Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership - Applied Linguistics and Language Education (ALLE) Specialization, Ph.D.

Doctoral students work alongside nationally recognized faculty on research projects that address pressing questions related to multilingualism, bilingual education, language policy, teacher development, language assessment, sociolinguistics, and second language learning.

The ALLE Ph.D. program offers competitive funding packages for admitted students, typically including a combination of fellowships and graduate assistantships with guaranteed support for four years. Students gain valuable professional experience through teaching, research, and leadership opportunities.

Students are active members of the Multilingual Research Center, a hub for research, outreach, and advocacy related to multilingual education and multilingual communities. Through the MRC, students collaborate on research initiatives, engage with practitioners and policymakers, and receive support for conference presentations and professional development.

From the start of the program, students participate in collaborative research, co-author publications, present at national and international conferences, and contribute to conversations shaping the future of language education.

Faculty and doctoral students pursue research across a wide range of topics, including:

• Multilingualism and bilingual education
• Dual language bilingual education
• Language policy and planning
• Language assessment
• Teacher preparation and professional development
• Sociolinguistics and language diversity
• Translanguaging and plurilingualism
• Language and identity
• Black language and culture
• Second language acquisition
• Linguistically responsive teaching and learning

While the program welcomes students interested in international contexts, many faculty and students focus on language-related issues in U.S. educational settings.

While all application materials are carefully reviewed, the Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a critical component of your application. Your SOP should describe your academic and professional journey, explain how your interests in applied linguistics and language education have developed and articulate the research questions or topics you hope to pursue.

We encourage applicants to discuss relevant professional experiences, lived experiences, and intellectual influences that have shaped their interests. You should also explain how your research interests align with the ALLE program and identify one or more faculty members whose work connects to your goals. Additionally, describe how earning a Ph.D. will support your long-term academic and professional aspirations.

Relevant experiences, such as learning additional languages, working with multilingual learners, or engaging in language-related research, may help provide context for your interests and preparation.

The recommended length for the Statement of Purpose is 1,000–2,000 words.

Applicants must also submit a Statement of Personal Experiences (100–300 words). This statement provides an opportunity to reflect on how your lived experiences, including those beyond academic or professional settings, have shaped your personal growth and prepared you for doctoral study.

For guidance on preparing your statement, please review the Statement of Purpose and Personal Experience prompts provided by the University of Maryland.

Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. We recommend that most letters come from faculty members who can speak to your academic abilities, research potential and readiness for doctoral study. You may also include a letter from a professional supervisor or colleague, such as a school principal or educational leader, who can provide insight into your professional experience and qualifications.

• TLPL794 Foundations of Educational Research I (3 credits) Taken in the fall semester of the first year
• TLPL795 Foundations of Educational Research II (3 credits) Taken in the fall semester of the second year

Students take one doctoral-level course in another TLPL specialization, such as Literacy Education, Urban Education, Education Policy, Teacher Education, or Technology.

• TLPL740 Language and Education (3 Credits). Historical and current perspectives on language and ideology; multilingualism, language contact, translanguaging theory. Offered every other Spring, odd years. 

• TLPL743 Teaching Multilingual Learners: Current and Future Research Directions in Applied Linguistics and Language Education (3 credits) Offered every other Fall, odd years.

• TLPL744 Research Centering Multilingual Learners: Sociocultural Approaches to Applied Linguistics in Education (3 credits) Offered every other Spring, odd years
• TLPL788C Linguistic Diversity in Schools and Communities (3 credits) Offered every other Spring, even years
• TLPL788P Black Language and Culture (3 credits) Offered every other Spring, even years
• TLPL788V Sociolinguistics (3 credits) Offered every other Fall, even years

• One quantitative methods course at or above the level of EDMS 646 General Linear Models 1 or TLPL 692 Statistical Literacy for Education Research 

• One 600-level, 700-level, or 800-level qualitative methods course aimed at doctoral students, at the introductory or advanced doctoral level 

• Two more research methods courses from advanced qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods, or TLPL 793 Discourse Analysis 

   

In consultation with their advisor, students admitted with a master's degree select six elective courses that support their research interests and professional goals. Students admitted without a prior master’s degree take an additional 10 credits of elective courses. 

Electives may be taken within ALLE or from graduate programs across the university, allowing students to customize their doctoral experience. Students may take additional ALLE doctoral courses, additional research methods courses, or TLPL788I Language Policy and Education as their electives.

• The Comprehensive Exam.  Typically completed after the second year, the Comprehensive Examination allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the scholarly literature related to their emerging dissertation topic. Successful completion advances students to doctoral candidacy and lays the foundation for their dissertation research.

• The Dissertation Proposal. Working closely with their advisor and dissertation committee, students develop a detailed research plan for the dissertation.  The Dissertation Proposal presents a rationale for the study, prior relevant research and details about the research plan. The proposal builds on the work completed for the Comprehensive Exam and serves as the roadmap for the dissertation. The proposal is typically completed during the third year of the program.

• The Dissertation. Students produce a final dissertation based on the research plan developed in the Dissertation Proposal. The results of the study are presented at a Dissertation Final Defense with the student’s dissertation committee.  While working on the dissertation, students will enroll in 12 credits of Dissertation Research.

• Drew Fagan (Ed.D., Teachers College, Columbia University)
  Clinical Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and Coordinator of the TESOL and Dual Language Education Specialization in the Ed.D. in School System Leadership Program

• Shenika Hankerson (Ph.D., Michigan State University)
  Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education

• Loren Jones (Ph.D., University of Miami)
  Associate Clinical Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and Coordinator of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certification Programs

• Jeff MacSwan (Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)
  Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and Co-director of the Multilingual Research Center

• Laura Mahalingappa (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin)
  Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education

• Melinda Martin-Beltrán (Ph.D., Stanford University)
  Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education

• Sarah C. K. Moore (Ph.D., Arizona State University)
  Assistant Clinical Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and Coordinator of the Online Post-Baccalaureate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate Program

• Megan Madigan Peercy (Ph.D., University of Utah)
  Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, Co-director of the Multilingual Research Center, and Special Assistant to the Provost for Strategic Initiatives

• Alejandro Perez Belda (Ph.D., University of Iowa)
  Assistant Clinical Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and Coordinator of the World Language/Dual Language Education Programs

• Nihat Polat (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin)
  Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education, and TLPL Department Chair

• Kellie Rolstad (Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)
  Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education

Affiliated Faculty

• Elisa Gironzetti (Ph.D., Texas A&M University-Commerce; PhD, Universidad de Alicante) 
  Associate Professor, UMD School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

• Francis M. Hult (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Docent, University of Jyväskylä)
  Professor of Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

• Manel Lacorte (Ph.D., University of Edinburgh)
  Professor of Spanish, UMD School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

• Minglang Zhou  (Ph.D., Michigan State University) 
   Associate Professor of Chinese, UMD School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures