Coordinator:
Mary Curran (732-932-7496, ext. 8101; email: mary.curran@gse.rutgers.edu)
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 provides 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 coursework 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, three in each area)
A. psychological foundations
B. sociological/philosophical foundations
C. policy and leadership
II. Language Education (30 credits)
A. Core Courses (15 credits)
15:253:520 Principles of Second/Foreign Language Acquisition (3)
15:253:523 Language and Culture (3)
15:253:530 Foundations of Language I (3)
15:253:531 Foundations of Language II (3)
15:253:620 Seminar in 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, or international studies departments, or in the School of Communication and Information).
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. 15:291:511 Introduction to Assessment, Applied Statistics, and Research (3)
B. Two courses in one of the following three areas, and one in another in consultation with adviser. (Suggested options listed below.)
1. Qualitative Foundations
16:300:513 Qualitative Research Methods in Education II: Design and Analysis (3)
16:300:509 Qualitative Research Methods in Education I: Introduction (3)
15:310:536 Methods of Educational Ethnography (3)
2. Quantitative Foundations
15:291:531 Statistical Methods I (3)
15:291:532 Statistical Methods II (3)
16:300:511 Quantitative Research Methods in Education I: Introduction (3)
3. Program Evaluation
15:291:520 Program Evaluation: An Introduction to Methods and Practice (3)
15:291:620 Program Evaluation: Theory and Advanced Methods (3)
IV. Qualifying Examination
Doctoral students are required to demonstrate their qualifications prior to undertaking dissertation study by passing a two-part qualifying examination evaluated by the language education faculty.
V. Doctoral Dissertation Study (24 credits)
15:250:701 Dissertation Study: Learning and Teaching (BA)
(Note: no more than 12 credits 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: 1) the chair of the dissertation committee must be a member of the Graduate School of Education; 2) at least one must be a member of the student's program; 3) at least two must be Rutgers faculty members; and 4) 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
