh year; the few other fellowships may be held by students up to and including the eighth year of their program. If there are questions about your registration year, please contact [email protected].

The following terms and conditions apply for all dissertation completion fellowships: 1. Without exception, students must be admitted to candidacy before they can apply for these fellowships.  2. Students who have held or currently hold any dissertation completion fellowship (whatever the title of the fellowship: dissertation write-up, completion, etc.) from any internal or external sources are not eligible for consideration. 3. Students pursuing a joint degree program should submit the DCF application through their home department only. 4. Students must defend, complete the dissertation, and graduate in Summer 2025 or before. If this does not occur, the student will be withdrawn at the end of the Summer 2025 quarter.

Departmental Application Deadlines A student’s home department must nominate them for this competition. Students must adhere to their departmental deadlines for application submission.

Application Materials

Each student must complete the online application, which includes submitting the following documents: 1. The timeline for completion of dissertation writing and defense, with the student and the dissertation committee attesting to the feasibility of granting of the degree by Summer 2025. 2. Statement of purpose (3-5 pages single-spaced), describing the dissertation project. The narrative statement should include a work plan. The statement should discuss the significance of this work within the student’s specific and general fields and the contribution this project will make to the field(s) with which it engages.  Please remember that the fellowship review committee will include faculty members from across the Division and thus the candidate must explain terms and contexts that might not be familiar to those outside the field or subfield. 3. A curriculum vitae (C.V.). 4. A copy of one approved chapter of the nominee's dissertation for reference by the fellowship review committee. 5. Letters from two members of the student’s dissertation committee, attesting to the quality of the work and also to the ability of the student to complete and defend the dissertation in the Summer 2024 quarter or before.  These letters should be uploaded by the faculty member.

Department chairs who are nominating students for DCFs, will provide a brief summary of the nominated students as well as a ranked order of the nominees. This should be emailed to [email protected].

Please note that at this time, students who hold a  Divisional  Dissertation Completion Fellowship in year 6 and complete their program in that year and who apply to the Teaching Fellows in Humanities (TFH) application process will be selected to receive a TFH position the following year.

Linguistics Department Funds

The following are funds internal to the Linguistics Department that graduate students can apply for.

Research fund in honor of Rella Cohn:

The Department of Linguistics offers an annual fund for graduate student research, made available thanks to a generous endowment from the family of  Rella I. Cohn.  This fund provides financial support for a small number of graduate student research projects annually.  Funds may be used to support any aspects of student research, including (but not limited to) fieldwork expenses, research-related travel, and payment of conference registration fees.  We will consider requests for reimbursement of past conference travel, or travel to a future conference to which the student has been accepted; we cannot consider requests for travel to conferences if the student has not yet been accepted to present at the conference.

Applications for Rella Cohn funds will be accepted  every quarter (including the summer) in order to fund future activities (typically carried out on the following quarter). Application materials include a one-paragraph description of the project, an itemized budget (including discussion of what you could do with partial funding), a current CV, and a list of current and pending support for this project.

Rella Cohn received her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago in 1995, with a dissertation on Yiddish names. This work, published in 2008 as Yiddish Given Names: A Lexicon by Scarecrow Press, provides both a linguistic history of Yiddish first names and insights into the structure and history of Yiddish more generally.

Graduate Research Aid Initiative in Linguistics (GRAIL): The Department of Linguistics offers GRAIL funds for graduate student research, including attendance at workshops, conferences, summer schools and training, funds needed for fieldwork, lab work, access to collections or archives, etc. In years when the LSA Linguistics Summer Institute is held, we give priority to funding students to attend the Institute. Applications for GRAIL funds will be accepted  every quarter (including the summer) , in order to fund future activities (typically carried out on the following quarter). Application materials include a one-paragraph description of the project, an itemized budget (including discussion of what you could do with partial funding), a current CV, and a list of current and pending support for this project.  

Conference Funding

Dissertation Research Travel Awards  are available for students who have been advanced to candidacy.  Application deadline: rolling  

The Division of the Humanities Conference Reimbursement Grant provides up to $400 in  reimbursement  to doctoral and masters students for eligible travel expenses to present their work at an academic conference.

Eligibility: Doctoral or masters students in the Division of the Humanities who present a conference paper (or, for MFA students, in an exhibition). Doctoral students may receive the grant a maximum of  three  times in their graduate careers, but only once in any given academic year (academic years begin in Summer quarter). Master’s students may receive the grant a maximum of  one  time in their graduate careers.

Eligible expenses:

Airfare (economy or coach only) Train fare (economy or coach only) Bus fare Gas fare (based on mileage) Car rental

All conference grant reimbursements must be supported by adequate documentation, which consists of four parts: receipts, proof of participation (such as a program or letter of invitation), a completed Humanities Conference Grant Application Form, and a completed Student Certification for Business Related Travel Reimbursement.  More detailed instructions, as well as the two forms required, can be found below.

Requests for reimbursement will not be processed until all supporting documentation is received.   All application materials should be submitted electronically to  [email protected] .

Students who receive their reimbursement prior to attending a conference must provide proof of attendance following the conference. This should be submitted to  [email protected] , and may include a final conference program or booklet (scanned copy or link) showing conference participation or schedule of events. Pictures or other documentation may also be accepted.

Should your plans change and you do not attend the conference, any funds received prior to the event will need to be paid back to the Division by check or money order. Please contact [email protected] or reply to this email for instructions should this occur. Failure to return money from this grant is considered theft and is a University policy violation, which would be addressed by Area Discipline per the Student Manual.

The Graduate Council Fund   provides financial support for academic, professional, and social events created by and intended for UChicago graduate students. The fund supports events that foster intellectual, professional, and social engagement across the graduate student community, targeted to both niche and broad audiences.

Funding is not guaranteed. Registered Student Organizations (RSO’s) and other organizations can only receive funding for one initiative per academic year. Applicants are encouraged to apply for funding in advance. Applications will be reviewed quarterly as long as funding remains. The Graduate Council Fund will open for applications  Thursday, September 5, 2024.

