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Linguistics
Ph.D. in Linguistics
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Gallaudet’s Ph.D. program in Linguistics, with a focus on ASL and other signed languages, gives students the opportunity to specialize in a range of theoretical and applied areas related to signed languages, including phonology, syntax, morphology, cognitive linguistics, sociolinguistics, first and second language acquisition, applied and engaged linguistics, multimodality, and language documentation.
Successful applications include a letter of interest that identifies a prospective Ph.D. advisor. Applicants are encouraged to contact the prospective advisor and the Linguistics Graduate Coordinator ahead of time to discuss the admissions process. Applicants also submit a CV, transcripts, and a sample of their academic work; the Graduate Admissions webpage lists detailed information about the application process and requirements.
Required Coursework Credits for Graduation
Students who have already completed the 41 credits required for the Gallaudet LIN M.A. are required to complete a minimum of 36 additional credits (24 required credits and 12 elective credits) for the LIN Ph.D. For these students, the doctoral curriculum consists of a total of 77 credits of coursework plus dissertation research.
Students who enter the LIN Ph.D. program without a Gallaudet LIN M.A. are required to complete a minimum of 62 credits (26 required M.A. credits, 24 required Ph.D. credits, and 12 elective credits) plus dissertation research. These students must also successfully complete the Qualifying Exam and Viva Exam. Although these students are not typically awarded an incidental M.A. on the way to the Ph.D., this option is available upon completion of the entire M.A. in Linguistics, which includes an additional 15 elective credits.
All Ph.D. students must complete the following courses (24 credits): Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities (LIN 741), Phonology III (LIN 801), Generative Linguistics III (LIN 802), Cognitive Linguistics III (LIN 827), Guided Research Project (LIN 880, taken twice), Concept Paper (LIN 883), and Dissertation Proposal Development (LIN 890).
All Ph.D. students must also complete a minimum of 12 elective credits, to be chosen by the student in consultation with the student’s advisor. Electives outside of Linguistics are subject to approval by the Linguistics faculty, and these courses should focus on aspects of linguistic theory, application, or research related to the student’s professional or academic goals. Some electives may also be taken through the Consortium of Colleges and Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
Guided Research Project (LIN 880), GRP Reader and GRP Presentation Milestones
For the Guided Research Project (GRP), students design and conduct an independent research project under the guidance of their dissertation advisor. The GRP typically is related to the student’s dissertation topic, but is not required to be. LIN 880 is taken twice, and the final GRP paper is evaluated by both the advisor and a GRP reader who is a Linguistics faculty member external to the project. The GRP paper must be considered satisfactory by both evaluators in order for the student to continue in the Ph.D. program.
Students are required to give a presentation on their GRP, similar to what would be given at a professional conference. This is a formal presentation, 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for discussion and/or Q&A. Faculty evaluate the presentation in areas of content, presentation, and language use, and students receive feedback from the faculty. Successful completion of the GRP presentation is required to continue in the Ph.D. program.
Concept Paper (LIN 883), Field Exam and Concept Paper Presentation Milestones
The Concept Paper serves as a transition from students’ preparatory coursework to their dissertation proposal. This paper includes a statement of the research question(s) and a review of relevant literature, and focuses primarily on (a) defining the key concepts relevant to the student’s anticipated research plans and (b) making the underlying theoretical assumptions explicit. The Concept Paper must be completed in the first 10 weeks of LIN 883 in order to provide time for the Field Exam and Concept Paper Presentation to occur. LIN 883 may be taken twice, at the discretion of the Linguistics faculty.
The content of the Field Exam is determined by the student’s Concept Paper. Three examiners (the LIN advisor for the Concept Paper, a second LIN faculty member with expertise in some area relevant to the student’s Concept Paper, and a third LIN faculty member who does not work in the area of the student’s Concept Paper) conduct in-depth questioning in areas pertinent to the Concept Paper topic. Student responses are evaluated by all three examiners together as a Pass with Distinction, Pass, Unsatisfactory or Fail. Students who receive an Unsatisfactory score on the Field Exam are required to retake the exam; students who Fail the Field Exam are dismissed from the program. Students who retake the Field Exam and receive either a score of Unsatisfactory or Fail are dismissed from the program.
After successful completion of the Field Exam, students give a presentation on their Concept Paper. This is a formal presentation, similar to what would be given at a professional conference, 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for discussion and/or Q&A. Faculty evaluate the presentation in areas of content, presentation, and language use, and students receive feedback from the faculty. Successful completion of the Concept Paper Presentation is required to continue in the Ph.D. program.
