Applicable only to students admitted during the 2012-2013 academic year.

Applied Linguistics

College of Letters and Science

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Applied Linguistics offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Applied Linguistics, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Applied Linguistics, and the Certificate in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language.

Applied Linguistics

Admission

Program Name

Applied Linguistics

Address

3300 Rolfe Hall
Box 951531
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1531 

Phone

(310) 825-4631 

Email

appling@ucla.edu  

Leading to the degree of

M.A., Ph.D. 

Admission Limited to

Fall 

Deadline to apply

December 11th 

GRE (General and/or Subject)

GRE: Not required 

Letters of Recommendation 

 

Other Requirements

In addition to the University's minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose.

M.A. Applicants to the M.A. program are expected to submit a relevant research paper as a writing sample, and a statement of research. The statement of research should contain the reasons for wishing to study applied linguistics at UCLA; the area of applied linguistics in which the applicant may want to specialize and do research and the reasons for this interest, the qualifications and professional experience relevant to doing research in this area; and knowledge of other languages, dialects or cultures.

While not required for admission, admitted applicants may be required to take or audit any course including Linguistics 103, 120A, and 120B to make up deficiencies in preparation as deemed necessary by the faculty.

Ph.D. Applicants are expected to submit a statement of research and a relevant research paper, such as a master's thesis, related research paper or comprehensive examination, as a writing sample. The statement of research should describe the applicant's research background and expectations of type of dissertation to be prepared.

Admitted applicants may be required to make up deficiencies in preparation as deemed necessary by the faculty. 

Master's Degree

Program is not accepting applications for 2013-2014.

Advising

New students entering the program discuss their academic program with a faculty mentor initially assigned by the faculty according to areas of common interest, expertise, and experience. Students may request a change of mentor at any time through the graduate adviser. Students must nominate a thesis committee before beginning work on the thesis and at least one quarter before filing the thesis. The chair of the thesis committee assumes the role of faculty mentor after the committee is appointed.

Students meet each quarter with their faculty mentor and the graduate adviser to discuss their course of study and are required to have their course enrollment plan approved by their faculty mentor and the graduate adviser. During the year the faculty and the graduate adviser review the student's records and advise on progress in the program and the remaining requirements that must be met. In addition, the graduate adviser provides guidance on a variety of academic issues.

Areas of Study

Students may specialize in areas of applied linguistics such as language acquisition, language assessment. discourse analysis, service learning, and others, depending on faculty expertise. Students should consult the department regarding what is available. In particular, students who are interested in specializing in language assessment should contact the department prior to submitting an application.

Foreign Language Requirement

Before advancement to candidacy, students must demonstrate effective knowledge of one foreign language equivalent to a minimum of three quarters of foreign language study at the university level. This knowledge may be demonstrated by : (1) completion of the third quarter of instruction in a foreign language with a minimum grade of B or better; (2) completion of the second quarter of instruction in a foreign language course plus Linguistics 221; (3) a UCLA Foreign Language Department Placement Test, demonstrating equivalency to completion of the third quarter of instruction in a foreign language. Non-native speakers of English may petition to use English to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

Course Requirements

A total of 10 courses is required for the M.A. degree, including a minimum of seven 200-series courses. Nine of these courses are applied toward the University's nine-course minimum for the master's degree. A total of eight units of 500-series courses may be applied toward the 10 courses required by the department for the M.A. degree; however, only four of those units may be used to fulfill the University's nine-course minimum requirement for the degree.

Prerequisites: Introductory course in phonetics taught at UCLA (Linguistics 103); a minimum of two quarters of a foreign language.

First-Year Curriculum

The typical course of study for the first year of the M.A. program is as follows:

Fall Quarter: Applied Linguistics C201 and C204, one additional course.

Winter Quarter: Applied Linguistics C202, two additional courses.

Spring Quarter: Applied Linguistics 208, two additional courses.

Five foundation courses (Applied Linguistics 200, C201, C202, C204, and 208) are required. Choice of additional coursework in the first year is flexible and is to be determined in conjunction with the faculty mentor and graduate adviser. Those students who lack the prerequisite linguistics courses and foreign language background are expected to take these courses within their first two quarters.

Students who come to the program from fields other than linguistics may need to take additional courses in the nature of language and language analysis, in order to better prepare themselves for advanced study in one of the three areas of specialization offered in this program. Exceptions to the above requirements are made only after consultation with the faculty mentor and graduate adviser.

Second-Year Curriculum

The typical course of study for the second year of the M.A. program is as follows:

Fall Quarter: Applied Linguistics 200, two guided electives.

Winter Quarter: Applied Linguistics 598, two guided electives.

Spring Quarter: Applied Linguistics 400, 598.

During the second year, students complete their specialization and elective course requirements and work on their thesis. The four elective courses are to be chosen in consultation with the student's faculty adviser/mentor from courses in the department. Two of these electives must be 200-series courses in the student's area of specialization, beyond the foundation courses. In order to enhance an interdisciplinary perspective, students are also encouraged to take relevant electives in other departments and programs, such as Anthropology, Education, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Sociology.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, each student must enroll in Applied Linguistics 200. By the end of the fourth quarter the thesis proposal must be approved by the thesis committee and submitted to the department chair. Once students complete the thesis proposal, they enroll in Applied Linguistics 598, which is conducted as an independent tutorial with the master's thesis committee chair as mentor until the thesis is completed, typically the end of the second year. Students may only apply Applied Linguistics 598 once towards the 10-course requirement.

Applied Linguistics 400 is a seminar in which M.A. candidates present and defend the results of their thesis research. Enrollment is required in Spring Quarter but does not count as one of the 10 courses required for the M.A. degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination

None.

Thesis Plan

Every master's degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student's ability to perform original, independent research.

The culmination of the mentoring relationship during the M.A. degree is the master's thesis, which is based on research that each student plans and conducts under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The master's thesis is a substantial research report, which could provide the basis for a journal article. During the fourth quarter, each student must enroll in Applied Linguistics 598. In this course, the student prepares a thesis proposal and forms, in collaboration with a faculty mentor, a thesis committee, which consists of three members who meet University regulations for service on thesis committees, at least two of whom must be from the department. By the end of the fourth quarter the thesis proposal must be approved by the thesis committee and submitted to the department chair.

Time-to-Degree

From admission to award of the M.A. degree: six quarters, and in some cases, a summer session. Students must complete the degree, including the filing of the thesis, within three years of beginning the M.A. program. If the degree is not completed within that time period, a petition must be filed with the department indicating reasons for the extension of time.

PAGE 2 -- Applied Linguistics Doctoral Degree
PAGE 3 -- Certificate in Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language