CLS also offers funds for conference travel. Each grad student is entitled to reimbursements of up to $500 per academic year for conference-related expenses (travel, hotel, registration, etc.). There is no limit on the number of conferences that can make up this $500, but left-over funds from previous years do not roll over into the new academic year. Requests for reimbursements for a given year must be made by the start of the fall quarter of the following year at the latest. Requests for reimbursements made after that will count towards the funds available for the new academic year. For more information, you can contact current CLS officers.

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Linguistics, PhD

The Ph.D. program in Linguistics at Penn embraces a wide range of theoretical specializations and methodologies. What unites them is a commitment to careful and explicit formal analysis of the human capacity for learning and using language.

The core of our program is the formal generative tradition, but we encourage the cross-fertilization that results from the confrontation of empirical and theoretical perspectives on language structure. By our close collaboration with other programs (such as computer science and psychology) we promote an awareness of the broad view of language that interdisciplinary study induces. In addition to broad training, students are offered and expected to master the methods and results of their chosen areas of concentration in linguistics as a prerequisite to fruitful engagement in dialogue with others, both within and outside the program.

For more information: https://www.ling.upenn.edu/graduate/

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses

The total course units required for graduation is 20. A minimum of 12 course units must be taken at the University of Pennsylvania.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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Graduate Programs

Our graduate programs provide a unique environment where linguistic theory, multiple methodologies, and computational research not only coexist, but interact in a highly synergistic fashion.  

Our focus is on the Ph.D. degree.  The department occasionally admits students already enrolled at Stanford for the M.A. degree. Ph.D. students in other departments at Stanford may also apply for the Ph.D. Minor. 

Doctoral Program

Our Ph.D. program emphasizes rigorous theoretical work that has at its base a firm empirical foundation in language data.

Ph.D. Minor

Our Ph.D. Minor allows Ph.D. students in other Stanford departments to develop a solid grounding in linguistics that can complement and enhance their studies and research in their home department.

M.A. for Stanford Graduate Students

We offer an MA degree for Stanford graduate students which develops students' knowledge of linguistics, preparing them for a professional career or doctoral study in linguistics or related disciplines.

Coterminal M.A. Program

Our Coterminal M.A. Program develops students' knowledge of linguistics, preparing them for a professional career or doctoral study in linguistics or related disciplines.

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

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PhD Linguistics / Overview

Year of entry: 2025

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• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and 
• Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all  required supporting documents  at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by  13 January 2025.

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self–funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2025 entry:  30 June 2025
• For January 2026 entry:  30 September 2025

Programme options

Programme overview

• Access expert supervision across an exceptional breadth of research areas in Linguistics.
• Join a vibrant and lively international centre for Linguistics with an active postgraduate research community.  
• Alongside an exceptionally large cluster of experts on English language, we have particular strengths in Romance, Germanic, and Austronesian languages, as well as the languages of Latin America and Africa.
• 92% of our research activity was recognised as 'world leading' or `internationally excellent' REF2021.

We will be conducting our Humanities PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts. 

Fees for entry in 2025 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2024 were as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply for University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 13 January 2025.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below. 

You will need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor for a number of our scholarships. Therefore, we highly recommend you discuss these funding opportunities with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and ensure you meet nomination deadlines.

For more funding information, visit our funding page or use our funding database to search for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures New Generation PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)

Contact details

See: About us

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Linguistics and English Language

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in linguistics is designed with the interdisciplinary research goals of the department in mind.

Our curriculum aims to combine the best features of the knowledge-intensive model that is common in the humanities and the skills-intensive apprenticeship model that is more common in the physical and life sciences. The course requirements provide more flexibility than most linguistics programs, allowing students to acquire the broad training that is most appropriate to individual goals. Course loads are designed to leave time for students to become involved in original research at an early stage of the program. Many students continue to pursue research in multiple areas through their dissertation, and it is common for students to be co-advised by multiple faculty members.

Application

Join a community where new ideas develop in conversation, stimulated by the steady activity of our labs and research groups, frequent student meetings with faculty and regular talks by local and invited scholars.  Discover how to apply.

Our internationally recognized Ph.D. program combines current theoretical research in phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics with state-of-the-art experimental research in psycholinguistics, first language acquisition, language processing, neurolinguistics and computational linguistics. Explore our curriculum.

• Living Here

Our area also offers special resources for linguists. It is home to speakers of countless languages from around the world and home base to many national research agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Linguistic Society of America.  Learn more about living here.

Who to Contact

William idsardi.

Professor, Linguistics

Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science

CLaME: Max Planck • NYU Center for Language Music and Emotion

1401 A Marie Mount Hall College Park MD, 20742

Related Links

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PhD Program

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The PhD program is for those interested in advanced research training and developing expertise in an area of their choice.

Program Overview

Our department covers a broad range of research topics, with substantial coverage of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. We approach these topics from several different research traditions and backgrounds, with particular strengths in formal-theoretical linguistics, experimental and field linguistics, acquisition, and computational approaches to the study of communicative behaviour.

Program Requirements

Students in the PhD Linguistics program must complete coursework under the following requirements:

• LING 508: Phonetic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 510: Phonological Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 520: Syntactic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 525: Semantic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• First-year breadth courses may be waived if equivalent courses have been taken elsewhere.
• LING 505A: Issues in Morphological Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 511 : Topics in Phonology (3 credits)
• LING 513: Topics in Phonetics (3 credits)
• LING 521: Topics in Syntax (3 credits)
• LING 527: Topics in Semantics (3 credits)
• More than one section of LING 530 can be counted towards this requirement, with each three-credit section counting as one course.
• LING 531: Field Methods in Linguistics I (3 credits)
• The remaining six credits can be completed with either LING 532, LING 518, and/or an appropriate methods-related course within in Linguistics or in a different department

The first-year breadth courses and methods courses (except Field Methods) are waived if equivalent courses have been taken elsewhere, subject to an evaluation of the relevant syllabus.

First-year graduate students who do not have sufficient background for the first-year graduate courses (this is most typically an issue for LING 525 and LING 508) are expected to take the appropriate undergraduate courses (e.g., LING 325, LING 313) prior to registration in the graduate course.