Dissertation Proposal Development (LIN 890) and Proposal Defense Milestone
Each student seeking a Ph.D. is required to complete a research-based dissertation on a topic acceptable to their dissertation committee. LIN 890 is the course in which students develop their dissertation proposal. LIN 890 may be taken twice, at the discretion of the Linguistics faculty. The proposal defines a project of appropriate scope, extends the literature review from the Concept Paper, and outlines an appropriate research design and methodology. Students meet regularly with their dissertation advisor for guidance and discussion, but are expected to pursue the bulk of the work independently. Once the full committee deems the proposal defendable, a defense date is set.
All Ph.D. coursework must be completed or be on track to be completed by the semester the proposal defense occurs. Successful defense of one’s dissertation proposal is the candidacy examination for the LIN Ph.D. program.
Dissertation Research (LIN 900) and Dissertation Defense Milestone
Once students have successfully defended their dissertation proposal, they advance to Dissertation Research. LIN 900 may be taken multiple times, provided students earn a passing grade each semester.
The dissertation is a research project designed to provide new understanding of a topic, and includes a thorough and thoughtful review of the relevant literature, description of methodology, analysis, and discussion and conclusion elucidating the significance of the findings. The dissertation process is discussed in detail in the 91福利导航 Dissertation and Thesis Handbook.
The maximum time allowed for completion of the dissertation is seven years from the start of the LIN M.A. degree or six years from entrance into the Ph.D. program for those without a LIN M.A. degree. Any extension beyond this deadline will require the approval of the doctoral committee, the Graduate Program Coordinator, the School Director, and the Associate Dean of Graduate Education.
Summary of Requirements
24 required credits, LIN 880 is taken twice
An examination of the theories and principles of sociolinguistics with specific reference to sign languages and Deaf communities around the world. Topics include multilingualism, bilingualism, and language contact, variation, discourse analysis, language policy and planning and language attitudes.
All first year Linguistics MA courses or by permission of instructor.
This course is an advanced seminar focusing on phonological theory, building on foundational material presented in Phonology I and Phonology II. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in phonological theory, focusing on both spoken and signed languages.
LIN 731
This course is an advanced seminar focusing on generative approaches to syntactic theory, building on foundational material presented in Generative Syntax I and Generative Syntax II. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in syntactic theory, focusing on both spoken and signed languages.
LIN 733
This seminar is the third course in the Cognitive Linguistic sequence of courses in the graduate linguistics program (the first two being LIN 721 and LIN 732). Possible major topics include cognitive grammar, cognitive semantics, conceptual blending, constructional grammar, embodiment, depiction, mental spaces, metaphor, metonymy, and the usage-based approach to language.
LIN 732
This course is required to be taken twice, typically beginning in the fall semester of students' first year in the Ph.D. program and continuing into the following spring semester. Students will design and conduct a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Course requirements include a final paper by the end of the second semester with the following components, as applicable: development of an appropriate research plan, completion of the IRB human subjects review, and collection and analysis of data. LIN 880 may be repeated a third semester at the discretion of the instructor if requirements cannot be successfully completed in the usual two semesters.
Acceptance to LIN Ph.D. program and successful completion of the LIN Qualifying Exam.
This course serves as a transition from students' preparatory coursework to their dissertation proposal. Under supervision of a faculty member, students will complete a Concept Paper that identifies their research question(s) and defines key concepts that underlie those research questions. The Concept Paper also specifies the theoretical framework(s) to be adopted for research and discusses previous literature assumed as background information. Upon approval of a student's completed Concept Paper by the instructor, the student will then give a Concept Paper Presentation to the full faculty and take the field exam, both of which are developed on the basis of the student's completed Concept Paper. LIN 883 may be repeated one time.
Successful completion of LIN 880 Guided Research Project and LIN Faculty approval of the GRP presentation.
In this course, students will develop their dissertation proposal, producing a research plan for answering the research questions posed in their Concept Paper. Emphasis will be on defining a project of appropriate scope for a dissertation, extending the literature review and selecting an appropriate research design and methodology. Students will meet regularly with their dissertation advisor for guidance and discussion, but are expected to pursue the bulk of the work independently. LIN 890 may be repeated one time.
LIN 883, Field Exam, Concept Paper Presentation, and approval of the GRP paper as having achieved publication quality, as evaluated by an outside reader from the LIN faculty.
26 additional required credits, only for students who did not complete the Gallaudet M.A. in Linguistics
An introduction to the principles of linguistic study, with a concentrated focus on phonology and phonological theory as applied to English and ASL. Topics will include: phonetics, phonemics, phonological processes, syllables and syllabification, distinctive features, phonological rules, and an overview of current phonological theory.
