Ed.D. in Language Education

The doctoral program in language education provides students with a thorough understanding of the nature of language, the process of second language acquisition, the relationship between language and culture, and successful models of second language pedagogy. The program has three major goals:  (1) to provide students with opportunities to construct their own theoretically grounded knowledge of the field; (2) to provide training and experience in conducting language education research; and (3) to encourage students to examine the larger political, social, and cultural context of language education. The program is appropriate for experienced teachers who wish to pursue careers as college and university faculty in the United States or overseas, administrators in schools and other educational institutions, and leaders in state and federal government agencies.

DESCRIPTION OF DOCTORAL PROGRAM

The doctoral program in language education is built around a set of core courses that provide an opportunity for students to work with all three faculty members and to build a fundamental understanding of the structure of language and its social function, the principles of second/foreign language education, and the relationship between language and culture. Additional courses allow students to develop an area of specialization congruent with the student's research and career interests. If so desired, students can obtain New Jersey certification or an endorsement while pursuing a doctoral degree in language education.  All students are expected to complete a language education research experience and to pass qualifying requirements prior to beginning dissertation study.

When an applicant is accepted into the doctoral program, he or she is assigned an academic adviser who meets with the student to develop a proposed program that uses the outline below as a guide. This Proposed Degree Program indicates the specific courses the student intends to take (including appropriate courses from other units of the university), the credits that are being transferred from other institutions (if any), anticipated dates of residency, etc. (Advising forms are available in the department office.) The Proposed Degree Program must be filed within the first 18 credits of course work and must be approved by the student's academic adviser, the Department Chair, and the Associate Dean.  Although the Proposed Degree Program may be modified, it provides a blueprint for study and encourages students to think early about the directions they wish to pursue and the preparation they need in order to carry out their dissertations.

Students may change their academic advisers if and when they identify faculty members whose interests are more consistent with their own. Please note, however, that the Proposed Degree Program should be developed with the academic adviser with whom the student will be continuing to work. It should also be noted that the academic adviser is not necessarily the faculty member who serves as the student's dissertation adviser.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

I.  FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION (9 credits, 3 in each area)

A. Psychological Foundations

B. Sociological/Philosophical Foundations

C. Policy and Leadership

II. LANGUAGE EDUCATION  (30 credits)

A.  Core Courses (15 credits)

253:520  Principles of Second/Foreign Language Education (3)

253:523  Language and Culture (3)

253:530  Foundations of Language I (3)

253:531  Foundations of Language II (3)

253:620  Seminar in Second/Foreign Language Education Research (3)

B.  Area of Specialization  (15 credits)

These courses should be chosen in consultation with an adviser and should reflect the student's developing research and career interests.  They may be outside the program (e.g., in Literacy Education) or outside the school (e.g., in the Rutgers Anthropology, Linguistics, Language and International Studies departments, or in the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies).

C.   Research Experience

Students write a concept paper providing an in-depth critical evaluation of an issue in Language Education.  After the paper is accepted by the adviser as adequate, it will be discussed with the student at a formal meeting with the Language Education faculty.  The student may register for an Independent Study if substantial guidance from a faculty member is desired to support the composition of this paper.

III.  RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (9 credits)

A.   291:511  Introduction to Educational Research and Methodology

B    Two courses in one of the following three areas.  (Suggested options listed.)

1. Qualitative Foundations

255:500  Qualitative Methods: Design and Analysis

255:525  Qualitative Methods in Education I

310:536  Methods of Educational Ethnography

2. Quantitative Foundations

300:511  Quantitative Research Methods in Education I

960:531  Statistical Methods in Education I

960:532  Statistical Methods in Education II

3. Program Evaluation

291:520  Program Evaluation:  Introduction to Methods and Practice

291:620  Program Evaluation:  Theory and Advanced Methods

IV.  QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Doctoral students are required to demonstrate their qualifications prior to undertaking dissertation study by passing a 4-part qualifying examination evaluated by the Language Education Faculty.

V.  DOCTORAL DISSERTATION STUDY (24 credits)

250:701  Dissertation Study in Learning and Teaching

(Note: No more than 12 credit hours of dissertation study may be taken before the successful completion of the qualifying examination.)  The Dissertation Committee consists of at least three members that collectively meet the following requirements:  a) the chair of the Dissertation Committee must be a member of the Graduate School of Education: b) at least one must be a member of the student's program: c) at least two must be Rutgers faculty members: d) at least one must be from outside the student's department.

SUMMARY OF CREDITS

Foundations of Education            9 credits

Language Education                  30 credits

Research Methodology                9 credits

Dissertation Study                       24 credits

TOTAL                                           72 credits

Transfer Credit  
Students may petition the faculty to transfer up to 18 graduate credit hours of course work taken elsewhere to meet these requirements.  Transfer of credits is not guaranteed, and it must be demonstrated that the course meets the specified goals of the program.  Transfer courses used to fulfill core program requirements should have content equivalent.

Time Limits

Students have seven years from the time of admission to complete course work and qualifying examinations; they have a total of 10 years to complete all requirements.