sample statement of purpose for phd in applied linguistics

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Samples of my work in linguistics & closely related areas.

• PHD Degree in Linguistics, Woman from Jordan
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Statements of Excellence for Admission to Graduate School in Linguistics

Graduate Programs in Linguistics are designed to provide the student with a sound training in a wide variety of language-related areas, leading to a career in teaching and scientific research. Building on core offerings in current grammatical theory, the student may elect to specialize in either theoretical, experimental, or applied areas. Most programs maintain laboratories for research in Second Language Acquisition and Psycholinguistics.

In addition to core areas of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, programs also generally offer specializations in both First and Second Language Acquisition, Sentence Processing, Psycholinguistics, Computational Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, and Sociolinguistics. Offerings in Computational Linguistics include machine translation, human-machine communication, and other areas where linguistics and computer science overlap. Many of the above specializations involve areas of cognitive science, and lend themselves to interdisciplinary approaches. Faculty usually specialize in a wide range of languages, and work on endangered and under-documented languages is strongly encouraged.

Teaching English In India.The British School of English is one of thousands of language schools serving a disparate group of mature students studying English to further their careers.

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Why I want to help you get accepted to Graduate School in Linguistics

My greatest strength in helping you to write an extremely effective statement for admission to advanced study in linguistics is not so much my own understanding of linguistics per se, but rather my understanding and creative capacity to help you to develop and articulate your long term career plans and contribution to society, in other words, what you intend to do with your advanced degree in linguistics once you earn it.

Teaching English to migrants in Ireland.

The Humanitarian Side of Linguistics

You might love the idea of traveling into the developing world and teaching English as a foreign language. But are these programs always effective?

For two years, Fang He, Leigh Linden and Margaret McLeod worked with a sample of over 15,000 students to determine the effectiveness of teaching English as a foreign language in India.

In many developing countries, the official language used in government and business is either French or English, rather than the native language spoken by the population at large.

While the curricula of many countries require students to learn official languages, the quality of instruction is often poor. These researchers partnered with the Indian NGO Pratham to evaluate whether different technologies and implementation methods can increase students’ English test scores. Overall, the interventions were successful and effective at increasing students’ knowledge of English.

The benefits of knowing the official language of a country can be life transforming, and proper instruction really important. This study evaluated a project that focuses on improving students’ acquisition of this crucial second language.

In this regard, this research fits squarely within the branch of education which does not solely seek to understand how to get children into school, but also what it takes to cost-effectively improve the quality of education. Many schools rely on rote learning and memorization. However, it may be more effective to take an interactive approach which is tailored to a child’s level of learning. How do different types of technologies and implementation methods affect learning outcomes? Let´s take a closer look. But first, a bit of background information is necessary.

Despite the fact that English is part of the normal curriculum, only 10 percent of second and third grade students in the study were able to correctly identify pictures of simple objects when given the object’s English name.

In government schools, teachers generally train children to recite the English alphabet and memorize vocabulary lists. Conversational skills are rarely introduced. Lots of teachers simply skip reading the source text altogether, and teach only in preparation for exams.

As a result, the Indian public primary school system often fails to teach a language that is of crucial importance to a child’s subsequent employment opportunities. The “critical period” in which a child is able to acquire a second language up to native-like levels is often missed completely.

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of a unique English language training program developed by the Indian NGO Pratham on increasing students’ English test scores during the study.

The program, called PicTalk, had two components: first, an electronic machine called the PicTalk is designed to be used individually by the student; the second is a set of specially tailored flashcards and teaching manuals designed to promote oral communication with the help of a teacher. Both methods aimed to teach equivalent curricula to its students, yet through the use of differential teaching methods.

To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, two randomized evaluations were conducted with children in grades 1-5 in both rural and urban areas of India. The research design varied both in terms of the implementation technology and whether the intervention was delivered through externally hired tutors or the public schools’ own teachers and assistants.

In the first study year, 97 schools in Thane were assigned to one of two research groups: (1) PicTalk class in second grade but not in third, or (2) PicTalk class in third grade but not in second. Therefore, every single school served as both a treatment and a comparison group. English tutors were hired and trained by Pratham.

In the second year, 242 schools in Mangaon were assigned to one of four research groups: 1. PicTalk machine classes only; 2. activities classes only; 3. both PicTalk machine and activities classes (as in the first year); or 4. neither PicTalk machine nor activities classes. All classes were taught by normal classroom teachers here.

On average, the machines and the student activities were similarly effective at improving students’ English scores. The externally implemented program increased students’ scores by 0.26 standard deviations. Students subjected to the teacher implemented interventions improved their test scores by 0.36 standard deviations.

Thus, each implementation method seemed to be similarly effective—regardless of the technology used by the instructor or whether the instructor was a local teacher or from an external agency.

When implemented by local teachers and teaching assistants, however, the interventions increased not only English scores, but also math scores, too. This seemed to be due to the discretion teachers had over the intensity with which the program was implemented. Ehen the program made teaching English more efficient, teachers were able to spend more time on other subjects. The results demonstrated improvements in math scores of a similar magnitude to the improvements in English for those students in the teacher implemented interventions.

In comparing the flashcard-/teacher-based intervention versus the self-paced computerized implementation, the study found interesting differences between the benefit to subgroups from such interventions.

Specifically, lower performing students benefited more from interventions that included teacher implemented activities. Higher performing students gained more from the self-paced machine-only intervention.

This is important, since the norm in Indian classes is to focus on the better performing students. These results also suggest that significant gains could be achieved by targeting different approaches to individual children, depending on ability and their response to each approach.

If you´re interested in teaching English as a foreign language to children or adults in India, you might find this video useful:

It´s also possible to teach English to immigrants from all over the world in your own country. For example, in Ireland, NALA teaches teachers to teach English as a second language.

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Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, PHD

On this page:.

At a Glance: program details

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

The PhD program in linguistics and applied linguistics focuses on the scientific study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.

Students in this program select a research specialization in formal linguistics, applied linguistics or some combination within these fields of study.

The curriculum provides professional training in linguistics and applied linguistics with focused research in several linguistic subfields, including syntax, semantics, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, language contact and change, language planning, Indigenous American linguistics, language documentation and revitalization, second language acquisition, second language teaching and learning, teaching English to speakers of other languages, global Englishes and computer-assisted language learning.

The doctoral program in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics focuses on the study of human language and the application of that study to the human condition.  Students in this program will choose a research specialization which can be formal linguistics, applied linguistics, or some combination of these areas.  The curriculum will provide training in linguistics and applied linguistics with focused research in several areas such as phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.  Second language acquisition and second language teaching and learning, TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), language contact and change, including World Englishes, are also research possibilities in addition to sociolinguistics, language planning, discourse analysis, language and cognition.

Matthew Prior , Director

Sheila Luna , Program Manager

Faculty in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

Doctoral Examinations

Doctoral Procedures and Timeline

Teaching Assistantships

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a foreign language exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (18 credit hours) APL 555 Disciplinary Discourses (3) APL 601 Introduction to Applied Linguistics (3) LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology (3) LIN 514 Syntax (3) LIN 515 American English (3) or LIN 516 Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis (3) LIN 655 Advanced Disciplinary Discourses in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (3)

Electives and Research (33 credit hours) LIN 501 Approaches to Research (3)

Specialization (21 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) LIN 799 or APL 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, then 30 credit hours is made up of additional electives and research coursework which must include LIN 510, if they have not previously taken it or its equivalent.

