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Looking for advice to help me choose the right PhD program...?
I have a BA in international relations, a EdM in international education development, and have been teaching ESL for 5 + years. I am looking for a PhD that marries linguistics, English language acquisition, and immigration related policy. Career-wise, I'd like to do reasearch and teach. Many people have steered me towards education, but I don't want to teach education. I'd rather teach something more akin to International studies or TESOL. I have found a great linguistics program in London. I am a US citizen and will probably teach mostly in the US, so I am not sure a PhD from the UK would be the best choice. Also, it looks like for a UK PhD, one goes right into research, and while on one hand I don't want to take two years of classes, I think that I would benefit from taking some more, especially in research. What do you recommend? Do you know of good applied or sociolinguistics programs in the US? Thank you.
Public Comments
- A good route is to look for research in the area that you want to study. In the articles and books that you find most intriguing, check the university affiliations of the authors of that research, and look at doctoral program requirements and course offerings. If the program appeals to you, send a query to the graduate advisor about the application process and your preferred area of study. You should mention that you have read the work of a faculty member and would like to study with that person. During your doctoral program your committee will steer you in an appropriate career direction.