Here are three sample course sequences that students usually take:

Sequence 1: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510, LING 520; Depth: LING 503

Term 2: Breadth: LING 508, LING 525; Depth: LING 511

Term 3: Depth: LING 513; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth: LING 530; Depth/Methods: LING 532

Sequence 2: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510, LING 520; Depth: LING 530

Term 2: Breadth: LING 525; Depth: LING 505A, LING 521

Term 3: Depth LING 527; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth/Methods LING 532

Sequence 3: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510; Depth: LING 503; Methods: 3 credits in statistics

Term 3: Depth LING 513; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth LING 530; LING 530

Qualifying papers

The QP process is an opportunity to develop, strengthen, and broaden research skills. Whether a student chooses the one-QP or two-QP option and the specific topic(s) are decisions students discuss and make in discussion with their committee. Discussions of what constitutes appropriate scope should take place within the committee.

Two-QP option (default): Students who select to write two QPs are acknowledging that they would benefit from the experience of engaging in two separate research topics under the guidance of a committee. Each committee must have three members, but each QP will have two readers. (The third member may be the Graduate Advisor.) The length of these QPs is to be the scope of a discipline-specific conference proceedings paper.

One-QP option: Students who select to write one QP are eager to engage more deeply with a single topic and set of research methods. Under this option, QPs will have three readers. The scope of this QP is to be appropriate for a journal manuscript, which is discipline specific. 

While QPs may feed into dissertation projects, there is no established expectation that they will or will not.

No defences, but QP presentations. Under neither of these options will students be required to defend their QPs. But, developing presentation skills is important to a scholar’s development. Students are required to present each QP. Such a presentation is a presentation and not a defence. The evaluation of a presentation is thus formative, and not summative. A QP does not need to be presented upon completion, but rather it is up to the committee to decide the presentation timing that is appropriate for a student. To facilitate this, there will be a Graduate Student Research Day at the end of every term, and all students will be invited to present.

As part of the Qualifying Paper process, and before beginning work on the paper, a student must have a short proposal for each paper approved by the supervisory committee. The proposal must establish the specific area and problem(s) to be addressed and cite a few key references from the literature which will be surveyed. The committee will normally respond to the proposal within 2 weeks of its submission. The Qualifying Paper proposal should follow the formatting guidelines of an abstract for the Annual Conference of the Canadian Linguistic Association, with the following addition: without exceeding the one-page length limit, the proposal should include a short budget (if there will be costs associated with completing the Qualifying Paper), budget justification and funding source (faculty member’s grant, outside grant, private funds, etc.). Also note that the content for a proposal will normally be more speculative than a conference abstract. Once approved, the Qualifying Paper proposal should be electronically filed with the Grad Admin and circulated electronically to the Department.

The final paper will be submitted to UBC Working Papers in Linguistics and must follow the UBCWPL style guidelines for length and formatting.

Dissertation

The dissertation marks the culmination of the PhD program. A dissertation should be an original and independent research project which makes some contribution to knowledge in the special area elected by the student.The dissertation marks the culmination of the PhD program. A dissertation should be an original and independent research project which makes some contribution to knowledge in the special area elected by the student.

By the end of a student’s third year, the student must submit to the Graduate Advisor a dissertation prospectus, along with the appropriate approval form signed by the members of the dissertation committee, and circulate the prospectus electronically to the Department. The content of a dissertation prospectus should be along the lines of an NSERC Discovery Grant or a SSHRC Insight Grant; it should have the following components:

• Summary (1 page maximum)
• Detailed description (6 pages maximum)
• Bibliography
• Budget (if there will be costs associated with completing the dissertation research)
• Budget justification (as appropriate)

Dissertations should be prepared in accordance with the thesis formatting regulations required by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Dissertations which do not meet the standards specified may be rejected. Documentation should follow the style guide of the Canadian Journal of Linguistics, Language, or the American Psychological Association.

The completed dissertation will be read by a specialist from outside the University, arranged by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at least three months before the candidate expects to take the final oral examination. The student’s research supervisor and the Graduate Advisor will forward a list of names of specialists who might serve as External Examiner using the Doctoral Dissertation Form. When the dissertation has been approved for submission to the External Examiner, the candidate will take the final oral defence. This is a formal, public examination, chaired by an appointee of the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and attended by the members of the examining committee and other interested persons.

Students nearing the final stages of thesis writing should familiarize themselves with the timeline to the oral dissertation defense . During the weeks prior to the oral examination, students are strongly encouraged to give a practice oral presentation, ideally during a departmental research seminar slot. Practice orals should follow the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies format, allowing 30 minutes for a presentation, and a longer period for questions. While examining committee members are not prohibited from attending, practice orals should not be viewed as an opportunity to prepare students for specific questions that students will be asked by committee members at the official defence.

The candidate submits an electronic copy of the final dissertation to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The electronic copy will be deposited in the cIRcle on-line repository, and linked from the department website. The final oral exam may be held at any time of the year (except from mid-December to mid-January) provided that the examining committee can be assembled.

Language requirement

In order to graduate, students must have a sound knowledge of one language other than English. They must fulfill this language requirement by the time of their thesis prospectus submission.

The language to fulfill this requirement is expected to be chosen on the basis of its relevance for the student’s research program, in consultation and by approval of the student’s supervisory committee. Relevance can be determined by a variety of factors such as the following:

• The language is the object of the student’s research, or is closely related to the language of research; for example, where a student’s research focuses on Yoruba, knowledge of Yoruba could fulfill the requirement, or where the student’s research is on St’at’imcets, knowledge of Halkomelem could fulfill the requirement.
• There is a significant and relevant linguistic literature in the language; for example, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Russian could fulfill the requirement.
• The language serves as a medium for conducting linguistic research relevant to the student’s program of research; for example, Hausa could fulfill the language requirement for a student conducting research on a language of northern Nigeria.