Students must demonstrate evidence of competent knowledge of a natural language other than modern English, to be selected by the student and subject to the approval of the chair of the dissertation committee. The language requirement must be completed before the student is eligible to take the doctoral examinations. This requirement may be met by any of the following:

• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in a 400- or 500-level course in an appropriate (approved) language
• demonstrating comparable proficiency by taking a language examination, administered by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• demonstrating native-speaker proficiency, as determined by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student's supervisory committee
• earning a "B" or higher (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in both ENG 530 Old English and ENG 531 Old English Literature or the equivalent of each
• holding a bachelor's degree in an approved foreign language
• having fulfilled a foreign language requirement toward a previously awarded master's degree that was completed within five years of the semester for which the student was admitted to the doctoral program
• two years (four semesters) of successfully completed college-level coursework (no more than six years prior to admission to the degree program) at least at the 100 and 200 levels with a "C" or better for languages which the School of International Letters and Cultures does not offer or does not offer above the 200 level

The foreign language requirement must be in a language approved by the student's doctoral supervisory committee.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• three letters of recommendation
• academic writing sample relevant to the field
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency. Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency. More information about English proficiency requirements can be found the school website . Please note that official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.

The well-considered one- to two-page statement of purpose should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, proposed research specialization, any secondary field of interest and why the applicant wishes to pursue a PhD in linguistics and applied linguistics at Arizona State University. Applicants applying for funding must also submit a statement of teaching philosophy.

Courses and Electives

The Doctor of Philosophy is a total of 84 hours. In general, a student with an appropriate master's degree must complete a minimum of 54 credit hours of approved graduate work, which includes 12 hours of dissertation. A student without an appropriate master's degree usually must complete 84 hours of work at ASU. At the advisor’s discretion, students may include up to 12 hours of appropriate, graduate-level course work undertaken at another university, and not previously counted towards any other degree.

Required Core Courses for the Degree

• LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology
• LIN 514 Syntax
• LIN 515 American English or LIN 516 Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis
• APL 555 Disciplinary Discourses
• APL 601  Introduction to Applied Linguistics
• LIN 655 Disciplinary Discourses

Elective/Research Courses

• LIN 501 Approaches to Research

Research Specialization (21 hours) :  Students choose a research specialization which can be formal linguistics, applied linguistics or a combination. Students can focus their elective and research coursework, including APL/LIN 790 on a specific area. Possible specializations in Linguistics are phonology, formal syntax and semantics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and pragmatics.  Possible specializations in Applied Linguistics are SLA theory and pedagogy, ESOL, second language writing, bilingualism, language policy, and issues in educational research.  Students may choose to take other 500 or equivalent and advanced (600 and above or equivalent) courses in their area of specialization.  Advanced LIN 600 level courses may be repeated for credit when topics vary. All students are encouraged to develop interdisciplinary perspectives which may be done by taking courses from other related programs or units to enhance their area of specialization. For example, students with interests in second language writing would expect to take related ENG courses in addition to LIN or APL offerings, and students interested in languages taught in  SILC (School of International Letters and Cultures) could take courses in that unit. Students must consult with an advisor when selecting additional courses for their focus area as these courses provide the depth of training needed for dissertation research.

Other Requirements

PhD Examinations :  Essay, oral exam, colloquy on the dissertation prospectus.

Dissertation : Students must take 12 credit hours of ENG 799.

Language Requirement : PhD students must demonstrate evidence of a competent knowledge of a natural language other than modern English, to be selected by the student, subject to the approval of the chair of the dissertation committee. The language requirement must be completed before the student is eligible to take the doctoral exams. This requirement may be met by

• Earning a “B” (3.00) or higher in a 400- or 500-level course in an appropriate (approved) language.
• Demonstrating comparable proficiency by taking a language examination, administered by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
• Demonstrating native-speaker proficiency, as determined by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
• Earning a “B” (3.00) or higher in both ENG 530 Old English and ENG 531 Old English Literature or their equivalent.
• Holding a bachelor’s degree in an approved foreign language.
• Having fulfilled a foreign language requirement towards a previously awarded master’s degree that has been completed within five years of the semester for which the student has been admitted to the doctoral program. This foreign language must be in a language approved by the student’s doctoral supervisory committee.
• For languages which the School of International Letters and Cultures does not offer or does not offer above the 200 level, two years (4 semesters) of successfully completed college level coursework at least at the 100 and 200 level with a C or better would fulfill the requirement. The coursework must have been successfully completed no more than six years prior to admission to the degree program.

Miscellaneous : Students may take research (ENG 792) for the purpose of working independently in preparation for the doctoral examination. This is an alternative to be elected by the student at the discretion and with the approval of the advisor and supervisory committee and can count towards course work. Satisfactory completion of ENG 792 is indicated by the grade of "Y." Individual interim segments of ENG 792 will be graded "Z" (course in progress), and changed to "Y" (successful completion) after the dissertation defense. No conventional letter grades are awarded for ENG 792 or 799.

The Graduate College also requires that students be enrolled every semester, excluding summer sessions, until they have completed all requirements for the degree. Continuous enrollment may be satisfied by registration for one hour of ENG 799, or, in cases where dissertation or other credit hours are not needed, Continuous Registration (ENG 595 or 795). If students wish to interrupt their programs of study for one or more semesters, they may apply for a leave of absence, not to exceed one year. Failure to enroll or obtain leave status for the semesters in which they are not enrolled will result in dismissal from the program.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee

The doctoral supervisory committee consists of a minimum of three members from the  graduate faculty  selected at the time the student files a program of study. In consultation with the director of the Ph.D. program, the student will select the committee chair, who also serves as the student's advisor. Once a graduate faculty member has agreed to serve as the student's chair, the student and chair will then consult before recommending two other members to the director of the doctoral program. Ideally another member of the supervisory committee in addition to the chair should be in the area of specialization. It is the responsibility of each student to form a supervisory committee very early in the program so that the chair and members of the committee may be involved in shaping the course of study, for example, in determining such matters as the choice of foreign language(s) and in specifying courses that will be required for the student's particular area of concentration.

Important Notice to Current International Students

In order for international students to maintain good standing for their VISAs, they must take a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester (i.e., 3 classes), 6 credits (2 classes) should be face-to-face classes.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Independent research expertise: Students will be able to design and carry out an original research study in their discipline and subdisciplines.
• Scholarly writing expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to produce written scholarly work at a level expected by the profession and consistent with the degree program.
• Critical analysis expertise: Students will demonstrate the ability to explain, synthesize and critique existing scholarship in their research area.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with research expertise in linguistics and applied linguistics work in a variety of professional contexts, such as academia, government, business, health care, legal settings, publishing, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• computer-assisted language learning expert
• data analyst
• forensic linguist
• language policy or documentation expert
• language program director or coordinator
• language researcher
• linguistic consultant
• program and curriculum developer
• teacher trainer
• university professor

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-3194

The UCLA Linguistics Department’s normal business hours are M-F 8am-12pm, 1-4pm. Office schedule and availability may change based on UCLA protocol ( www.covid-19.ucla.edu). Masks are optional but strongly recommended indoors. All UCLA affiliates and visitors must self-screen for symptoms before coming to campus.

