Ed.D. in Educational Linguistics

Take your language-teaching expertise—and your career—to the next level in our part-time doctoral program.

Are you a world language educator who wants to engage deeply in research to improve your practice? Do you aspire to leadership positions in world language education? Would you like to pursue a doctorate while continuing to work full time? The part-time Ed.D. in Educational Linguistics is designed for early- to mid-career professionals like you.

What Sets Us Apart

#2 Join a top-ranked Graduate School of Education

Work full time while earning your doctorate

Be part of a vibrant Ivy League community of researchers and practitioners

About the Program

In addition to coursework on language and learning, doctoral students engage deeply in research into their practice as they prepare their dissertation.

Entry term(s)

Fall

Course requirements

16 courses (10 required; 6 electives)

Typical course load

No more than 2 courses per semester – part-time program only

Duration of program5–9 years (depending on the number of graduate-level transfer courses)

Culminating experienceCandidacy examination, language examination (to show knowledge of a language other than English), and dissertation

Format(s)

Part-Time

Programs for Working Professionals

Overview

Designed for working professionals, the Ed.D. in Educational Linguistics is a part-time program for early- to mid-career world language educators. Candidates gain a solid foundation in:

linguistics
bi/multilingualism
second language development
language policy
research methods

Ed.D. students have the opportunity to demonstrate expertise in these areas by generating and applying research knowledge to program design and professional practice. Candidates receive additional training as teacher-educators, have opportunities to engage deeply in research on their practice, and are able to advance their careers as language educators and trainers of instructors in language programs.

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Curriculum

Our curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in linguistics and research methodology, with the goal of generating and applying research knowledge to program design, mentoring, and instructional practice. Furthermore, candidates customize their education by working with their advisor to choose electives from a wide range of course offerings from across the Penn campus.

For information on courses and requirements, visit the Educational Linguistics Ed.D. program in the University Catalog.

Sample courses

EDUC 537 Educational Linguistics
EDUC 546 Sociolinguistics in Education
EDUC 661 Language Diversity and Education
EDUC 670 Second Language Development
EDUC 911 Issues in Second Language Acquisition
EDUC 927 Research Seminar: Language Policy and Education
LING 530 Phonology I
LING 550 Syntax I
EDUC 502 Citizen Sociolinguistics
EDUC 517 Classroom Discourse and Interaction
EDUC 527 Approaches to Teaching English and Other Modern Languages
EDUC 547 Anthropology & Education
EDUC 834 Theories of Reading
ANTH 603 Language in Culture & Society

Our Faculty

Iryna Kozlova

Lecturer

Ph.D., Georgia State University

Asif Agha

Professor of Anthropology, Penn Arts & Sciences

Ph.D., University of Chicago

Robert Moore

Senior Lecturer

Ph.D., University of Chicago

Catherine DiFelice Box

Lecturer

Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University

Nelson Flores

Associate Professor

Ph.D., The Graduate Center of the City of New York

Timothy M. Hall

Lecturer

Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University

Betsy R. Rymes

Professor

Ph.D., UCLA

Santoi Wagner

Senior Lecturer

Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University

Yuko Goto Butler

Professor

Ph.D., Stanford University

Nancy H. Hornberger

Professor

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Christina Frei

Executive Director, Language Instruction, Penn Arts & Sciences

Ph.D., University of California at Davis

Yumi Matsumoto

Assistant Professor

Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Anne Pomerantz

Professor of Practice

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Our Graduates

The Ed.D. in Educational Linguistics prepares you to lead initiatives in world language education. You work closely with faculty mentors to develop the theoretical and technical expertise necessary to pursue leadership positions as leaders of language programs in colleges and universities, primary and secondary schools, private language schools, and online environments.

Admissions & Financial Aid

Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.

Contact Information

Office of Admissions and
Financial Aid

Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu

Program Contact

Sarah Peyton Kaufman
Program Manager
(215) 898-5212
speyton@gse.upenn.edu

Katherine O’Morchoe
Program Assistant
(215) 898-7912
omorchoe@gse.upenn.edu

Tuition & Fees >

Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.

Financial Aid >

Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.

How to Apply