PhD in Second Language Acquisition in College Park United States | University of Maryland, College Park

The program equips graduates for careers in academia, education, government, non-profits, and industry. Its research focuses on English as a foreign language, along with both widely and less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), spanning East Asian, Middle Eastern, and modern European languages. The curriculum leverages the knowledge of renowned faculty from the SLA program, the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and affiliated departments like Linguistics, Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation, Hearing and Speech, Psychology, Curriculum and Instruction, and Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. Specializations include four key areas: second language acquisition, teaching methodologies, language assessment, and practical language application. Students choose two courses from each of two specialization areas (totaling four courses), supplemented by two electives aligned with their dissertation focus. Additionally, all students complete two courses in quantitative or qualitative research methods. While eight courses constitute the minimum requirement, some students may need preparatory coursework before beginning these eight, and many opt for additional courses based on their academic interests.