English

Program Requirements

Completion of the PhD requires:

• advanced course work
• excellent performance on a variety of assessment measures
• evidence of ability to carry out independent dissertation research

Please see the academic catalog for the most recent information regarding courses and academic plans.

Graduate Student Association of Applied Linguistics

Other requirements

• Passing the PhD screening process, which comprises completion of the university MA-TESL comprehensive examination plus completion of an original empirical research paper within three semesters of provisional admission. Passing the screening process requires an overall assessment of high pass on the comprehensive exam and empirical research paper.
• Satisfying the PhD language requirement.
• Preparation of PhD qualifying exam papers based on questions provided by the student's dissertation committee members.
• Preparation and oral defense of a dissertation proposal.
• Preparation and oral defense of a dissertation.
• Presentation of a public lecture based on the dissertation, preferably immediately preceding the oral defense.

Various forms of financial support including, graduate teaching assistantships, are available.

To qualify, you must have a master’s degree and a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

Applications will be considered until the end of April for the following fall semester. However, first priority is given to applicants submitting their material by February 1 for the following fall semester.

Applicants who are interested in teaching assistantships or tuition waivers are encouraged to apply by February 1 for first review of files for financial aid.

How to Apply

1. Prepare your documents for submission to the Graduate College

Your application should include:

• recent GRE scores for the general test taken within the last 5 years
• for non-native English speakers: Official iBT (TOEFL) scores taken within the last 2 years; minimum score of 100 iBT (reading: 27, listening: 24, speaking: 22, writing: 27) or IELTS scores of reading: 7.5, listening: 7, speaking: 7, writing: 7.5 required for admission
• a curriculum vitae that describes your educational background, employment history, and professional activities
• a statement of purpose that describes why you are interested in obtaining a PhD from Northern Arizona University, what research focus you anticipate pursuing, and how you ultimately intend to use your degree
• 3 letters of recommendation from people who can attest to your ability and potential for doctoral level work
• 1-2 sample publications or manuscripts (both hard and electronic copies); manuscripts from presentations or term papers from graduate courses are acceptable
• a copy of your transcripts with the application submission (may be unofficial); an official copy of your transcript will be required before beginning the program or being awarded financial aid

2. Submit an application for graduate study to the Graduate College.

Apply to the Graduate College.