Students may fulfill the language requirements in various ways:

• Certain departments at UBC periodically schedule reading knowledge examinations. This exam evaluates a student’s language competence based on the translation of a text (approximately 1000 words) relating to the student’s field of study. A minimum second class standing (B- or better) must be obtained on this exam in order to satisfy the Foreign Language Requirement. For further information on such examinations, contact the appropriate departments.
• If you speak a language natively, your native proficiency can be accepted by the supervisory committee.
• If you have completed a program of post-secondary language study (a minimum of 12 credits or equivalent). A minimum second class standing (B- or better) must be obtained for these credits in order to satisfy the Foreign Language Requirement.
• For other languages, it may be necessary to establish an ad hoc mechanism for conducting an evaluation of the student’s knowledge. In such cases, the student should make a written request to their supervisory committee, including a proposal for how such an examination can take place, and including a proposal for a qualified examiner. Students considering this option should be aware that the requirements (including the required level of competence in the language and how to demonstrate it) may vary extensively from case to case, depending on the norms of the language community involved.

Continuous enrolment

Until their MA thesis prospectus has been approved, all MA students are expected to maintain a regular, active, physical presence in the Department. This can include participation in lab/project/reading groups, attending colloquia, research seminars or other ad hoc departmental events, meetings with their supervisor, committee members or other researchers in relevant areas. Certain circumstances may necessitate a student’s absence during some of this period (e.g. for field work); such absences should be discussed with the supervisory committee.

At all stages of the program, a student and their supervisor should be in regular contact and communication. At the thesis/dissertation stage, such contact should happen at least once a month (again, barring extenuating circumstances), either through in-person meetings, videoconferencing, or communication/reporting over email.

Supervision

A Research Supervisor is appointed for a student before the beginning of their first year in the program. The Graduate Advisor and the Research Supervisor, in consultation with the incoming student, will establish a three-member Temporary Supervisory Committee no later than the end of the first week of the first term.

Prior to registration for the second year, the Temporary Supervisory Committee shall be dissolved and a new Supervisory Committee shall be established. A MA Supervisory Committee consists minimally of the Research Supervisor and two additional members. Normally the members of the supervisory committee are from the Department of Linguistics; if the students committee includes members from outside the Department of Linguistics, a majority must be departmental members. Establishing a Research Supervisor is the joint responsibility of the student and the Graduate Advisor.

Both new and continuing MA students will have a meeting with their Supervisory Committee during the last week of August or in early September. At this meeting students can discuss their course work and other aspects of their program. Incoming students are requested to bring with them copies of the calendars of course offerings from the institutions they previously attended (other than UBC). At the end of April or the beginning of May, all students will meet with their Supervisory Committee to discuss the year’s progress and to plan further work. Any changes in a graduate student’s program must be approved by the Supervisory Committee.

The Graduate Advisor, in advising students, makes every effort to ensure that they have satisfied all the requirements for the degree — language requirements, course work, etc. However, it is ultimately every student’s responsibility to ensure that at the time he/she applies for the degree he/she has met all the requirements. Separate records of a student’s program and progress are kept by the Faculty of Graduate Studies; these records are obtained from information provided by the Graduate Advisor and are used to determine a student’s ultimate eligibility for graduation.

Annual evaluation

The Faculty will meet in April or May each year to discuss the progress of each student in the PhD program. The student’s supervisor will inform them of the results of the evaluation. If a student is not making satisfactory progress, they will either be required to withdraw from the program immediately or will be placed on probation and told what conditions must be fulfilled to obtain a satisfactory standing. If a student on probation has not fulfilled these conditions by the end of the following semester, they will then normally be required to withdraw from the program.

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Linguistics (PhD)

Program description.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Linguistics offered by the Department of Linguistics in the Faculty of Arts is a research-intensive program that emphasizes specialized and well-researched learning opportunities. The program's objective is to equip students with skills in self-direction, visionary thinking, and scientific communication to pursue professional opportunities in academia or industry.

The program may also be taken with a Language Acquisition option where students focus their thesis on the research area of language acquisition.

Keywords: Theoretical linguistics, experimental linguistics, computational linguistics, quantitative methods, linguistic field work, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, linguistics

Unique Program Features

• The program which provides training in the fundamentals of theoretical and experimental linguistics also offers a competitive funding package (covering living expenses, tuition and fees) for the length of the program (i.e., five years);
• Students benefit from access to a rich research landscape in cognitive science where many Faculty members are associated with leading research centers including the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM) and Mila - Quebec AI Institute;
• The Department has several labs for conducting research including rooms for elicitation, running experiments including in sound booths and with an eye-tracker, and access to high performance computing infrastructure.

University-Level Admission Requirements

• An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
• English-language proficiency

Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.

Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.

Program Website

PhD in Linguistics website

Department Contact

Graduate Program gradprogram.linguistics [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PhD%20in%20Linguistics) (email)

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Application deadlines.

Note : Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.

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• Application Steps webpage
• Submit Your Application webpage
• Connecting with a supervisor webpage
• Graduate Funding webpage

Application Workshops

Consult our full list of our virtual application-focused workshops on the Events webpage.

Department and University Information

Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

Applied Linguistics, Doctor of Philosophy

Department of English

College of Arts and Letters

If language is humanity's most useful tool, then applied linguistics, as the study of language, puts that tool to work. The focus of applied linguistics is on trying to resolve language-based issues that people encounter in the real world (Grabe 2002). This dissertation-based degree allows students to customize their coursework and research around such areas as second language studies, teaching and assessment of language skills, corpus linguistics, grammar and discourse, pragmatics, psycholinguistics, and speech perception and production.