The Department of Linguistics

Graduate admissions, graduate admissions information, the ucla linguistics department welcomes applications from students interested in pursuing the ph.d. degree . the department currently has approximately 45 graduate students. the admissions process is highly competitive; those offered admission are provided with full financial support, with commitments up to five years. support packages include tuition, fees, and salary or stipend, and normally involve a mixture of fellowship, research assistantship, and teaching assistantship., admission to the graduate program .

The admissions application is prepared and submitted online, through the website of UCLA’s Graduate Division . General information about applying to UCLA for graduate study (such as the University’s requirements for admission) is also available at this link.

Although the department offers both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, it normally admits only those students who plan to ultimately pursue a Ph.D. Students are admitted to begin residence in the Fall quarter only.

We assume a background roughly equivalent to a B.A. in Linguistics. This does not mean that the department will not accept applicants with little Linguistics background. Students lacking sufficient background may, however, need to complete preparatory or supplemental courses in their first year.

The typical class size of entering graduate students per year is about seven to ten. We make admissions offers to about 13-15 applicants per year, from an applicant pool of approximately 180.

Admissions decisions are made by an Admissions Committee composed of department faculty. It will be helpful if applicants include on their Statement of Purpose the names of particular faculty they hope to work with, since the Admissions Committee may solicit the opinions of those faculty in making their decision. You may find our list of active ladder faculty on our Faculty Profiles page.

We recommend you review our Graduate Program Overview page , which includes information about our Graduate Student Support packages .

The deadline for submission of applications for the Fall quarter is December 10 of the previous year.

The online application consists of the following:

• A statement of purpose , explaining their background for graduate study in linguistics and their immediate and long-range goals in the field. Statements of purpose should primarily focus on intellectual interests and research plans, though autobiographical material can be useful where it is clearly relevant. You can find guiding questions for the statement on the UCLA Graduate Division website here , under “Statement of Purpose”; 1,500 word limit for our application.
• Three letters of recommendation , ideally from scholars who can attest to the applicant’s potential in linguistics and general intellectual qualifications. Letters from employers can also be useful where they supplement the letters from teachers.
• Transcripts from each academic institution attended.  Transcripts are to be uploaded to the online admissions application by the deadline, December 10th. Official hard copy transcripts must be mailed to the Department of Linguistics by January 31st.  Official transcripts must bear the signature of the Registrar or seal of the issuing institution. If the transcript is in a language other than English, then a certified translated copy must also accompany the original official transcript.
• A research paper in linguistics (or a related field). This part of the dossier is very important, and is often given more weight in admissions decisions about admissibility than anything else, since it (potentially) provides evidence of the ability to pursue original research in the field.  Please note that a literature review is less useful than an original research paper. If no paper in linguistics or a related field is available, it is better to include a paper in some non-related field, rather than no paper at all.
• International applicants whose first language is not English must certify their proficiency in English, via the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). More information, including minimum score requirements, UCLA’s institution code, and eligibility for a test waiver, is available on the Graduate Division’s website .
• UCLA’s fellowship application, found in online admissions application. It is useful to inspect the list of UCLA fellowships carefully, to see what you might be qualified for. Applicants are also encouraged to apply for as many extramural fellowships and scholarships as they are eligible . As part of the fellowship application, they require you to submit a Personal Statement: You can find guiding questions for the statement on the UCLA Graduate Division website here , under “Personal Statement.” To a limited extent, the Admissions Committee uses the criterion of what students can be supported with available resources.
• Although not required, it also would be useful to include with your application an informal list of the courses you have taken in your desired field . Add any information you think would clarify the kind of work you did, especially if the title of a given course does not reflect the actual course content.
• Please note that the GRE is NOT required for admission to our program . Please do not submit GRE score reports to us, as they will not be considered.

We are not the only linguists at UCLA.  There are graduate programs in  English ,  Indo-European Studies , and specific foreign languages , each with separate admission processes. Please contact these departments directly for information about applying to their graduate programs.

Admissions Materials

Virtually all admissions materials (writing sample, statement of purpose, etc.) are to be uploaded to the online application.

However, official transcripts (one hard official copy from each institution attended) are still required and should be mailed to:

UCLA Department of Linguistics c/o Graduate Admissions 335 Portola Plaza 3125 Campbell Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1543 (USA)

We can accept electronic official transcripts, as long as they are sent directly from the institution to the department. Please address electronic official transcripts to the Graduate Student Affairs Officer.

Please contact Graduate Student Affairs Officer if you have any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many years is the Linguistics Graduate Program?

The normative time to complete the program is 5 years. The department offers both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, and all students are expected to complete program requirements at both levels. You may review our Current Graduate Students page to review the normative timeline and requirements for our program.

2. What if I’m an international applicant, and do not meet the eligibility criteria to be exempt from UCLA’s English Language Requirement?

UCLA does not currently accept exception requests to waive the English Language Requirement outside of the exemption criteria listed on UCLA’s Graduate Division website . You will need to take and submit test scores for the TOEFL/IELTS with your graduate program application.

3. Where can I find more information on the graduate application fee waiver?

Please see the UCLA Graduate Division website here , under “Fee Waivers,” to review the eligibility criteria for the application fee waiver.

4. If I do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, can I submit an exception to the department?

Unfortunately, the university does not accept exceptions to the criteria for fee waivers. These are set at the university level, and individual graduate programs/departments cannot waive this for you.

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Applying to the Graduate Program

We welcome applications from students interested in pursuing the Ph.D. degree. To apply, use the  On-line application form .

We provide full financial support to all successful applicants.  Funding packages include tuition, fees, health insurance, and a salary or stipend. Funding packages normally involve a combination of fellowship money (i.e. a stipend) and teaching assistantships, for a period of five years.  

Materials you will need to upload:

• Letters of recommendation from people who know you
• Academic transcripts from all university/college level institutions attended. Upload unofficial transcripts with your application. Official transcripts or academic records for all university/college-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad, will be required  if you are admitted and decide to attend . Academic records issued in a language other than English should be included in the original language and accompanied by English translations.
• Writing sample (preferably relevant to your aims in our program)
• Admissions essays, i.e. the statement of purpose and the personal statement

The GRE is not required. Please do *not* submit GRE scores.

What we look for in your application

Our main questions are: What are your professional goals? How do you see getting a PhD in Linguistics here at Berkeley fitting into your goals? What academic and other experiences prepare you for these goals?

The statement of purpose

In your statement of purpose, focus on your professional interests and your immediate and long-range goals. Autobiographical information can be useful where it is clearly relevant to your goals.  Admissions decisions are made by a committee composed of department faculty. It is helpful if you include the names of particular faculty members whose work seems to match your own interests and briefly discuss the connections you see.

The personal statement

With your personal statement, you can help us understand the context of your achievements so far. For example, tell us what opportunities have or have not been available to you, and what experiences and perspectives you bring to the department and to the field of linguistics. Whether you intend to pursue an academic career, i.e. research and teaching at a college or university, or other career opportunities, highlight your motivation and potential contributions.

The graduate division provides additional helpful advice about writing  the statement of purpose  and the  personal statement .

English proficiency

If you completed your basic degree (i.e. the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree) in a country or region in which the official language is a language other than English, you will need to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. If this applies to you, take the TOEFL or IELTS English Proficiency test by November 2023.  See the  admissions requirements  web page for further details.

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Frequently Asked Questions for Graduate Applicants

Am I qualified for your program? What if I have no background in linguistics?

