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PHD in Culture, LIteracy and Language

Chapter 6 Graduate Program Requirements/Course Description
College of Education and Human Development

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Culture, Literacy and Language

The Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Culture, Literacy and Language. The program focuses on the consequences of cultural and linguistic diversity for literacy and language acquisition. Successful Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate in-depth interdisciplinary knowledge in culture, literacy, and language, and must deliver an original contribution to the field.

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The regulations for this degree comply with the general University regulations (refer to Chapter 3, General Academic Regulations, and Chapter 5, Doctoral Degree Regulations).

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Program Admission Requirements. In addition to the University-wide admission requirements, the minimum requirements for admission to the doctoral degree program in Culture, Literacy and Language are as follows:

1. A Master's degree in an area such as the following: anthropology, applied linguistics, bicultural-bilingual studies, foreign language education, history, international business, linguistics, psychology, sociology, and teaching English as a Second Language. Masters' degrees in other fields may be accepted, subject to the approval of the Doctoral Studies Committee.

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2. A portfolio consisting of the following items will be evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee, comprised of members selected from the graduate faculty of the Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies:

  • A master's degree transcript documenting a grade point average of 3.5 or better in an approved master's degree program.
  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
  • Advanced proficiency in a language other than English to be demonstrated by examination or approved coursework.
  • For students whose Master's degree is from a non-English speaking university, submission of Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores of no less than 550.
  • Three letters of recommendation attesting to the student's academic and personal attributes for success in the program and potential for contributing substantially to a field of study related to the degree; and
  • A sample of academic writing in the form of an essay describing research interests and purpose for pursuing the Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy and Language.
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Applicants are evaluated based on the above criteria.

Degree Requirements. The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours beyond the Master's degree. The core curriculum consists of 24 semester credit hours of required courses. A minimum of 12 hours in research methods and 15 hours in doctoral research must be completed.

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Program of Study

A. Foundation Course (3 semester credit hours required)

BBL 7003 Proseminar in Culture, Literacy and Language (CLL)

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B. Research Methods Courses (12 semester credit hours required)

BBL 7013 Research Design and Statistics for Culture, Literacy and Language
BBL 7023 Qualitative Research Methods for Culture, Literacy and Language
BBL 7033 Research in the Speech Community

An additional 3 hours chosen from the following:

EDU 7113 Educational Research Statistics: Descriptive and Comparative
EDU 7123 Educational Research Statistics: Relational and Nonparametric

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C. Core Courses (9 semester credit hours required)

BBL 7113 Cultural Studies Research
BBL 7123 Sociocultural Contexts of Literacy
BBL 7133 Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition

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D. Designated Electives (12 semester credit hours required). Students, in consultation with their academic advisor and the Graduate Advisor of Record, will select 12 semester credit hours for an emphasis in a coherent interdisciplinary area. As part of these 12 hours, students will be required to take a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of advanced Doctoral seminars.

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Advanced Doctoral Seminars

BBL 7203 Seminar in Latino Biculturalism
BBL 7213 Seminar in Ethnological Theory
BBL 7223 Seminar in Biliteracy and Second Language Literacy
BBL 7233 Seminar in Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism
BBL 7243 Seminar in Language and Language Use

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Other Designated Electives

BBL 5043 Ethnography of Communication
BBL 5173 Sociocultural Issues and the Teaching of Reading
BBL 6053 Assessment in Bicultural-Bilingual Communities
BBL 6223 Anthropology and Education in Multicultural Contexts
BBL 6233 Advanced Topics in Language Policy
BBL 6243 Evaluation Research for Bilingual and Second Language Programs
ESL 5023 Language Analysis for Second Language Specialists

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E. Free Electives (9 semester credit hours required)

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Students, in consultation with their academic advisor and the Doctoral Program Coordinator (Graduate Advisor of Record), will select additional graduate level courses from other departments in the University in order to complete a coherent emphasis area. Selection of this coursework will be driven by two primary factors: the discipline in which a student has completed the Master's degree and the research goals for that student.

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F. Doctoral Research (15 semester credit hours minimum)

BBL 7303 Directed Doctoral Research (3 hours minimum)
BBL 7313 Doctoral Dissertation (12 hours minimum)

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The entire program of study must be approved by the student's dissertation advisor, dissertation committee, and Doctoral Studies Committee and must be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies through the Dean of the College for final approval.

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Advancement to Candidacy. Advancement to candidacy will require a student to complete all University and program requirements and to pass written and oral qualifying examinations. The written examination will be constructed, administered, and evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee. The written portion of the examination will cover the areas of the graduate core and emphasis courses and must be taken after completion of core and emphasis courses or after the completion of 42 semester credit hours. In order to pass this examination, the student must demonstrate a broad knowledge of culture, literacy, and language. The oral examination will be conducted by a faculty committee, nominated by the Doctoral Studies Committee and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. The oral portion of the examination will be given to a doctoral student before he/she starts the chosen dissertation research. The purposes of this examination are to ensure that: (1) the student has sufficient grasp of the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of the chosen dissertation area; (2) the student has selected an original and acceptable research topic; and (3) the student has the ability to exchange ideas and information with the collaborating research faculty members. No more than two attempts to pass qualifying examinations will be allowed.

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Dissertation and Final Oral Examination. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research by completing and defending an original dissertation. The dissertation may employ quantitative or qualitative research methods as applicable to the selected emphasis for the degree. The doctoral dissertation must make a substantial contribution to a field within Culture, Literacy and Language. The research topic will be determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervising professor. A dissertation committee selected by the student and supervising professor and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies will guide and critique the candidate's research. The Dissertation Committee must unanimously approve the completed dissertation. The dissertation shall then be defended publicly before the student's committee and interested members of the University community. Following an open presentation of the dissertation findings, a final oral examination covering the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation will be administered and evaluated by the student's dissertation committee.
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