University Requirements

To receive a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, from one or more disciplines, ranging from at least 60 - 109 units of graduate-level courses. Most plans require research, a dissertation, and comprehensive exams. All plans have residency requirements regarding time spent on the Flagstaff campus engaged in full-time study. The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Purpose Statement

PhD students pursue a diverse range of applied linguistic issues in preparation for their careers as researchers, teacher trainers, or leaders in fields related to teaching and learning second languages, including:

• computer-assisted language learning (CALL)
• corpus linguistics
• grammar and discourse
• language planning and policy
• language testing and program evaluation
• language variation
• literacy       
• register analysis
• second language acquisition
• second language teaching and learning
• speech perception and production

Our faculty work closely with individual students, helping them to develop as colleagues in applied linguistics. As a result, our PhD students have outstanding records of publication and participation in major conferences such as TESOL and AAAL. Graduates of our program have also been highly successful at obtaining tenure-track faculty positions at major universities. Student Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the PhD in Applied Linguistics, students will have:

• Advanced critical and analytical knowledge of the structure and uses of the English language, English language discourse processes and genres, the development of second language learning processes in their diverse cultural contexts, and the assessment of both language program effectiveness and individual language proficiency.
• Ability to address issues of language learning in real world settings
• Ability to address both language program effectiveness and individual language proficiency.
• Ability to contribute to innovative and effective English language teaching practices in the State of Arizona and elsewhere.
• Ability to integrate use of technology into language instruction and research.
• Ability to synthesize information and approaches across a range of core topics in Applied Linguistics, such as language acquisition, language in society, English grammar, and the development of language curricula and programs.
• Understanding of the many issues relevant to cross-cultural communication.
• Comprehensive preparation and professional orientation for advanced research in PhD programs.
• Ability to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret original and important empirical research.
• Ability to contribute as active professionals in Applied Linguistics and related fields.
• Expertise and qualifications to contribute significantly in professorial positions to the growth and development of Applied Linguistics.

Graduate Admission Information

The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College. Admission requirements include the following:

• Transcripts.
• Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.

Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies. Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy .

Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• GRE® revised General Test
• Two letters of recommendation
• Writing Sample
• Personal statement or essay
• Resume or curriculum vitae

Official TOEFL iBT/IELTS scores taken within the last 2 years are required for international applicants. Please see department website for information regarding minimum score requirements.

Doctoral Requirements

This Doctoral degree requires 81 units distributed as follows:

• Master's-level Coursework: 36 units
• Statistics Coursework: 9 units
• Seminars: 9 units
• Graduate Electives: 12 units
• Dissertation: 15 units

Take the following 81 units:

Master's-level Coursework (36 units)

• Coursework relevant to your research interests. (36 units)

Statistics Coursework (9 units)

• Prerequisite: Admission to TESL M.A. or Applied Linguistics Ph.D.">ENG 668 , Prerequisite: ENG 668">ENG 768
• Approved PhD Seminars

Seminars (9 units)  

Graduate Electives (12 units)

• Graduate electives, chosen in consultation with your dissertation committee. (12 units)

Dissertation (15 units)

• ENG 799 , for the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved dissertation (15 units)
• 15 units of dissertation credit may be applied to your degree; however, you may end up taking additional units since you must enroll each term while you're working on your dissertation.

Additional Information

In addition, you must:

• Complete a screening process.
• Complete a qualifying exam.
• Fulfill Northern Arizona University's residency requirements (For more information about residency and other requirements that pertain to this degree, see the policy on Requirements for the Doctoral Degree, PhD .
• Pass an oral exam on your dissertation (Dissertation Defense).

Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

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Linguistics, Applied Linguistics MPhil, PhD

As a postgraduate researcher in linguistics or applied linguistics, you'll carry out a major research project working with supervisors who are experts in your field.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2025
• January 2026

Newcastle University is one of the largest centres for linguistic research in Europe. This gives you the unique opportunity to learn a wide range of methodologies as part of our Linguistics or Applied Linguistics course. You will be exposed to diverse theoretical perspectives, which will enrich your own research.

Linguistics and Applied Linguistics are split across three Schools:

• School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences
• School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
• School of Modern Languages

Our supervisors' current research interests, projects and publications are available from our staff profiles in each of these Schools.

We offer supervision in the following areas:

• phonetics and phonology
• (morpho)syntax
• the lexicon
• cross-linguistic variation
• the architecture of the language faculty
• language's place in human cognition
• the philosophy of linguistics
• dialectology
• (variationist) sociolinguistics
• the sociology of language
• English historical linguistics
• corpus creation (e.g. the Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English )
• typical and atypical child (L1) and adult (L2) language acquisition
• cognitive science
• information theory
• psycholinguistics

Research centres and institutes

Our links with research centres and institutes provide opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary seminars and interest groups. Our most important connections are with:

• Centre for Research in Learning and Teaching
• Centre for Behaviour and Evolution

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Qualifications explained.

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

How you'll learn

Your attendance at Newcastle is flexible, depending on your fieldwork or if you are away collecting data. You'll have regular meetings with your supervisory team, supported by email and Skype.

You'll have opportunities to take part in seminars across the disciplines of:

• linguistics
• applied linguistics
• speech and language sciences

This allows you to engage with staff and fellow students. Many of our students already have well-developed professional careers and are inspired to explore research questions arising from their experience.

You'll work with supervisors who are responsible for guidance and advice. They will be your first point of contact if you have any academic issues. If you are based in the UK and wish to maintain your professional employment, part-time study is a flexible option.

You can choose to enter the annual competition for ESRC-funded studentships through the ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership . You should contact us well in advance of the February deadline if you are planning to apply.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

The Linguistics or Applied Linguistics MPhil involves research leading to the completion of a 50,000-word thesis. This is ideal if you do not need formal training (eg established scholars). You could also use the MPhil as the first stage of registering on the PhD.

The PhD is an independent, supervised research project. This leads to the production of a 100,000-word thesis. You'll develop your own ideas and explore the field of knowledge to which your thesis topic relates. This involves:

• critical engagement with relevant literature
• selection and/or collection of data
• analysis and interpretation of the data within a specific theoretical framework
• further development of that framework

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

Your development

Research groups.

Our research groups also facilitate researchers with common interests to share ideas, develop new skills and gain feedback on their work. The groups meet regularly and include:

• Language & Cognition Research Group
• Sociolinguistics Discussion Group
• Romance Linguistics Circle
• North East Syntax Seminar
• Phonetics and Phonology Research Group

In addition to these formal groups, there are a number of informal research clubs that meet on an ad hoc basis.

Newcastle seminar series in linguistics

Throughout each semester we host a regular seminar series where internationally renowned linguistic researchers give presentations on their recent research.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

• ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership
• Northern Bridge Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership

Your future

Career development.