Many successful applicants to our program have an undergraduate background in linguistics, and more and more of them also have master’s degrees in linguistics. However, we do not impose any formal degree requirements beyond those required to enroll in the Graduate School . We have admitted students from a variety of undergraduate majors and without a master’s degree. We are aware that many colleges and universities have no linguistics department or major, and that master’s degrees rarely come with funding. 

You can apply even if you don’t major in linguistics. If you are at an institution that offers many courses in linguistics, it will help your application if you take them. If your school offers few or no courses in linguistics or if you otherwise have a nontraditional background, it will help your application if you show that you have done everything you could to get the background you need to succeed in graduate school. Consider taking courses in related disciplines (e.g. a course in the Spanish department on the sound system or the grammar/syntax of Spanish, or a class on Italian dialects, or the history of Russian, or grammar or history or dialects of English). We also recommend attending summer schools. The LinguistList maintains a registry of such schools around the world, and many of them offer fellowships that cover the cost of attendance. 

We require evidence of familiarity with basic concepts in linguistics. Our successful applicants tend to have prior exposure to one and ideally more subfields of linguistics represented at NYU or related fields (e.g. philosophy of language). Research experience and good scholarly writing ability can convey a decisive advantage.

What if I can’t afford the application fee?

The application fee is set by the graduate school and can be waived under certain circumstances. Check the graduate school’s page for more information. You must apply for the fee waiver before submitting your application for admission. If possible, submit your request at least four weeks before the application deadline for linguistics.

Can I get financial aid?

All students admitted to our doctoral program receive full funding for five years, including tuition, fees, health insurance and a stipend. This stipend, the MacCracken fellowship, is disbursed over the 9 months of the academic year. For 2020-2021, it was $29,500. Increases in the minimum stipend are expected for the subsequent years of an award term. Fees and health insurance are covered for the duration of the stipend support, plus an additional 4 semesters. No students are admitted without financial support, irrespective of nationality. If you have access to outside fellowships (NSF, Fulbright, or similar fellowships in other countries), we are delighted if you apply proactively for additional opportunities for funding. 

Do you offer financial support over the summer?

Fellowship stipends are paid over the nine months of the academic year. In addition, each MacCracken fellow may receive research funding. There are often opportunities to work as a graduate assistant during the summer, though this is not guaranteed. Some students teach an introductory linguistics course during one summer. There are some summer work options elsewhere on campus, and summer fellowships such as funds for research; these are more commonly available to more advanced students. Students can seek summer employment off-campus (for international students, subject to visa requirements).

Is student housing available?

All admitted students are eligible to apply for university housing for their first year at a somewhat subsidized rental rate. Information on this is available online from the graduate school. After the first year, everyone rents off campus.

Preparing the application

Is there a format for the statement of academic purpose?

Your statement of purpose should describe your relevant past and present work, any research experience, your educational objectives and career goals, your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing linguistics and for applying to our department, and anything unusual we should know about your application. It should not exceed two double-spaced pages. We recommend consulting your academic adviser while writing it. Statements of purpose for graduate school, unlike those for college, focus on motivations for embarking on a Ph.D. in linguistics. Thus it is more important to highlight your professional development than your personal background and experiences (if you’d like to discuss those, you may submit a separate personal history statement in addition to the statement of purpose). Effective statements typically demonstrate applicants' familiarity with the field and their interests and commitment to linguistic study, and indicate how your interests relate to the special strengths of our department. While it is helpful if you indicate current research interests, there is no need to identify specific topics for a dissertation. You may also want to provide context for any low grades or scores, and consider asking your letter writers to do the same.

What are you looking for in a writing sample?

Ideally, a writing sample should demonstrate your ability to do linguistic analysis and to apply the kinds of methodologies and techniques most relevant to your subfield, and it should give an indication of your potential to do independent scholarly work once you join the program. Typical writing samples are term papers or theses from prior study in linguistics, and contain original thought that goes beyond summarizing previous work. It may be a good idea to spend some time developing a term paper into a strong writing sample with the help of your adviser. 

If you don't have such a paper, you should submit a writing sample from a related field that shows your analytical skills and writing ability to good advantage. If you have multiple equally strong papers, you may submit them as additional material.

Given the high volume of applications, we are not likely to read long documents (in excess of 50 pages) in full. The application system has no page limit, but you should consider whether such documents are necessary to support your case. If you have such a document (such as a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis), consider submitting an excerpt that showcases your skills along with a brief summary of the omitted parts, or including suggestions about which parts readers should focus on.

Test scores

What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS score for admission? What are the average TOEFL or IELTS scores or GPAs of your entering students?

We do not track average TOEFL or IELTS scores or GPA and we do not have a fixed minimum for admission. Other components of your application, such as the writing sample, reference letters, and statement of purpose, have a more decisive effect on our judgment regarding the suitability of an applicant. Test scores or GPAs mainly influence admissions decisions when they are exceptionally low.

Do you require GRE scores?

The GRE is not required. Please do not send us GRE test scores. If you do, the scores will not be reviewed or considered by the department's Admissions Committee.

Will the Linguistics Department accept an application with unofficial scores for the TOEFL or IELTS? How late can I take the test?

Admissions decisions are typically made in mid-February. The Graduate School does not permit us to offer admission to a candidate who has not submitted all necessary documentation including required test scores. While your application can be considered with unofficial or late-arriving scores, you cannot be admitted until we receive all official score reports. 

Application process

Do I need to specify my intended subfield on the application?

The application allows you to indicate one or more areas of linguistics as your primary interests, and one or more areas of linguistics as your secondary interests. The areas you select as your primary interests should be your intended area of specialization, and will allow us to better evaluate your application materials in light of your preparation to do work in those areas. The areas indicated on the application are not binding; It is common for students to change and refine their interests during their time in the graduate program.

How competitive is your program?

We typically receive approximately 140-150 applications per year. In typical years, we are permitted to admit about a dozen applicants. Unfortunately, this means many highly qualified applicants are not offered admission.

Do you have a waitlist?

It depends on the year. 

Can I reapply?

If your application was unsuccessful, it is unlikely that it would be accepted in future years, except if something about it changed substantially -- for example if you did further coursework elsewhere in linguistics, received an additional degree, and/or wrote a strong new writing sample. We recommend you highlight such changes in your statement of purpose.

Do you interview candidates?

In January we select about a few dozen applications for closer consideration. We interview these candidates, typically via Skype, though phone interviews are also possible. These interviews tend to take 30-45 minutes and involve 1-3 faculty members, sometimes in multiple sessions. They are an opportunity for us to gather additional information before admissions decisions are made, and for candidates to ask questions about the program.

What is the timeline for your admissions decisions? 

We typically decide on admissions and contact applicants by mid-February. 

Do you have an open house?

Yes, we offer an open house for prospective students who have been admitted to the program, typically on a Thursday and Friday in early or mid-March. Attending the open house is not a precondition for joining the program, but many prospective students find it useful as a way to make a more informed decision. 

The program

What are the program rules and requirements?

Here are the program requirements for the Ph.D. program.

Do you accept transfer credits?

Transfer credits are rarely approved; students are generally expected to take a full set of courses for their degree here, and receive tuition exemption for all required graduate credits.

Do I have to teach?

Teaching is a vital part of the doctoral degree. Unlike at many other programs, teaching is voluntary and fellowships are not contingent on it. All students are encouraged to serve as TAs for undergraduate courses. TAs are compensated on top of fellowship stipends; if you would like more information, please contact [email protected] . Teaching opportunities are relevant to linguistics and structured to support students’ academic progress.

