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Department of Modern Languages
The University of Mississippi

Ph.D. in Second Language Studies

PhD in Second Language Studies

The Ph.D. Program in Second Language Studies offers two emphases:

Students in the Applied Linguistics Ph.D. emphasis focus on linguistics, empirical research, and language pedagogy. The curriculum is shaped by the scholarship of the department’s faculty. Faculty expertise includes dialectology, discourse analysis, functional linguistics, historical linguistics, language obsolescence, language pedagogy, language variation, second language phonology, and sociolinguistics.

Students in the Spanish Ph.D. emphasis explore linguistics, culture, language, literature, and film across the Spanish-speaking world. The curriculum provides students with a comprehensive understanding of literary criticism, cultural and film studies, and Hispanic linguistics. Faculty expertise includes the study of languages in contact, Spanish dialects, literature from Spain and Latin America, film, indigenous languages of Latin America, and Hispanic sociolinguistics.

All faculty are recognized experts in their fields and are committed to mentoring doctoral students as they pursue careers as researchers, teachers, and/or consultants in a variety of professional contexts.

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Current Ph.D. Students

Program Requirements:

Ph.D. Student Resources:

Beyond Campus:

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Ph.D. Application and Assistantships

Brochure for the Graduate Programs in Modern Languages at the University of Mississippi

Admission to the Ph.D. in Second Language Studies follow the criteria of the Graduate School.

Applied Linguistics Specialization Requirements for Admission:

  • Master’s degree in one of the following: Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, English Language, ESL, Foreign Language, or a related field. Applicants to the emphasis in Applied Linguistics should have graduate-level coursework in Linguistics (at least an introduction)
  • GRE score: a holistic evaluation of all sections (Verbal scores above 142 and Writing scores above 3.0 will be considered competitive)
  • For international applicants: TOEFL score of 79 or IELTS of 6.00 (countries exempt from TOEFL examinations)
  • Undergraduate GPA: above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Master’s GPA: above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Spanish Specialization Requirements for Admission:

  • Master’s degree in Spanish or a related field
  • GRE score: a holistic evaluation of all sections (Verbal scores above 142 and Writing scores above 3.0 will be considered competitive)
  • For international applicants: TOEFL score of 79 or IELTS of 6.00 (countries exempt from TOEFL examinations)
  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.0 and above on a 4.0 scale
  • Master’s GPA: above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Materials to Submit:

Deadlines and assistantships:

Applications are due by March 1st for entry in the Fall semester. Applications will be considered after the deadline on a space-available basis. Spring admission will only be considered under special circumstances, in which case the deadline is October 1st.

Competitive assistantships are available for students who apply by the March 1st deadline. Assistantships are awarded only to applicants who start in the Fall, and funding is limited while the pandemic lingers.

Additional assistance may be available from the Office of Financial Aid.

Contact:

For any questions that arise during the application process, please contact Dr. Felice Coles.

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Contact Information

Ph.D. Program Coordinator:

Dr. Felice Coles
fcoles@olemiss.edu
662-915-7702
Bondurant East 210A

Chair of the Department of Modern Languages:

Dr. Daniel O’Sullivan
dosulliv@olemiss.edu
662-915-7298
Bondurant C-115

Mailing address:

Department of Modern Languages
P.O. Box 1848
University of Mississippi
University, MS 38677