This course provides an introduction to generative linguistics and principles of syntactic argumentation within the generative tradition. Topics include Parts of Speech, Phrase Structure rules, X-bar rules, the role of the Lexicon, and various types of syntactic movement related to verbal morphology, questions and passive constructions. The course focuses initially on English and other spoken languages, but also includes application to ASL towards the end of the course.
This course will introduce students to the profession of linguistics, its history and subfields, as well as the research specializations of department faculty. Students will also receive general training in a variety of skills relevant to graduate studies in linguistics, such as technical writing, using library resources to locate literature, using computer and editing techniques needed for carrying out sign linguistics projects, and applying for research grants and IRB approval for student research projects.
This is the first of a three-course sequence focusing on a cognitive linguistics approach to ASL. Examination of semiotic diversity in ASL from the perspective of Cognitive Grammar, with an emphasis on analysis of data. The primary focus of the course is on depiction, establishing a typology of depiction that includes many imagistic phenomena in ASL and other spoken and signed languages, such as enactments, manual depictive forms, and ideophones. Notions in Cognitive Grammar benefiting depiction analysis, such as constructions and construal, are also introduced.
This course builds on foundational material presented in Phonology I. Students will investigate the phonological structure of signs in American Sign Language. Part one (I) presents a comparison of notation systems for signs and provides extensive training in sign notation. Part two (II) deals with phonological contrast. Part three (III) is concerned with the phonotactic properties of lexical signs. Part four (IV) deals with phonological processes and historical change.
LIN 701 or permission of instructor.
This course is a continuation of LIN 721, with discussion of the tenets of cognitive linguistics, particularly the view that lexicon and grammar are a continuum of form-meaning pairings with varying degrees of abstraction and complexity. This discussion provides the theoretical background with which to investigate grammatical structures in ASL, English, and other languages, including metaphor, grammatical classes (e.g., noun and verb categories), and complex expressions (e.g., morphology, compounding, grammatical relations, and grammatical constructions).
LIN 721 or permission of instructor
This course builds on foundational material presented in Generative Linguistics I and extends them to the study of ASL and other sign languages. Lectures include continued opportunity for hands-on practice in deriving various syntactic structures, and also develop students' abilities to independently read and understand articles in generative linguistics.
LIN 702 or permission of instructor
12 elective credits (selected sample of offerings)
Elective offerings vary each semester. Electives outside of LIN are subject to approval by the Linguistics faculty.
Students are introduced to a descriptive framework with which to identify and analyze iconicity and depiction in ASL and other signed languages and spoken languages as well. The course focuses on depiction typology, examining the structure of role-shifting, constructed action and dialogue, classifier constructions/depicting verbs, aspectual constructions, abstract/metaphorical depictions, and other imagistic uses of space, including different types of gesture.
LIN 101, graduate student status, or permission of the instructor.
This course examines general issues in first language acquisition, focusing on the period from birth to five years. It includes critical review of literature on phonological, lexical, morphological and syntactic development for both signed and spoken first languages, from both nativist and usage-based theoretical perspectives.
All first year Linguistics MA courses plus LIN 741, or permission of instructor.
This course will review current theory and research in second language acquisition (SLA) from linguistic and psychological perspectives, focusing on the influences of various theoretical models. Students will be introduced to the principal areas of SLA research and the major methodologies available for their study. Course material will focus on acquisition of a spoken second language, but also discuss recent studies and analyze data related to second language acquisition of a sign language.
The focus of this course is a comparison among six dominant approaches to the analysis of discourse: pragmatics, speech act theory, conversational analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, ethnography of communication, and variation analysis, with close examination of different kinds of sign language discourse.
All first year Linguistics MA courses, or permission of instructor
Year I - Fall
Complete Qualifying Exam during the Year 1 Fall Semester.
Year I - Spring
Year II - Fall
Complete Viva Exam during the Year 2 Fall Semester.
Year II - Spring
Present Guided Research Project during the Year 2 Spring Semester.
Year III - Fall
Complete the Field Exam and Present Concept Paper during Year 3 Fall Semester.
Year III - Spring
Year IV - Fall
Defend Dissertation Proposal during Year 4 Fall Semester.
Year IV - Spring (and onward)
Defend Dissertation.
This course is for ABD students conducting any aspect of their dissertation research and writing.
Successful completion of LIN 890 and dissertation proposal defense, LIN 741, LIN 801, LIN 802, and LIN 827, and all four electives required for the doctoral program.
Completed application form. See Application Instructions to learn how. A non-refundable application fee of $75. Official transcripts of all graduate study. See Application Guidelines and FAQ for more information. All international applicants from non-English speaking countries must demonstrate English language competence via the Degrees of...
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