Does the NYU Linguistics PhD program have STEM designation?

Yes. Because our program is designated as STEM eligible, F-1 students may apply for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization plus an additional 24-month extension of OPT authorization (up to 36 months in total). The program's STEM designation is indicated by the "Major" code listed on the form I-20 issued to marticulating F1 students. Please see the Office of Global Services website here for more information on eligibility for the STEM OPT extension.   

Can I apply for an MA?

We do not offer an MA degree in Linguistics. All prospective students must apply for the doctoral program. An MPhil degree is conferred to students accepted as candidates in the doctoral program who have fulfilled all doctorate requirements except the dissertation and its defense.

I would like to work with Professor X, who teaches in your department. Should I apply by writing to Professor X, or by submitting an application through the regular system?

You should submit your application through the regular system, so we can evaluate your application along with its letters of recommendation and compare it with other applications. Our department does not accept candidates to work with particular faculty members. Applications are approved by the faculty as a whole, across the various fields that our faculty address. No single faculty member is in a position to admit you.  The application form asks you to indicate subfield(s) of interest as well as the NYU faculty most directly responsible for your decision to apply. We encourage you to use this to make sure your application is noticed by the most relevant faculty. Your expression of interest is not a commitment on your part. We know you are bound to discover new topics in various fields, and if we admit you we will not hold you to any initial preference you express in your application. Students who have been admitted to the program will not be limited to working with just the faculty they have mentioned in their application. 

What if I don’t know yet which faculty member I would like to work with?

This is fine. We do not expect you to know this before you apply. Ph.D. students choose faculty members as program advisers by the end of their first year. These advisers help students progress through the program. In their second and third years, students choose chairs for their qualifying paper committees, and by their fourth year, for their dissertation committees. These roles can be filled by different faculty, though typically there is overlap. Students are not expected to know who they might want to work with in subsequent years, and are free to switch program advisers throughout the Ph.D.

Will I be able to work with Professor X if I am admitted to the program?

This is decided by students and faculty together after students join the program. If for some reason a professor becomes unavailable, we are a large department and most of our subfields are represented by multiple faculty, so you should still be able to find other faculty to work with.

What is your placement record? What kind of job am I likely to get after graduating?

Our alumni page lists where previous Ph.D. students are now working. 

Do you have any other suggestions for how to be a successful applicant?

You may be interested in reviewing the Linguistic Society of America’s archived webinar on this topic. In this video, representatives from five major linguistics departments' admission committees, along with a Ph.D. student, discuss their experiences and take questions. While different departments’ application processes and selection criteria vary, many graduate applicants find this to be a useful resource. An in-depth look at the graduate admissions process across universities and disciplines can be found in Dr. Julie Posselt’s book Inside Graduate Admissions . (Our department is not among those actually studied in that book, but it is similar.)

What should I do if I have a question not answered here?

If your question is about the application process, program or Graduate School admissions requirements, please contact [email protected] . If you have a question for an individual faculty member, we would appreciate if you checked whether the faculty member’s personal website (accessible via http://as.nyu.edu/linguistics/people/faculty.html ) answers it before you write to us. Please do not send the same email to multiple faculty. For additional application instructions, deadlines, and program-specific information, see the GSAS Application Resource Center .

Graduate Applicants

• Admissions Procedures
• GSAS Application Resource Center
• Graduate Program

Applications for PhD program admissions are due by  December 1 for entry in the following fall. Master’s program applications are due by  January 15 for fall of that year.

All applications and materials must be submitted to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences through the Georgetown GRAD application portal . Read more about the application process on the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences admissions page .

If you have administrative or general questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator Erin Esch Pereira . Please understand that application materials sent to individual faculty members cannot be considered.

Go to: Application Checklist l Concentrations l Additional Advice

Application Checklist

– Application Form – Statement of Purpose (500 word limit) – Writing sample  – Official Recommendations (3) – Indication of concentration (for M.S. and Ph.D. applicants) – Non-refundable Application Fee – Official Transcripts (all prior institutions) – TOEFL / IELTS required for all non-native English speakers, ( ETS test code number is 5244 )

Concentrations

Students applying to the M.S. or Ph.D. programs should indicate on their application form (and written statement of purpose) the concentration that best matches their interests (choose one only):

• Applied Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Theoretical Linguistics

Interested PhD applicants may ask to be considered for a second concentration in the Interdisciplinary Concentration in Cognitive Science.  The Interdisciplinary Concentration may be selected in addition to, but not instead of, one of the concentrations listed above.  Details on this concentration can be found at https://cogsci.georgetown.edu/ .  Applicants interested in this concentration should describe their research interests in Cognitive Science, and in interdisciplinary study, in their Statement of Purpose. Please see the Graduate School’s FAQ page for more information.

Additional Advice

    how to submit.

The application form, statement of purpose, writing sample, unofficial transcripts and three recommendations should be submitted electronically as part of the application to the Graduate School. Materials should NOT be sent to the Department of Linguistics.

Applicants are required to upload to the application system unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.  Do not send electronic or paper copies of your transcripts before receiving an offer of admission . Review the  unofficial transcript requirements (new window)  for additional details and FAQs.

Only unofficial transcripts that have been uploaded to the application by the student are required for the application review. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required at that time to submit official transcripts for verification prior to enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.

    Writing Sample

Each applicant must submit an appropriate academic or professional writing sample in English, e.g., a term paper, thesis, or professional article that demonstrates writing and analytical skills. We have no length requirement, but recommend that submissions be between 15 and 40 pages. Doctoral applicants should submit a research paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct original research in Linguistics or a closely related discipline.

    Statement of Purpose

Admissions to the doctoral program are limited and highly competitive. In their statement of purpose, doctoral applicants should outline a research program and explain their qualifications to pursue advanced research in their chosen area. It is often useful for prospective students to indicate the faculty member(s) with whom they would be interested in working.

    Notes for Non-Native Speakers

All entering students who are not native speakers of English must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency prior to registration, as outlined in the exam score section below.

    Required Exam Scores

GRADUATE RECORD EXAM  (GRE)

GRE scores are not required for admission to the 2023-2043 academic year.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY:  TOEFL / IELTS  All applicants who are not native English speakers are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated in the following ways: Bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction. Minimum score on either the TOEFL or IELTS test.

Minimum scores: TOEFL : A minimum score of 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based tests) or 100 (iBT test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). IELTS : A minimum score of 7.5 from the International English Language Testing System.

Admitted applicants with a TOEFL writing score of less than 28 (iBT) or an IELTS writing score of less than 7.5 that intend to matriculate are required to take the Department of English as a Foreign Language Writing Placement Exam prior to enrolling in Fall courses. Students who score less than 5 on the written exam will be required to enroll in ENFL-111: Expository Writing for Foreign Students. More detailed information will be sent the summer prior to matriculation.

Test scores must be received by the application deadline date. Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the test date for the reporting of scores to the institution. Applications will not be considered without appropriate test scores.

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• Statement of Purpose, Personal History, Diversity

SOP for Linguistics (PhD)?

By Ordijahandam June 17, 2013 in Statement of Purpose, Personal History, Diversity

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• Ordijahandam

Holding a B.A of English Literature, an M.A. of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), and finally applying for a PhD. of Linguistics; I have problem connecting these three majors to each other; in order to persuade the addressee about their connectedness.

