The Ph.D. program is structured across six progressive levels, guiding you from foundational knowledge to independent scholarly research. Level 1 establishes a robust theoretical and methodological base through courses in Advanced Topics in Applied Linguistics, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Advanced Academic Writing, and Language Assessment and Testing. Progressing to Level 2, you will delve into Language Acquisition, Applied Statistics in Language Research, Advanced Issues in Psycholinguistics, and Modern Technologies in Language Learning. Level 3 focuses on applied research skills with Designing and Conducting Research, alongside two specialized elective courses chosen from areas like language policy, sociolinguistics, second language teaching, curriculum design, or multimodal discourse analysis, allowing for tailored academic development.

The subsequent three levels are dedicated to your doctoral dissertation. Level 4 initiates this capstone project, focusing on proposal development and laying the groundwork for your original research. Level 5 is characterized by intensive research, data collection, analysis, and substantial chapter writing under close faculty guidance. Finally, Level 6 culminates in the completion, refinement, and defense of your dissertation. It is at this stage, upon successful defense, that the 10 credit hours for this significant scholarly work are awarded, signifying your original contribution to the field of applied linguistics by applying accumulated skills and theoretical insights to a novel research question.

Key resources, including Dissertation Proposal Guidelines, Ph.D. Program Comprehensive Exam Guidelines, and Ph.D. Students' Publication Guidelines, support candidates throughout their studies. These materials ensure alignment with university standards for comprehensive exams, research design, and final dissertation submission.