Degree Title: Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

Program Name and Number: Linguistics - MA5291

Department/Unit: Department of Linguistics

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall | Spring (w/o financial aid) | Summer (w/o financial aid)

Program Mission: The 2-year Master of Arts degree in applied linguistics offers a strong theoretical foundation as well as practical training in teaching of English and other languages to second and foreign language learners and prepares students for doctoral studies and professional careers in related disciplines.

Program Learning Objectives:

• Understand phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic properties of English and other languages.
• Understand how language functions in society, the ideology that drives language choice in multilingual situations, the connection between language variation and social factors, and the relationship between language and academic outcomes.
• Articulate the major theories, hypotheses, principles, and research findings in the field of second language acquisition.
• Create and develop language assessment tools on the basis of a solid understanding of core concepts in language assessment.
• Understand how to integrate innovative computer assisted language learning (CALL) materials and practices.
• Evaluate and employ the methodological options available to teachers of English and other language to non-native speakers and develop teaching materials appropriate to a particular teaching context.
• Plan, prepare, and execute lessons in detail and integrate them into learning units by synthesizing the knowledge and skills acquired in prior courses and critically evaluate their own and each other’s teaching practices.

Program Overview:  All graduate students take a basic core of linguistics and pedagogical courses, including a teaching practicum requirement. A supervised thesis is an option. Core courses include Phonetics and Phonology, Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Second Language Acquisition Research and Theory, Methods and Materials in TEFL, Assessing Language Abilities, Introduction to CALL, Reading and Writing Pedagogy, Grammar in Use, and Pedagogical Phonology. Elective courses include Syntactic Description of English, Psycholinguistics, Research Practicum, Historical Linguistics, CALL Research, and selected courses from other departments. Some elective courses count toward the TEFL and CALL certificates. Students can have extracurricular research opportunities in close collaboration with faculty members in fields such as Second Language Acquisition and CALL. Besides regular TA appointments in undergraduate linguistics, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,  Swahili, and adult ESL, various (paid) part-time positions are available to give students opportunities to gain professional experience in other teaching settings, including reading and listening lab tutorials, teaching English for children and nonacademic adults, curriculum development, and program administration in various units in the Department such as the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) and the English Language Improvement Program (ELIP).

Opportunities for Graduates: A majority of our MA graduates find language teaching positions at the university level in the U.S. and abroad while others find administrative positions in government and academia and work closely with international students. Approximately one-fourth to one-third of our graduates pursue doctoral degrees at some point in their careers in disciplines such as applied linguistics, speech pathology, instructional technology and international education.

Link to Program: http://linguistics.ohio.edu/linguistics/

Graduation Requirements:

1. 46 credits in required courses
2. a minimum of B grade in each course and an overall GPA of 3.0
3. foreign-language study equivalent to two years of college
4. a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester (if a financial aid is awarded).
5. No comprehensive exam is required.

The completion of the degree normally takes four consecutive semesters without counting summer sessions.

Culminating Experience: In the final semester of their study, students are required to make a formal presentation in front of the departmental audience on a topic that summarizes the fruit of their study in the MA program.  This requirement can be fulfilled by one of the following:

• Digital portfolio presentation
• Original research presentation
• Thesis research presentation

Admission Requirements: A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and a TOEFL-iBT score of 100 or higher or an IELTS score of 7.0 (with minimum 6.5 in each band) or higher for non-native English speakers. Applicants interested in a TA position in the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) and the English Language Improvement Program (ELIP) should submit a teaching philosophy. An additional recommendation from a person in a supervisory position in their previous teaching job is helpful. These requirements apply to dual degree applicants as well. GRE scores are not required.