Besides, Can anybody give a general plan of How to write my SOP? ( Applying for Iranian Linguistics- a native speaker of Tati, an endangered and ancient language of Iran)

Thanks friends!

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I'm not sure that you need to convince anybody of the connectedness of your previous degrees to the one you're applying for.

It seems to me that your SOP should mainly answer three questions: What do you want to do? How are you prepared to do it? and Why should you do it here (the school that you're writing to)? Of course you can go beyond answering these questions, but when you're limited in how much you can say, I'd stick to those main points.

Good luck with your applications!

fuzzylogician

Indeed, the above advice is very sound. You don't need to connect your entire past to your present research interests and future plans. It's enough that you connect whatever  is connected and the other stuff can just stay on your CV and transcript. You want your SOP to clearly define your current research interests, explain how you are prepared to pursue them and explain why the school you are applying to is a good place to pursue these interests. You can also define short-term and mid/long-term goals for your degree. Think 70% present and future, 30% past. This is not a story of how you got here but of where you're going, with the past serving as an example of how you're ready for the journey. What the adcom will want to know is what (you want to study), how (you'll go about doing it--what research questions you're interested in posing, even in somewhat vague terms, and how you're prepared to pursue them) and why (you want to attend this particular school).

• Arezoo , Ziggyfinish , Ordijahandam and 1 other
• 4 weeks later...

TEFL is often linked with Applied Linguistics, so you could definitely link those two. As far as English, you could say that it gave you an interest for language and qualified you to pursue an MA in TEFL. You could say you have an understanding of bilingualism, second language acquisition, and so on. All of those things are important in linguistics, I think. 

• 3 years later...

Each applicant’s materials are unique because they are each to their own. No one can tell you how to best do you in an application, but I can give some pointers, let you know what worked for me in my own process, and relay some best practices I learned from other successful (and not so successful) applicants and from professor-mentors.

for the neurolinguistics, a one should be more concerned about the qualifications and persuasion that you have acquired all the necessary skills for such program whereas in the sociolinguistics statement of purpose the one should remember rather about providing the examples and cases about the study area that shows that you had certain practice.

The rules for formatting are almost unchangeable:

• Font: Times New Roman/Arial
• Font size: 12 pt
• Paper: double-spaced, standard-sized (8.5″ x 11″)
• Margins: 1 cm on all sides.

If you wonder whether you structure the content blocks in the right way you can always revise it according to the guidelines that outline the writing stages and the text blocks, I put the most valuable practices in my article   5 Linguistics Statement of Purpose Writer Tips   good luck and faster admission!

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 7 successful statement of purpose examples.

Not sure what graduate schools are looking for in a statement of purpose? Looking at successful graduate school statement of purpose samples can help! In this guide, we’ll orient you to what makes a great statement of purpose or letter of intent for graduate school. Then we’ll provide you with four successful statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. We’ll also provide analysis of what makes them successful. Finally, we’ll direct you to even more helpful examples that you can find online!

The Graduate School Statement of Purpose: An Overview

A statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or a research statement) introduces your interests and experience to the admissions committee. For research-focused programs, like most PhDs and many master’s degrees, your statement of purpose will focus primarily on your past research experience and plans. For more professionally-focused graduate programs, your statement of purpose will primarily discuss how your pursuit of this professional program relates to your past experiences, and how you will use the skills from the program in your future career.

A statement of purpose for grad school is also where you sell the admissions committee on why you belong in their program specifically. Why do you fit there, and how does what they offer fit your interests?

What’s in a Great Grad School Statement of Purpose?

Here are the essential elements of a strong graduate school statement of purpose:

Clear Articulation of Goals and Interests

A strong statement of purpose will clearly and specifically lay out your goals in undertaking the program and what you hope to accomplish with the degree. Again, for a research-focused program, this will focus primarily on the research project(s) you want to undertake while you are there. For a more professional program, discuss what interests you within the professional field and what skills/knowledge you hope to gain through the program.

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You should be as specific as possible in discussing what interests you. Use examples of particular phenomena, tools, or situations that you find exciting. If you are vague or say that everything in the field interests you, you run the risk of seeming unfocused or not actually that passionate.

Don’t worry that being too specific will box you into a particular research area or subfield during your entire tenure in graduate school. Your program understands that interests change—they won’t be pulling out your research statement to cross-reference with your dissertation proposal!

Evidence of Past Experience and Success

A great graduate school statement of purpose will also show programs that you have already been successful. They want applicants that will be able to follow through on their research/professional plans!

To this end, you’ll need to provide evidence of how your background qualifies you to pursue this program and your specific interests in the field. You’ll probably discuss your undergraduate studies and any professional experience you have. But be sure to draw on specific, vivid examples.  You might draw on your thesis, major projects you’ve worked on, papers you have written/published, presentations you’ve given, mentors you’ve worked with, and so on. This gives admissions committees concrete evidence that you are qualified to undertake graduate study!

Interest and Fit With the Program

The third essential ingredient to a great statement of purpose is to clearly lay out why you and the program are a good fit. You should be able to identify both specific reasons why your work fits with the program and why the program suits your work/interests! Are there particular professors you’d like to work with? Does the department have a strong tradition in a certain methodology or theory you’re interested in? Is there a particular facet to the curriculum that you’d like to experience?

Showing that you and the program are a match shows that you chose the program thoughtfully and have genuine interest in it. Programs want to admit students who aren’t just passionate about the field. They want students who are genuinely enthused about their specific program and positioned to get the most out of what they have to offer.

Strong Writing

The final essential piece of a strong statement of purpose or letter of intent is strong writing. Writing skills are important for all graduate programs. You’ll need to demonstrate that you can clearly and effectively communicate your ideas in a way that flows logically. Additionally, you should show that you know how to write in a way that is descriptive but concise. A statement of purpose shouldn’t ever be longer than two pages, even without a hard word limit.

Admissions committees for humanities programs may be a little more focused on writing style than admissions officers for STEM programs. But even in quantitative and science-focused fields, written communication skills are an essential part of graduate school. So a strong statement of purpose will always be effectively written. You’ll see this in our statement of purpose for graduate school samples.

Real, Successful Statement of Purpose Samples

In this section, we’ll present four successful graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts, along with a brief commentary on each statement. These statements come from a diverse selection of program types to show you how the core essentials of a statement of purpose can be implemented differently for different fields.

Note: identifying information for these statements have been changed—except for example four, which is my statement.

• Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA

This statement of purpose is notable for its great use of space and its vivid descriptions. The author is able to cram a lot into about a page. She discusses how she came to her two primary research interests (and how they are connected). She integrates this discussion of her interests with information on her past experiences and qualifications for pursuing the course of study. Finally, she includes details on her goals in pursuing the program and components of the program that interest her. Her examples are specific and fleshed-out. There’s a lot very cleverly included in a small amount of page space!

Additionally, the language is very vivid. Phrases like “evocative and visceral” and “steadily unraveling,” are eye-catching and intriguing. They demonstrate that she has the writing skills necessary to pursue both graduate study and her interest in translation.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Two: Music MM

This sample is fairly long, although at 12 point Times New Roman it’s under two pages single-spaced. The length of this statement is partially due to the somewhat expansive nature of the prompt, which asks what role music has played in the applicant’s life “to date.” This invites applicants to speak more about experiences further in the past (in the childhood and teen years) than is typical for a statement of purpose. Given that this is for a master’s degree in music, this is logical; musical study is typically something that is undertaken at a fairly young age.