You'll develop your career within a research-led community and benefit from funding opportunities. Our recent MPhil and PhD graduates have gone into a variety of careers, including: 

• university administration

Additionally, you can involve yourself in a range of activities and events. As a PhD student, you can gain experience in conference organisation.  You'll have the opportunity to get involved in the organising team of the annual Newcastle and Northumbria Postgraduate Conference in Linguistics (Toon Taaks). 

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is a lively and diverse community. We have over 700 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates.

We are based in the Percy Building. Our purpose-built postgraduate suite has dedicated computer clusters, meeting rooms, a kitchen and a lounge.

Linguistics researchers also have access to the LingLab . This space provides access to linguistics and experimental software, such as:

• ELAN and CLAN

There is also a range of specialised equipment available for loan or use, including professional-quality recording equipment:

• a portable eye tracker
• a portable ultrasound machine
• a portable electroglottograph
• ultrasound tongue imaging
• multiple sound booths

Finally, the lab also has access to several linguistic corpora, including:

• ICE-GB Corpus of English
• ICE-GB Great Britain Sound Files
• BYU Corpora

We have two postgraduate research student study rooms. The larger room was recently upgraded with more workstations and a soft seating area. We have a Resource Centre and two on-site clinics:

• Tavistock North East Aphasia Centre
• Children's Speech and Language Therapy Clinic

The School also houses the Language Resource Centre . It has an extensive range of language learning facilities and resources, including:

• access to 24 satellite television channels from around the world
• listen and record facilities for speaking practice
• interactive language learning software
• an international film collection of over 800 titles

The award-winning Philip Robinson Library has an extensive audio-visual collection.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year), home fees for research degree students.

For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.

For 2025-26 entry, we will be aligning our standard  Home research fees  with those set by  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2025 by UKRI.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

• How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

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Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

For Applied Linguistics:

Dr Sara Ganassin Director of Postgraduate Research School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences Telephone:  +44 (0) 191 208 6583 Email: [email protected]

For Linguistics:

Scott Burdon Postgraduate Learning and Teaching Administrator School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences Telephone  +44 (0) 191 208 6233 Email:  [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

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PhD in Linguistics: Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

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The Linguistics Section is unique in the UK because it integrates theoretical and applied linguistics in a single academic department. The Linguistics Section provides great variety and flexibility in course contents, subject-specific training, and diversity of intellectual interactions. PhD topics in the range of research specialisms represented in the Section and beyond the Section in the MMLL Faculty are accepted. Students may choose to focus on a theoretically oriented study of the language sciences (e.g., interest in the syntactic organisation or sound structure of different languages or in the analysis of meaning in semantics and pragmatics) but may also be interested in a more applied direction of Linguistics (e.g. language acquisition, language processing, data mining of language corpora) or may choose to look at Linguistics from a specific language point of view (e.g., Italian linguistics). 

In British universities, the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is traditionally awarded solely on the basis of a thesis, a substantial piece of writing that reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry. Within linguistics, some PhD students may do most of their work in libraries, spend part of their time collecting and analysing fieldwork data, or carry out experiments in the phonetics laboratory or psycholinguistics laboratory. The completion of the PhD thesis is generally expected to take three to four years. It is also possible to take a part-time route, and the expected timeframe would be five to seven years. 

In addition to providing specialist supervision, the Linguistics Section and the MMLL Faculty run a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students. The programme includes seminars and workshops on library resources, giving conference papers, publishing, applications and interviews, teaching skills, specialist linguistics training, and film-making. The School of Arts and Humanities runs a central programme covering a range of topics from PhD skills training, to language training and writing and editing skills. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity to gain experience in small-group teaching from Colleges. There may also be opportunities to gain some experience in language teaching in the Faculty.

In addition to providing special supervision, both the Linguistics Section and the MMLL Faculty run a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students.  The programme includes seminars and workshops on library resources, giving conference papers, publishing, applications and interviews, teaching skills, specialist linguistic training, and film-making. The University runs a central programme covering a range of topics from PhD research development to language training and writing and editing skills. Students also have access to a Social Sciences research methods training programme. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity of gaining experience in small group teaching for colleges. There may also be opportunities to gain some experience in language teaching in the MMLL Faculty.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, candidates will have acquired excellent skills, experience, and knowledge to undertake postdoctoral work (research and teaching) or other related professions.

For Cambridge students applying to continue from the MPhil by Advanced Study to a PhD, the minimum academic requirement is an overall distinction in the MPhil.

For Cambridge students applying to continue from the MPhil by Thesis to a PhD, the usual academic requirement is a pass in the MPhil.

All applications are judged on their own merits, and students must demonstrate their suitability to undertake doctoral-level research.

If the Master's degree from which the applicant is progressing is not the MPhil in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, the Master's degree has to contain a substantial Linguistics component. 

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:

Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.

For more information about upcoming events visit our events pages .

Departments

This course is advertised in the following departments:

• Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
• Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of theoretical and applied linguistics this course is advertised in multiple departments. please see the overview tab for more details., course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:.

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Michaelmas 2025

Funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.

Similar Courses

• Linguistics and Language Sciences (Research) MPhil
• Linguistics and Language Sciences (Taught) MPhil
• Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence MPhil
• Computer Science PhD
• Education (Research in Second Language Education) MPhil

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PhD in Linguistics

As one of the top four graduate programs in theoretical linguistics, the close-knit PhD in linguistics program prepares you to conduct individual creative research as early as possible in your graduate career, working very closely with faculty. You’ll concentrate your study in the area of syntax, semantics, phonology, phonetics, psycholinguistics, language acquisition, morphology, or computational linguistics. Upon graduation, you’ll be well prepared to become a professor in the field of theoretical linguistics at universities around the world.

Application information & deadlines

December 20, 2023, linguistics.

Conduct creative research with faculty in specialty areas including syntax, semantics, and phonology in a top graduate program in theoretical linguistics.

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We have 31 linguistics PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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linguistics PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

English language and applied linguistics - postgraduate research opportunities, awaiting funding decision/possible external funding.

This programme is waiting to confirm funding from a university or external source. This may depend on attracting suitable students and applications are welcome. Please see the programme details for more information.

