Graduate Program Academic Requirements

Master's Degree

Ph.D.

Graduate Certificate in TESOL

A. Thesis option

I. Course requirements

• three required core courses:
• LING 600 Survey of Linguistics (3 hours)
• LING 610 Introduction to Phonology (3 hours)
• LING 620 Introduction to Syntax (3 hours)
• two courses in an approved special field (6 hours)
• two LING courses outside of the special field (6 hours)
• two additional three-hour courses approved by the student's advisor (6 hours). Note: permission is required for the inclusion of any non-LING course in the program of study. Permission Form
• (Note on LING 806: The graduate school's unofficial policy on independent study is to allow up to 6 hours towards the M.A.).
• LING 799 Thesis Credit (3 hours)

II. Foreign language requirement

1. successful completion of an intensive reading course in a language--approved by The Graduate School--while a graduate student at USC (e.g., FORL 315),
2. successful completion of a course at the intermediate level of language proficiency within six years of award of the degree,
3. a passing grade on a language reading proficiency examination administered by the USC Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (students should consult the chair of the foreign language department in advance of the examination and are required to make formal application at least one month before it is to be given).

• N.b., non-native speakers of English may offer English as their foreign language, upon submission of Graduate School form.
  

III. Comprehensive examination

IV. Thesis requirement

1. File an M.A. Thesis Form with the Program Office (usually before the start of the 3rd semester for full-time students). This must be done before the student may register for Thesis credit (LING 799).
2. Develop a thesis proposal (under the supervision of their thesis director) and defend this as part of their Comprehensive Exam. This should be done (by full-time students) in the 3rd semester.
3. Write thesis (in the 4th semester) and have it approved by director and reader. Graduate School thesis guidelines.
   Guide for Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation

Special note on grades: Students who receive grades below B on 9 or more graduate credit hours are consequently suspended from degree candidacy status in the Linguistics Program and are not permitted to enroll for further courses even as nondegree students without the specific approval of the Linguistics Program and the Graduate School.

B. No thesis option

I. Course requirements

• three required core courses:
• LING 600 Survey of Linguistics (3 hours)
• LING 610 Introduction to Phonology (3 hours)
• LING 620 Introduction to Syntax (3 hours)
• three courses in an approved special field (9 hours)
• three LING courses outside of the special field (9 hours)
• three additional three-hour courses approved by the student's advisor (9 hours). Note: permission is required for the inclusion of any non-LING course in the program of study. Permission Form
• (Note on LING 806: The graduate school's unofficial policy on independent study is to allow up to 6 hours towards the M.A.).

II. Foreign language requirement

1. successful completion of an intensive reading course in a language--approved by The Graduate School--while a graduate student at USC (e.g., FORL 315),
2. successful completion of a course at the intermediate level of language proficiency within six years of award of the degree,
3. a passing grade on a language reading proficiency examination administered by the USC Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (students should consult the chair of the foreign language department in advance of the examination and are required to make formal application at least one month before it is to be given).

III. Comprehensive examination

Time to completion: Normally, it takes a student two years to complete all requirements. The maximum time permitted to complete an M.A. is 6 years. For a detailed timetable for M.A. completion, under the no-thesis option, click here.

Special note on grades: Students who receive grades below B on 9 or more graduate credit hours are consequently suspended from degree candidacy status in the Linguistics Program and are not permitted to enroll for further courses even as nondegree students without the specific approval of the Linguistics Program and the Graduate School.

I. Course requirements:

A. Seven core courses (three of which are required in the M.A. program):

• LING 600 Survey of Linguistics (3)
• LING 610 Introduction to Phonology (3)
• LING 620 Introduction to Syntax (3)
• LING 711 Phonological Theory (3)
• LING 721 Syntactic Theory (3)
• LING 730 Historical Linguistics (3)
• LING 739 History and Methodology of Linguistics (3)


B. Primary Field:


• 12 credit hours in an area approved by the student's Ph.D. committee.
• (Note on LING 806: The graduate school's official policy on independent study is to allow up to 9 hours towards the Ph.D.)


C. Secondary Field:


• 12 credit hours in an area approved by the student's Ph.D. committee.


D. Elective Courses:


• 9 credit hours, approved by the program, in elective LING courses. (Students having a B.A. or M.A. in Linguistics or Applied Linguistics may be exempted from this requirement).


E. Dissertation Hours:

• 12 credit hours in LING 899 (dissertation preparation).