This statement does an excellent job describing the student’s past experiences with music in great detail. The descriptions of the student’s past compositions and experiences performing new music are particularly vivid and intriguing.

This statement also lays out and elaborates on specific goals the student hopes to pursue through the program, as well as features particular to the program that interest the student (like particular professors).

• Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD

One of the first things you’ll likely notice about this statement is that it’s a little on the longer side. However, at 12 point Times New Roman font and single-spaced, it still comes in under 2 pages (excluding references). It makes sense for a PhD statement of purpose sample to be longer than a master’s degree statement of purpose—there’s more to lay out in terms of research interests!

The writing style is fairly straightforward—there’s definitely a stronger focus on delivering content than flashy writing style. As Economics is a more quantitative-focused field, this is fine. But the writing is still well-organized, clear, and error-free.

The writer also gives numerous examples of their past work and experience, and shows off their knowledge of the field through references, which is a nice touch.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MA

This is actually my statement of purpose. It was for a program that I got accepted to but did not end up attending, for a Master’s in the History of the Book. You’ll notice that the two essay prompts essentially asked us to split our statement of purpose into two parts: the first prompt asked about our research interests and goals, and the second prompt asked about our relevant experience and qualifications.

I’ll keep my comments on this graduate school statement of purpose sample brief because I’ll do a deep dive on it in the next section. But looking back at my statement of purpose, I do a good job outlining what within the field interests me and clearly laying out how my past experiences have qualified me for the program.

Obviously this statement did its job, since I was accepted to the program. However, if I were to improve this statement, I’d change the cliche beginning  (“since I was a child”) and provide more specificity in what about the program interested me.

Deep Dive Analysis of a Sample Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Next, we’ll do a paragraph by paragraph analysis of my statement, statement of purpose sample four. I’ll analyze its strengths and suggest ways I could shore up any weaknesses to make it even stronger.

Essay 1: Academic Interests

To refresh, here’s the first prompt: Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives and motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)

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Paragraph 1

Since I was a child, my favorite thing has always been a book. Not just for the stories and information they contain, although that is a large part of it. Mostly, I have been fascinated by the concept of book as object—a tangible item whose purpose is to relate intangible ideas and images. Bookbindings and jackets, different editions, the marginalia in a used book—all of these things become part of the individual book and its significance, and are worth study and consideration. Books and their equivalent forms—perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus—have long been an essential part of material culture and are also one of our most significant sources of information about the human historical past. Through both the literal object of the book, the words contained thereon, and its relationship to other books—forms of context, text and intertext—we are able to learn and hopefully manage layers of information with which we would otherwise have no familiarity.

First, the good: this paragraph does a good job introducing my academic interest in the book-as-object, and shows off pre-existing knowledge both of the study of material culture and literary theory. Additionally, the language is engaging: the juxtaposition of “tangible” and “intangible” in the beginning and phrases like “perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus” lend life to the writing and keep the reader engaged.

If I were to go back and improve this paragraph, first, I would absolutely change the first sentence to something less cliche than talking about my childhood. I might try something like “My love of books is a multifaceted thing. I don’t only love them for the stories and….” Second, I would chill out on the em dashes a little bit. Three sets in one paragraph is a little excessive. Finally, I might actually cut this paragraph down slightly to make more room word-wise later in the statement to discuss what specific things about the program interest me.

Paragraph 2

Furthermore, blogs, webcomics, digital archives, e-readers, and even social media sites like tumblr and Facebook have revolutionized the concept of the book by changing how we share and transmit ideas and information, just as the Gutenberg printing press revolutionized the book all those years ago in the fifteenth century. Once again there has been an explosion both in who can send out information and who can receive it.

This paragraph briefly and effectively introduces my other main academic interest: how new technology has changed the concept of the book-as-object. The tie-back to the printing press is a nice touch; it’s a vivid example that shows that I’m aware of important historical moments in book history.

Paragraph 3

I am deeply interested in the preservation of the physical book, as I think it is an important part of human history (not to mention a satisfying sensory experience for the reader). However I am also very concerned with the digitization and organization of information for the modern world such that the book, in all of its forms, stays relevant and easy to access and use. Collections of books, archives, and information as stored in the world’s servers, libraries and museums are essential resources that need to be properly organized and administered to be fully taken advantage of by their audiences. My purpose in applying to the University of Edinburgh’s Material Culture and History of the Book is to gain the skills necessary to keep all forms of the book relevant and functional in an age when information can move more radically than ever before.

This paragraph actually has a focus problem. Since it covers two topics, I should split it into two paragraphs: one on the integration of my two interests, and one on my goals and interests in the program. I could also stand to expand on what features the program has that interest me: professors I’d like to work with, particular aspects of the curriculum, etc.

In spite of these things, however, this paragraph does a good job clearly integrating the two academic interests related to the book I introduced in the first two paragraphs. And the language is still strong —“satisfying sensory experience” is a great phrase. However, I’ve been using the word “information,” a lot; I might try to replace with appropriate synonyms (like “knowledge”) in a couple of places.

Paragraph 4

Additionally, I intend on pursuing a PhD in Library and Information Sciences upon completion of my master’s and I feel that this program while make me uniquely suited to approach library science from a highly academic and interdisciplinary perspective.

This final paragraph offers just quick touch on my future goals beyond the program. It’s typically fine for this to be relatively brief, as it is here, just so long as you can clearly identify some future goals.

Essay 2: Relevant Experience

The second prompt just asked me to describe my relevant knowledge, training, and skills.

As a folklore and mythology student, I have gained a robust understanding of material culture and how it relates to culture as a whole. I have also learned about the transmission of ideas, information, stories and pieces of lore among and between populations, which is an important component of book history. Folklore is also deeply concerned with questions of the literary vs. oral lore and the tendency for text to “canonize” folklore, and yet text can also question or invert canonized versions; along with this my studies in my focus field of religion and storytelling have been deeply concerned with intertextuality. One of my courses was specifically concerned with the Heian-period Japanese novel The Tale of Genji and questions of translation and representation in post-Heian picture scrolls and also modern translations and manga. In addition to broader cultural questions concerned with gender and spirituality both in historical Japan and now, we considered the relationships between different Genji texts and images.

This is a strong, focused paragraph. I relate my academic background in Folklore and Mythology to my interests in studying the book, as well as showing off some of my knowledge in the area. I also chose and elaborated on a strong example (my class on the Tale of Genji ) of my relevant coursework.

I also have work experience that lends itself to the study of the book. After my freshman year of college I interned at the Chicago History Museum. Though I was in the visitor services department I was exposed to the preservation and archival departments of the museum and worked closely with the education department, which sparked my interest in archival collections and how museums present collection information to the public. After my sophomore year of college and into my junior year, I worked at Harvard’s rare books library, Houghton. At Houghton I prepared curated collections for archival storage. These collections were mostly comprised of the personal papers of noteworthy individuals, categorized into alphabetical folders. This experience made me very process-oriented and helped me to understand how collections come together on a holistic basis.

This paragraph also has a clear focus: my past, relevant work experience. Discussing archival collections and presenting information to the public links the interests discussed in my first statement with my qualifications in my second statement. However, if I were to revise this paragraph, I would add some specific examples of the amazing things I worked on and handled at Houghton Library. In that job, I got to touch Oliver Cromwell’s death mask! An interesting example would make this paragraph really pop even more.

