PhD in Spanish - Second Language Acquisition in Davis United States | University of California Davis

The Spanish graduate program ranks among the nation's premier Spanish departments. Academic Analytics' annual survey currently places us first in scholarly productivity within our discipline. Our curriculum provides thorough education in Iberian and Latin American - including Portuguese and Brazilian - Literatures and Cultures, along with Hispanic Linguistics. Faculty members embrace innovative theoretical approaches and interdisciplinary methodologies while maintaining focus on national literary traditions. The Ph.D. requirements include coursework in Spanish language history and literary/linguistic studies, plus proficiency in two additional foreign languages.

The Designated Emphasis (DE) equips doctoral candidates with both theoretical foundations and practical skills in language acquisition and technology-enhanced teaching. Students who deepen their understanding of second language acquisition processes help enhance undergraduate language education quality. Completing the DE substantially improves graduates' competitiveness in foreign-language and ESL employment opportunities.