Note: The Graduate School requires a sixty-hour graduate course work minimum (post-baccalaureate) for the doctoral degree (including only 12 hours of 899 (Dissertation Preparation)), in accordance with a policy adopted by the Graduate Council and the Graduate School Faculty.

II. Foreign language requirement

III. Admission to candidacy and qualifying exams

Students must also take a qualifying examination as part of the procedure for admission to candidacy. Full-time students must take the exam after completion of their third semester if they are new to the Program. If (full-time) student has an M.A. from our Program, then they can take it in their first year of admission to the Ph.D. program. Students MUST apply for doctoral candidacy status by the time they have completed 18 hours of coursework. Any exceptions must be appealed to the Program Director. Part-time students must take the exam as soon as it is offered after they have completed 18 hours of coursework in the Program. The exam will normally be offered once each year in January.

If the student’s application for doctoral candidacy status is successful and the Qualifying Exam is given a PASS, the Linguistics Pogram will recommend to the Graduate School that the student be admitted to candidacy.

IV. Comprehensive examination

V. Dissertation

Time to completion: Normally, it takes a student four to five years to complete all requirements. The maximum time permitted to complete a Ph.D. is 8 years. For a detailed timetable for Ph.D. completion, click here.

Special note on grades: Students who receive grades below B on 9 or more graduate credit hours are consequently suspended from degree candidacy status in the Linguistics Program and are not permitted to enroll for further courses even as nondegree students without the specific approval of the Linguistics Program and the Graduate School.

The ESOL Certificate requires 18 credit hours of coursework. The maximum time permitted to complete the ESOL Certificate is 4 years.

A. EFL Track (primarily for post-secondary ESOL and EFL teaching)

I. Required courses:
LING 600 Survey of Linguistics (3)
LING 790 Second Language Acquisition (3)
LING 795 Principles and Strategies for Teaching ESOL(3)
LING 698 Practicum in Teaching ESOL (3)*
*Practicum may be waived based on one year’s experience teaching ESOL, and replaced with an elective course.

II. Elective courses
(a) One of the following courses:
LING 715 Applied English Phonetics (3)
LING 725 Applied English Syntax (3)
LING 791 Theory and Methodology in Second Language Acquisition (3)
LING 796 Teaching Reading and Writing to ESOL Learners: Theory and Methodology (3)
LING 797 Technology in Foreign Language Education (3)
LING 890 Seminar in Language Acquisition (3)
LING 891 Seminar in English for Speakers of Other Languages (3)
EDRD 746 Foundations in Reading and Writing for the New Language Learner (3)
EDTE 779 Multicultural Issues of Education. (3)
EDRD 811 Sociocultural Perspectives on Literacy Learning. (3)
EDRM 723 Classroom Assessment Methods. (3)
ENGL 790 Survey of Composition
* or any other course in English as a second language or in second language acquisition.

(b) One additional LING course, selected in consultation with the academic advisor.

B. K-12 ESOL Track (for primary and secondary ESOL teaching)
I. Required courses:
LING 600 Survey of Linguistics (3)
LING 795Principles and Strategies for Teaching ESOL(3)
LING 796 Teaching Reading and Writing to ESOL Learners: Theory and Methodology (3)
LING 698 Practicum in Teaching ESOL (3)*
*Practicum may be waived based on one year’s experience teaching ESOL, and replaced with an elective course.

II. Elective courses
Two of the following courses:
LING 725 Applied English Syntax (3)
LING 790 Second Language Acquisition (3)
LING 791 Theory and Methodology in Second Language Acquisition (3)
LING 797 Technology in Foreign Language Education (3)
LING 891 Seminar in English for Speakers of Other Languages (3)
EDRD 746 Foundations in Reading and Writing for the New Language Learner (3)
EDTE 779 Multicultural Issues of Education. (3)
EDRD 811 Sociocultural Perspectives on Literacy Learning. (3)
EDRM 723 Classroom Assessment Methods. (3)

Time to completion: For full time students, the certificate course work can be completed in one academic year, with the practicum extending through first summer session. The maximum time permitted to complete a Certificate is 4 years. For a detailed timetable for Certificate completion, click here.

Special note on grades: Students who receive grades below B on 9 or more graduate credit hours are consequently suspended from degree candidacy status in the Linguistics Program and are not permitted to enroll for further courses even as nondegree students without the specific approval of the Linguistics Program and the Graduate School.

For this program no courses may be transferred from another university, although up to 9 semester hours of overlapping course work from another program at the University of South Carolina may count toward completion of the certificate.