Arts Research Programme

Arts Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University

Funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

Humanities Research Programme

Humanities Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Transforming Chinese secondary school students into emergent bilinguals in an English language classroom—A longitudinal pedagogical intervention that deploys translanguaging to stimulate agentive learning

Phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

PhD in Languages and Cultures

English phd programme, phd studentship (3 years): utilising chatgpt as a strategy for self-regulation among l2 english speakers, philosophy at uea, creative writing - postgraduate research opportunities, choose from 20 phds in literatures, languages and cultures at edinburgh, social sciences research programme.

Social Sciences Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Digital Humanities PhD Programme

Cognitive science phd, algebraic topology and graphs, self-funded phd students only.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Language development in early childhood: Precursors of the transition to literacy

Language development in early childhood: exploring the quality of interactions with adults and peers, natural language generation in the era of large language models.

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Fully funded Linguistics Scholarships in 2024 - 2025

20+ best scholarships for linguistics students.

Tomorrow's Leader USA Scholarship Program 2025 (Fully Funded)

• Fully Funded
• USA Universities
• Bachelor, Masters, PhD
• All Subjects
• International Students

This is a Bachelor, Masters, PhD scholarships for International Students at USA Universities, USA. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Tomorrow's Leader USA Scholarship Program 2025 (Fully Funded).

Edith Cowan University (ECU) Australian Qualification International Scholarships 2025

• Tuition Fee Reduction
• Edith Cowan University

This is a Masters scholarships for International Students at Edith Cowan University, Australia. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Edith Cowan University (ECU) Australian Qualification International Scholarships 2025.

UNHCR - DAFI Scholarships 2024-2025

• Partial Funding
• Rwanda Universities
• Domestic Students

This is a Bachelor scholarships for Domestic Students at Rwanda Universities, Rwanda. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for UNHCR - DAFI Scholarships 2024-2025.

University of Otago in New Zealand Global Scholarships 2025 (Funding up to $15,000)

• University of Otago
• New Zealand

This is a Bachelor, Masters, PhD scholarships for International Students at University of Otago, New Zealand. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for University of Otago in New Zealand Global Scholarships 2025 (Funding up to $15,000).

Edith Cowan University Australia ECU Research Scholarships 2025

• Postgraduate
• Domestic Students, International Students

This is a Postgraduate scholarships for Domestic Students, International Students at Edith Cowan University, Australia. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Edith Cowan University Australia ECU Research Scholarships 2025.

Prairie View A&M University USA Presidential Scholarships 2025/2026

• Prairie View A&M University

This is a Bachelor, Masters, PhD scholarships for Domestic Students at Prairie View A&M University, USA. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Prairie View A&M University USA Presidential Scholarships 2025/2026.

KAUST Fully Funded Fellowships 2025/2026 in Saudi Arabia

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
• Masters, PhD
• Saudi Arabia

This is a Masters, PhD scholarships for International Students at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for KAUST Fully Funded Fellowships 2025/2026 in Saudi Arabia.

King Saud University Saudi Arabia Scholarships 2024/2025 (Fully Funded)

• Fully Funded, Partial Funding
• King Saud University
• Bachelor, Masters, Postgraduate

This is a Bachelor, Masters, Postgraduate scholarships for International Students at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for King Saud University Saudi Arabia Scholarships 2024/2025 (Fully Funded).

Scotland Pakistan Scholarship 2024 for Pakistani Students (Fully Funded)

• UK Universities
• Bachelor, Masters, Mphil
• Scotland, UK

This is a Bachelor, Masters, Mphil scholarships for International Students at UK Universities, Scotland, UK. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Scotland Pakistan Scholarship 2024 for Pakistani Students (Fully Funded).

Belgium Government ARES Scholarship 2025-26 for Bachelor, Masters and Continuing Education in Belgium (Fully Funded)

• Belgium Universities
• Bachelor, Masters

This is a Bachelor, Masters scholarships for International Students at Belgium Universities, Belgium. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Belgium Government ARES Scholarship 2025-26 for Bachelor, Masters and Continuing Education in Belgium (Fully Funded).

MRIWA Australia Odwyn Jones PhD Scholarship 2025 (Funding up to $139,677)

• Australian Universities
• International Students, Domestic Students

This is a PhD scholarships for International Students, Domestic Students at Australian Universities, Australia. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for MRIWA Australia Odwyn Jones PhD Scholarship 2025 (Funding up to $139,677).

Kings College London UK Chevening Scholarships 2025 (Fully Funded)

• King’s College London

This is a Masters scholarships for International Students at King’s College London, UK. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Kings College London UK Chevening Scholarships 2025 (Fully Funded).

TU Delft Netherlands Justus and Louis Van Effen Excellence Scholarships 2025

• Full tuition fee
• Delft University of Technology
• Netherlands

This is a Masters scholarships for International Students, Domestic Students at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for TU Delft Netherlands Justus and Louis Van Effen Excellence Scholarships 2025.

Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University 2025 in UK (Fully Funded)

• University of Oxford

This is a Masters, PhD scholarships for International Students at University of Oxford, UK. Students interested in All Subjects are advised to apply for Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University 2025 in UK (Fully Funded).

University of Nottingham China Beacons Institute Scholarships 2025

• University of Nottingham Ningbo China
• Green Chemicals and Energy, Intelligent Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Healthcare

This is a PhD scholarships for International Students, Domestic Students at University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China. Students interested in Green Chemicals and Energy, Intelligent Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Healthcare are advised to apply for University of Nottingham China Beacons Institute Scholarships 2025.

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Fully Funded Master’s Programs in Linguistics

As a part of our series on  How to Fully Fund Your Master’s Degree , here is a list of universities with fully funded Master’s Programs in Linguistics. A Master’s degree in Linguistics can lead to a wide variety of career opportunities , from foreign language teachers, audiologists, speech pathologists, working as publishers/editors, working in translation services for government agencies, and even a university professor.

“Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes tuition remission and an annual stipend or salary for the duration of the program. Fully funded Master’s programs in Linguistics can be challenging to find as most universities focus their funding on PhD students. This disparity means Master’s candidates can have difficulty securing scholarships and funding. However, many universities do offer fully funded Master’s programs on the basis that the student will teach or perform research in their field of study.

