College of Education and Human Development
Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies

Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language

Program Description

Admission

Degree requirements

Doctoral Candidates

Program overview and faculty

Contact


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The Ph.D. program in Culture, Literacy, and Language at UTSA welcomes applications from students who wish to pursue doctoral studies in San Antonio.

Admission Procedure:
New students are admitted once a year to begin the program in the Fall semester only. The deadline for submission of all admissions materials is the preceding February 1 (January 1 for international students). After completing the online application form (https://apply.embark.com/grad/utsa/32/), all materials should be sent to:
The University of Texas at San Antonio
the Graduate School
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249-0603
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Admission Requirements

  1. A master's degree in the social and behavioral sciences, such as Anthropology, Applied Linguistics, Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, or Teaching English as a Second Language. Master's degrees in other fields, such as International Business, Business Administration, or Foreign Language Education may be accepted, subject to the approval of the Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies Doctoral Studies Committee.
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  2. A portfolio consisting of the following items will be evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee, comprised of members selected from the Doctoral Program Faculty:
    1. Transcript and GPA: documentation of a GPA of 3.5 or better in an approved master's degree program;
    2. GRE: A Graduate Records Examination score (analytical plus verbal)
    3. English Language: For students whose master's degree is from a non-English speaking university, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score
    4. Other Language: Advanced proficiency in a language other than English
    5. Letters of recommendation: Three letters attesting to the student's academic and personal attributes for success in the program and potential for contributing substantially to a field of study related to the degree; and
    6. Academic Writing: A sample in the form of an essay describing research interests and purpose for pursuing the Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy and Language.
    7. Experience: A rèsumè or curriculum vitae.
    8. Sample of academic writing in the form of paper or thesis written as part of Master of Arts coursework

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Financial Support:
Fellowships and assistantships are available. The amount and type of support will depend on the university budget, faculty research grants, and the need for teaching and graduate assistants. For details and faculty information, read the program overview and contact Rubén Arciniega, Student Development Specialist.

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(Are you a working professional? See Program for Career Professionals)

 

UTSA Graduate Catalog

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Degree Requirements

The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours beyond the Master's degree. The core curriculum consists of 24 semester credit hours of required courses. A minimum of 12 hours in research methods and 15 hours in doctoral research must be completed.

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Program of Study

A. Foundation Course
(3 units required)

  • BBL 7003                Proseminar                              

 

B. Research Methods
(12 units required)

  • BBL 7013                Research Design & Statistics for CLL                                
  • BBL 7023                Qualitative Research Methods for CLL                              
  • EDU 7113               Ed. Research Statistics: Descriptive & Comparative 
    AND                          
  • BBL 7043                Research Design and Qualitative Analysis for CLL
    Or                               
  • BBL 7033                Research in the Speech Community                                 

 

C. Core Courses
(9 units required)

  • BBL 7213                Ethnological Theory                               
  • BBL 7123                Sociocultural Contexts of Literacy                      
  • BBL 7133                Bilingualism & Second Language Acquisition                                 

 

D. Prescribed Electives
(12 units, 6 of which must be advanced doctoral seminars, which may be repeated when topic changes)

  • BBL 7113                Seminar in Cultural Studies Research                               
  • BBL 7203                Seminar in Latino Biculturalism                          
  • BBL 7223                Seminar in Biliteracy and Second Language Literacy                                   
  • BBL 7233                Seminar in SLA and Bilingualism                       
  • BBL 7243                Seminar in Language and Language Use                       
  • BBL 7253                Seminar on Latino Issues in Education                             
  • BBL 5043                Ethnography of Communication                         
  • BBL 5123                Sociolinguistics and Education                           
  • BBL 6053                Assessing Members of Bicultural-Bilingual Societies                    
  • BBL 6073                Ethnographic Research Methods                        
  • BBL 6223                Anthropology & Education in Multicultural Contexts                       
  • BBL 6233                Advanced Topics in Language Policy                                
  • BBL 6243                Evaluation Research Bilingual & Second Language Programs                 
  • ESL 6013                Second Language Acquisition Research                          

 

E. Courses Freely Elected
(9 units, to be selected in consultation with advisor)

                                             

F. Qualifying Examination: written/oral
(to be taken after completion of core and emphasis courses AND after completion of AT LEAST 42 units)                           

 

G. Dissertation Research
(15 units)

  • BBL 7303                Directed Doctoral Research (3 units required)                                 
  • BBL 7313                Doctoral Dissertation (12 units minimum)                        


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The entire program of study must be approved by the student's dissertation advisor, dissertation committee, and Doctoral Studies Committee and must be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies through the Dean of the College for final approval.
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Doctoral Candidates

Advancement to Candidacy:
Advancement to candidacy will require a student to complete all University and program requirements and to pass written and oral qualifying examinations. The written examination will be constructed, administered, and evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee. The written portion of the examination will cover the areas of the graduate core and emphasis courses and must be taken after completion of core and emphasis courses or after the completion of 42 semester credit hours. In order to pass this examination, the student must demonstrate a broad knowledge of culture, literacy, and language. The oral examination will be conducted by a faculty committee, nominated by the Doctoral Studies Committee and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. The oral portion of the examination will be given to a doctoral student before he/she starts the chosen dissertation research. The purposes of this examination are to ensure that: (1) the student has sufficient grasp of the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of the chosen dissertation area; (2) the student has selected an original and acceptable research topic; and (3) the student has the ability to exchange ideas and information with the collaborating research faculty members. No more than two attempts to pass qualifying examinations will be allowed.

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Dissertation and Final Oral Examination:
Candidates must demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research by completing and defending an original dissertation. The dissertation may employ quantitative or qualitative research methods as applicable to the selected emphasis for the degree. The doctoral dissertation must make a substantial contribution to a field within Culture, Literacy and Language. The research topic will be determined by the student in consultation with his/her supervising professor. A dissertation committee selected by the student and supervising professor and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies will guide and critique the candidate's research. The dissertation shall be defended publicly before the student's committee and interested members of the University community. Following an open presentation of the dissertation findings, a final oral examination covering the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation will be administered and evaluated by the student's dissertation committee. The Dissertation Committee must unanimously approve the completed dissertation.
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Contact
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Read about the program overview and faculty. For further information or to request an application packet, please contact:
Rubén Arciniega, Student Development Specialist

Juliet Langman, Ph.D., CLL Graduate Advisor of Record, Bicultural-Bilingual Studies

Applications are accepted for the Fall semester only. For Fall, applications, including supporting materials, are due by February 1 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The deadline for international applicants is January 1. Fellowships and teaching assistantships are available.

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Contact Bicultural-Bilingual Studies

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@ The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249