Composition and Applied Linguistics/English, PhD

One or more years of teaching at a secondary, two-year, or four-year school, college, or university is recommended.

Preference will be given to applications received by January 1 for the PhD in Composition and Applied Linguistics program.

Students entering the program must have a master's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 (3.5 to be competitive) in a language arts or education-related field such as composition, English, applied linguistics, literature, or communication. A minimum of one year of teaching at the secondary, two-year, or four-year college/university level is also recommended. Students who do not meet these prerequisites may have to successfully complete (with a 3.5 GPA or better) one or more designated pre-courses in the spring or summer sessions before being fully admitted to the PhD program.

All students must begin the program in either the fall semester (international full-time students) or summer (July) session. Graduate assistantship information (there is no longer a separate application, it is part of the application process), and a graduate catalog are available from the IUP School of Graduate Studies and Research website. Applicants should send completed admissions material directly to graduate admissions. IUP's School of Graduate Studies and Research notifies applicants of the admissions decision based on the recommendation of the Composition and Applied Linguistics program director and the Composition and Applied Linguistics Admission Committee. Once admitted, each student is responsible for registering for classes on a first-come, first-served basis; once all seats are full in the beginning classes, newly admitted students may be wait-listed or deferred to a later semester before they can begin the program. A graduate student is expected to assume full responsibility for knowing and fulfilling graduate program and university procedures and regulations.

Application to the doctoral program in Composition and Applied Linguistics also includes:

• An official transcript of all undergraduate coursework for which credit has been awarded with a minimum quality-point average of 2.6 on a 4.0 scale from an accredited institution of higher learning; a 3.0 is needed to be competitive with other applicants

• An official transcript of graduate level coursework for which a master's degree in English or a related area has been awarded with a minimum quality-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from an accredited institution of higher learning; a 3.5 is needed to be competitive with other applicants

• Two detailed letters of recommendation (three preferred) from individuals qualified to assess the student's academic performance and potential for doctoral studies in the Composition andApplied Linguistics program.

• A statement of goals. This should be well written and explain the applicant's research interests and how he or she hopes to pursue these interests through doctoral studies.

• TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language, and IELTS, International English Language Testing System, scores are not required for students from countries where the first language is English, or when an applicant has earned a master's degree from a college or university in the United States. All other international applicants are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS taken no more than one year prior to the expected date of enrollment. IUP's School of Graduate Studies and Research will not process applications lacking TOEFL or IELTS scores.

  • We look for a minimum TOEFL score of 600 paper-based (PBT), or 100 internet-based (iBT), and a minimum TWE (Test of Written English) score of 5.5. For the IELTS, we look for a score at least 6.5 to be considered and a 7.0 to be competitive.

  • The linguistic proficiency of international students is assessed by examining all application materials: the TOEFL or IELTS scores, recommendation letters, goal statement, and the presence of content courses in English on the applicant's transcripts.

• GRE scores are not necessary for the application process.

In addition to the academic prerequisites and procedures for admission given above, international students must complete an international student preliminary application form and present evidence to IUP's School of Graduate Studies and Research of having financial resources sufficient to meet the cost of living in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the cost of travel to and from the student's native country, and the cost of graduate tuition and fees at IUP. Such evidence should be sent with the application packet directly to Graduate Admissions. More information on applying can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.

IUP's School of Graduate Studies and Research gives notification to the university's foreign student advisor of international student admissions; the foreign student advisor mails general information about the university, issues certificates of eligibility such as I20s, IAP-66s and related documents to admitted students. For more information for international students, please visit IUP's Office of International Education website.

We do not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students may begin the program in the fall semester (Academic Year Cohort) or second summer session (Low-Residency Cohort) only. We do not begin students in the spring.

The graduate application form can be completed online. Directions are on the Graduate Admissions website.

The graduate application will have a place for applicants to indicate that they would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship. More information about financial aid or assistantships is available on the Graduate Admissions website.

The Graduate Catalog can be found online.

The graduate application form, graduate assistantship application, and graduate catalog are also available by contacting:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
101 Stright Hall
210 South 10th Street
Indiana, PA 15705

Do not send application materials to the Composition and Applied Linguistics program or to the English Department. All application materials can be uploaded as part of your application process or sent to Graduate Admissions. Only after your application is complete will it be released to the Composition and Applied Linguistics program for consideration by the application committee.

Questions about applying? Please contact graduate-admissions@iup.edu.

The Composition and Applied Linguistics Graduate Program is committed primarily to serving professionals who are employed or who have strong promise of employment.

This commitment means that course offerings are arranged to accommodate teaching schedules of secondary, two-year, and four-year college teachers. With this flexibility of scheduling, graduate students can usually pursue their studies without interrupting their careers, or they can take advantage of sabbaticals and leaves to complete course work.

Thirty-six credits of course work are required. Most students complete their course work in three consecutive summers (12 credits each summer) or in two academic years (nine credits each semester for four semesters). Once they begin, students are expected to make steady progress through course work and their dissertations.

For Low-Residency Cohort Students

In the first year, Low-Residency cohort students will take two face-to-face courses in summer, one to two remote courses in fall, and the same option in spring. This sequence will repeat until all courses have been completed (36 credit hours). Leaves of absence are not permitted, as noted in the leaves of absence policy in the program handbook.

Total Credit Hours: 48 (Including Dissertation)

Each year, the Composition and Applied Linguistics program is allocated a limited number of graduate assistantships. At IUP, these graduate assistantships are selectively awarded to highly qualified graduate students who have been admitted to degree programs. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence rather than financial need. Graduate assistantships are under the supervision of the Composition and Applied Linguistics faculty.

Duties may include assisting on a research project, library research work, course assistance, or tutorial aid in the Writing Center or the American Language Institute. Assistantships may be renewable for a second year. Assistantships are not available during the summer. The School of Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR) issues assistantship contracts, and the Composition and Applied Linguistics program director makes assignments of graduate assistants to faculty members.

Twenty-hour full assistantships (awarded only to full-time graduate students):

• Require approximately 20 hours of student work per week during the fall and spring semesters (maximum of 600 hours over the period of the assistantship)
• Provide a specific stipend amount
• Include full tuition remission for degree-required credits during the academic year
• Enable student to be eligible for up to nine degree-required credits of tuition waiver (with permission from the Composition and Applied Linguistics program director) in the summer following the assistantship

Eight-hour or 10-hour half assistantships (awarded only to full-time graduate students):

• Require approximately eight to 10 hours of student work per week during the fall and spring semesters (maximum of 300 hours over the period of the assistantship)
• Provide a specific stipend amount
• Include a 50 percent tuition remission for degree-required credits during the academic year
• Enable student to be eligible for a maximum tuition waiver up to six degree-required credits (with permission from the Composition and Applied Linguistics program director) in the following summer

Stipends for assistantships may change from year to year. Potential applicants should check with SGSR for current stipend levels.

The deadline for applying for a Fall assistantship is March 15 of the same calendar year.

Students should contact the graduate school to apply for graduate assistantships. The graduate school issues assistantship contracts, and the program director makes assignments of graduate assistants to faculty members. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid office.

International Students: Assistantships cannot be used to indicate financial support on the IUP Foreign Student Financial Statement Form.