Not all universities provide full funding to their Master’s students, so it’s essential to research the financial aid offerings of all the potential Master’s programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools in the U.S. and abroad.

You can also find several external fellowships in the  ProFellow database  for graduate and doctoral study, as well as dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experience.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines?  Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

Purdue University Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

Based in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. A wide range of courses are offered that lead to MA, PhD, or dual MA/PhD degrees. The curricula encourage students to tailor their linguistics studies to their interdisciplinary interests, with a particular focus on the analysis of bilingualism. The admissions committee will only make offers to as many new students as they can provide with funding. Students are admitted with 2-5 years of guaranteed funding, depending on the program. This package will be a combination of fellowships, TA (teaching assistant), RA (research assistant), and GA (graduate assistant) positions.

University of Kentucky Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

The University of Kentucky, in Lexington, KY, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The program provides training in theoretical frameworks for approaching descriptive and sociolinguistic data with related emphases on historical, corpus, and computational linguistics. Funding opportunities and graduate teaching assistantships are available to qualified students. The Linguistics Program employs teaching assistants in its program for a stipend plus full tuition remission per academic year. Assistantships are renewable for two years while in the MA program, provided that the student has made satisfactory progress toward a degree and is performing satisfactorily as a teacher.

McGill University Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

McGill University, in Montreal Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The MA in Linguistics is a thesis-based program that provides training in the fundamentals of theoretical and experimental linguistics. All full-time students will are funded, with MA students receiving $18,000 for their first year and $12,000, for 8 months, in their second year. Funding comes from a variety of sources such as internal and external fellowships and research funds. The funding package is contingent on maintaining a CGPA of 3.5 or higher in graduate level Linguistics courses and covers tuition and fees for the duration of the 20-month program.

University of Calgary Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

The University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The Linguistics graduate program trains researchers in the core areas of theoretical linguistics—such as syntax, semantics, phonology, phonetics, and morphology—as well as in language acquisition, historical linguistics, and psycholinguistics. Students take six courses and are expected to complete an MA thesis based on their original research within two years. The Minimum Stipend for full-time students in the MA program is $20,000 annually for the first two years of enrolment.

University of Toronto Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

The University of Toronto, based in Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The one-year program offers courses in core theoretical linguistics and areas that intersect with related disciplines such as formal linguistics, sociolinguistics, and cognitive science. The Department of Linguistics provides base funding packages of at least CAN$ 19,000 plus tuition and fees to all students in the funded cohort. Funding comes from various sources, including Teaching assistantships, Research assistantships, University of Toronto Fellowships (UTF), and External scholarships.

Ohio University Fully Funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics

Ohio University, in Athens, OH, offers a fully funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics. The program offers a strong theoretical foundation and research experience in applied linguistics with practical experience in language instruction to prepare students for doctoral studies and professional careers in this field. The Linguistics Department has financial support awards available to MA in Applied Linguistics students through Tuition Scholarships and Teaching Assistantships. Such support is awarded on a competitive basis. International students who demonstrate sufficient English proficiency are also eligible for assistantships.

Concordia University Fully Funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics

Concordia University, based in Montreal, Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics. This program examines how languages are learned and used and their societal roles. Courses are divided into three clusters that give students a broad knowledge base in language, theories of learning, and second-language pedagogy. Funding packages are generally available for students in thesis-based programs through awards, teaching, and research assistantships. Most students receive awards when they are admitted to allow them to focus on their research and studies. Students are automatically considered for all entrance graduate awards when they apply.

Iowa State University Fully Funded Master’s in TESL/Applied Linguistics

Iowa State University, based in Ames, IA, offers a fully funded Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics. The MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics is a two-year advanced degree covering teaching methods and research in English language teaching. The program consists of 30 credits. Students admitted to graduate study can declare up to two elective disciplinary specializations. Most graduate students are funded. An assistantship for MA students includes a GA stipend of $9,817.50 for a part-time nine-month appointment (total of $19,635) with eligibility for up to two years, in-state tuition, tuition reduction, and health insurance benefits.

Carleton University Fully Funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics & Discourse Studies

Carleton University, in Ontario, Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Applied Linguistics & Discourse Studies. The interdisciplinary combination of Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies is Carleton’s unique approach to studying language, bringing together several research areas that have previously had separate academic traditions. Students entering the program with high academic standing can receive financial aid through entrance scholarships and teaching assistantships. These funds are awarded by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs based primarily on prior academic performance. MA students receive TA-ships for two years.

Simon Fraser University Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

Master’s in Linguistics. The MA Program has three streams – thesis-based, project-based, and course-based. All three streams require the completion of 35 units, which is expected to take two years. The Department of Linguistics aims to welcome and financially support graduate students in its master’s and doctoral programs. They offer several funding sources to graduate students through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. A significant source of funding comes from teaching assistantships. It expects students to receive a minimum of 5.5 base units per academic year. (Base units is a term used for salary and stipend information where 1 BU is equivalent to a max of 42 hours of work).

University of Alberta Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

The University of Alberta, in Alberta, Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The Department of Linguistics is unique as the Faculty of Arts provides a Master of Science degree. Areas of research include infant language acquisition, phonetics, and bilingualism. Students entering the MSc can choose from one of two options: the course-based or the thesis-based MSc. Accepted students are offered funding support through a Graduate Teaching Assistantship or a Graduate Research Assistantship stipend for eight months from September to April. MSc students are offered this funding for two years. In addition, some tuition remission is provided to international students when funds are available.

University of British Columbia Fully Funded Master’s in Linguistics

The University of British Columbia, based in Vancouver, Canada, offers a fully funded Master’s in Linguistics. The MA in Linguistics program is interdisciplinary, combining research methods from the humanities and the social, natural, and mathematical sciences. The department covers a broad range of research topics, with substantial coverage of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Students in the Linguistics MA program typically receive a funding package of CAN$ 25,500 for the program’s first two years. The funding package may include internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, graduate academic assistantships, or other campus work.

Looking for graduate funding?  Sign up  to discover and bookmark more than 2,500 professional and academic fellowships in the ProFellow database.

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