The PhD in Linguistics
Linguistics at Iowa is a dynamic program that is strong in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary research and teaching. The Ph.D. degree is primarily a research degree with a basis in phonology, syntax, and language acquisition, with the opportunity for students to develop an area of research specialization. Students pursuing the Ph.D. in Linguistics are encouraged to complete the Certificate in the Cognitive Science of Language, an interdisciplinary program including work in Linguistics, Psychology, and Communication Sciences and Disorders. The core of the program is in phonology, syntax, and language acquisition with an experimental focus.
The phonology curriculum emphasizes current theoretical perspectives, including optimality theory, and the collection, description, and interpretation of novel phonological and phonetic data. Courses feature extensive work in data analysis and problem solving, focusing on construction and evaluation of phonological theories, particularly in light of new empirical data.
The syntax curriculum includes the dual emphases of empirical and theoretical perspectives. It offers a variety of foundational courses that build analytic and argumentation skills, as well as specialized coursework on current issues in syntactic theory. The courses consist of intensive work in problem solving. They combine discovery and description of new linguistic data with exploration of the implications of such facts in testing and constructing syntactic theories.
The curriculum in language acquisition includes courses that provide an overview and analysis of current research. Work focuses on experimental research investigating first and second language acquisition, multilingualism, and heritage language.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics requires a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 18 hours must be advanced coursework. Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00. The highly selective program provides students with a strong foundation in theoretical linguistics and helps them develop the skills they will need to explore the close relationship between linguistics and related disciplines.
| Course Title/type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Core syntax, phonology, and seminar courses | 12 |
| Specialty-area courses | 18 |
| Elective courses | 6 |
| Master's requirements | 30 |
| Comprehensive examination | - |
| Dissertation work and electives | - |
| Total hours | 72 |
Comprehensive examination
To pass the comprehensive examination for the PhD, a student must submit two papers of publishable quality and present each orally at a departmental colloquium. One of the papers must be in phonology or syntax and the other in an area of the student's choosing, which may be the proposed dissertation area but must be distinct from the area of the first paper.
Dissertation
In the semester following the comprehensive examination, but no later than the sixth semester of enrollment in the PhD program, a student presents a dissertation prospectus to the dissertation committee. The dissertation prospectus consists of a formal statement of the dissertation topic and proposed research program which is defended by the student before the dissertation committee; the dissertation committee must approve the prospectus in order for the student to proceed with the dissertation.
The dissertation is a major research work on a topic chosen by the student and approved by the dissertation committee. After the dissertation committee reads and approves the dissertation, it is defended orally by the student in a public defense. A copy of the dissertation must be available to the faculty at least two weeks prior to the defense.
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