PhD Program
Joint Concentrations
Interdepartmental Concentrations
Gender and Women's Studies
Latin American and Latino Studies
Second Language Teaching
Gender and Women’s Studies
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling for a concentration in gender and women’s studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. Students pursuing this concentration must apply to the director of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program and obtain approval from a gender and women’s within the department of the degree, who becomes the student’s gender and women’s
studies advisor. Students should enroll in a total of 16 hours of graduate course work, including GWS 501 and GWS 502, plus eight additional
hours of gender and women’s studies or crosslisted courses at the graduate level. Up to four of these hours can be directed study or thesis
research on an appropriate topic approved by the student’s gender and women’s studies advisor. BACK TO TOP
Latin American and Latino Studies
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling for a concentration in Latin American/Latino studies. Students must take at least 16 hours of course work approved by the student’s advisor for the concentration, of which 4 hours must be the core seminar LALS 501. The remaining 12 hours may come from courses
offered by the Latin American/Latino Studies Program or cross-listed courses, departmental offerings with Latin American or Latino content, or independent study courses chosen in consultation with the advisor. Up to 8 hours may
be taken in the home discipline, although students are encouraged to take advantage of the multidisciplinary nature of the concentration. Doctoral students may not apply dissertation credit (ENGL 599) toward concentration electives. Doctoral students are encouraged, but not required, to elect a dissertation topic related to Latin America or Latinos in the United States. BACK TO TOP
Second Language Teaching
The Interdepartmental Concentration
is intended for those graduate students whose primary research
and teaching interests lie in literary, cultural and linguistic
studies in English, Spanish, French, German, and other languages.
It will provide them with advanced education in the processes
of language learning and approaches to language teaching, including
the teaching of composition.
The concentration is an option in addition to the candidate’s
regular course of study and is not intended as a replacement
for requirements in individual degree programs. It consists
of four courses that are chosen from particular areas of study
useful to the development of the candidate’s knowledge
and skill in language teaching. These areas are Introduction
to Language Teaching, Foundations in Second Language Acquisition,
and Specific or Special Topics in Language Teaching.
Concentration
Requirements
Candidates interested in the Interdepartmental Concentration
in Second Language Teaching must take a total of four courses
to be distributed in the following way:
•
one course from Category A: Introduction to Language Teaching
•
one course from Category B: Foundations in Second Language
Acquisition
•
one course from Category C: Special or Specific Topics in Language
Learning and Teaching
•
one additional course from either Category B or C
Category A: Introduction to Language Teaching
Courses include SPAN/FRN 502 (Theoretical and Research Foundations
of Communicative Language Teaching); GER 407 (Theoretical
and Research Foundations of Communicative Language Teaching);
and LING
483 (Methodology of TESOL)
Category B: Foundations in SLA
Courses include LING/SPAN 556 (Second Language Learning);
and SPAN 557 (Theories in Second Language Acquisition)
Category C: Special/Specific Topics in Language Learning
and Teaching
Courses include LING 583 (Materials and Curriculum Development
in TESOL); LING 586 (Classroom Testing); LING 559 (Seminar
in Linguistics); GER 531 (Seminar in Special Topics)*; GER
572 (The Role of Reading in Second Language Acquisition);
and SPAN 507 (Seminar in Second Language Acquisition & Bilingualism)*
*when content is focused on one of the categories for the
concentration
At least three courses must be taken in residence at UIC.
Concentration is awarded upon successful completion of an
approved graduate program.
Application for the Interdepartmental Concentration in Second
Language Teaching
A graduate student may indicate at any time his or her intention
to pursue the Interdepartmental Concentration by notifying
Prof. Jessica Williams (jessicaw@uic.edu).
No formal application is required; the only restriction is
that the student may not be enrolled in a degree program
in Applied Linguistics/Second Language Acquisition. During
the semester in which the student believes he or she will
complete the required coursework, the student will fill out
a form, which will be reviewed by the Concentration Committee.
For further information, contact Prof. Jessica Williams at jessicaw@uic.edu or
(312) 413-7378.