Finally, in my current capacity as an education mentor in Allston, a suburb of Boston, I have learned the value of book history and material culture from an educational perspective. As a mentor who designs curriculum for individual students and small groups, I have learned to highly value clearly organized and useful educational resources such as websites, iPad apps, and books as tools for learning. By managing and organizing collections in a way that makes sense we are making information accessible to those who need it.

This final paragraph discusses my current (at the time) work experience in education and how that ties into my interest in the history of the book. It’s an intriguing connection and also harkens back to my discussion of information availability in the paragraph three of the first statement. Again, if I were to amp up this statement even more, I might include a specific example of a book-based (or book technology-based) project I did with one of my students. I worked on things like bookbinding and making “illuminated manuscripts” with some of my students; those would be interesting examples here.

This statement is split into two parts by virtue of the two-prompt format. However, if I were to integrate all of this information into one unified statement of purpose, I would probably briefly introduce my research interests, go in-depth on my background, then circle back around to speak more about my personal interests and goals and what intrigues me about the program. There’s not really one correct way to structure a statement of purpose just so long as it flows well and paragraphs are structured in a logical way: one topic per paragraph, with a clear topic and concluding sentence.

More Statement of Purpose Examples

We’ve provided you with four great graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. However, if you’re looking for more, there are other sample letters of intent and statements of purpose for graduate school online. We’ve rounded up the best ones here, along with some strengths and weaknesses about each example.

Majortests Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a fairly straightforward, clearly written statement of purpose sample for a biology program. It includes useful commentary after each paragraph about what this statement of purpose is accomplishing.

• This statement of purpose sample is well-organized, with clear topic sentences and points made in each paragraph.
• The student clearly identifies what interests her about the program.
• The student proactively addresses questions about why she hasn’t gone directly to graduate school, and frames her professional research experience as a positive thing.
• She gives a tiny bit of color about her personality in a relevant way by discussing her involvement with the Natural History Society.
• In general, discussing high school interests is too far back in time unless the anecdote is very interesting or unusual. The detail about The Theory of Evolution is intriguing; the information about the high school teacher seems irrelevant. The student should have condensed this paragraph into a sentence or two.
• While this statement is cogently written and makes the candidate sound competent and well-qualified, it’s not exactly the most scintillating piece of writing out there. Some of the constructions are a little awkward or cliche. For example, the “many people have asked me” sentence followed by “the answer is” is a little bit clunky. This is probably fine for a STEM program. But just be aware that this statement is not a paragon of writing style.

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UC Berkeley History Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a graduate school statement of purpose example from the UC Berkeley History department’s PhD program, with annotations from a professor as to why it’s a successful statement.

• The author is able to very clearly and articulately lay out her research interests and link them to past work she has successfully completed, namely, her thesis.
• She is able to identify several things about the program and Berkeley that indicate why it is a good fit for her research interests.
• She addresses the time she spent away from school and frames it as a positive, emphasizing that her use of time was well-considered and productive.
• Her writing is very vivid, with excellent word choice and great imagery.

While very well-written and engaging, this sample statement of purpose for graduate school is a little bit on the long side! It’s a little over two single-spaced pages, which is definitely pushing the limits of acceptable length. Try to keep yours at 2 pages or less. Some of the information on the thesis (which comprises over half of the statement of purpose) could be condensed to bring it down to two pages.

Pharmacy Residency Letter of Intent Sample

This is not technically a sample letter of intent for graduate school because it’s actually for a pharmacy residency program. However, this example still provides illumination as to what makes a decent graduate school letter of intent sample.

• This is a serviceable letter of intent: the writer clearly lays out their own goals within the field of pharmacy, what qualifications they have and how they’ve arrived at their interests, and how the program fits their needs.
• The writing is clearly structured and well-organized.
• The main weakness is that some of the writer’s statements come across as fairly generic. For example, “The PGY-1 Residency Program at UO Hospitals will provide me with the opportunity to further develop my clinical knowledge, critical thinking, teaching, research, and leadership skills” is a generic statement that could apply to any residency program. A punchier, more program-specific conclusion would have amped up this letter.
• While the writer does a decent job providing examples of their activities, like working as a tutor and attending the APhA conference, more specificity and detail in these examples would make the statement more memorable.
• There’s a typo in the last paragraph —a “to” that doesn’t belong! This is an unprofessional blip in an otherwise solid letter. Read you own letter of intent aloud to avoid this!

NIU Bad Statement of Purpose Example

This is an ineffective graduate school statement of purpose example, with annotations on why it doesn’t work.

As you might imagine, the main strength in this document is as an example of what not to do. Otherwise, there is little to recommend it.

• The annotations quite clearly detail the weaknesses of this statement. So I won’t address them exhaustively except to point out that this statement of purpose fails at both content and style. The author includes irrelevant anecdotes and lists without offering a decisive picture of interests or any particular insight into the field. Additionally, the statement is riddled with grammatical mistakes, awkward sentence structures, and strange acronyms.
• You’ll note that the commentary advises you to “never start with a quote.” I agree that you should never start with a freestanding quote as in this example. However, I do think starting with a quote is acceptable in cases like the Berkeley history example above, where the quote is brief and then directly linked to the research interest.

Graduate School Statement of Purpose Examples: 4 Key Points

Graduate programs ask for statement of purpose to hear about your interests and goals and why you think you and the program would be a good fit.

There are four key elements to a successful statement of purpose:

• A clear articulation of your goals and interests
• Evidence of past experiences and success
• Interest and fit with the program
• Strong writing

We’ve provided you with four successful statement of purpose samples from our graduate school experts!

We also provided additional statement of purpose samples (and a sample letter of intent) for graduate school from other sources on the internet. Now you have all kinds of guidance!

What’s Next?

If you’re looking for more information on graduate school , see our guide to what makes a good GPA for grad school .

Not sure if you need to take the GRE ? See if you can get into graduate school without GRE scores .

Want more information about the GRE? We can help you figure out when to take the GRE , how to make a GRE study plan , and how to improve your GRE score .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

Guidelines for the Dissertation Proposal Document

Format of the exam paper.

The written proposal takes the form of a full research proposal using an established formatting style (APA, LSA; 12-point, Times New Roman).  The proposal is to be submitted in electronic format to committee members unless they explicitly request a hard copy.  The proposal, along with page limits, is as follows.

Abstract (1 page, double spaced)

The summary is a succinct presentation of the entire project.  Without headings, it should address the following areas:

• Background.
• Specific Aim(s), including research questions and/or hypotheses.
• Methods, including data sources and data collection procedures.
• Analysis, including coding and/or statistical procedures
• Significance, describing intellectual merit and broader implications

Research Proposal (no more than 25 pages, double-spaced, excluding references)

The research proposal is a detailed presentation of the problem, a review of the literature, the presentation of preliminary data analyses, and the description of the proposed project.  It should include the following sections, with headings.  Page limits are suggestive.

• Introduction (one paragraph). A brief articulation of the research topic (“This study will investigate…”) and the research questions to be addressed.
• Literature Review/Background (8-9 pages).  This is a review of the relevant literature.  As applicable, it should include a discussion and evaluation of competing or alternate theories, gaps in the literature, the strengths and limitations of particular analytic techniques, and promising directions for scholarship and practice.  The discussion should lead logically to demonstrate the importance of the overall research question(s) posed by the student.
• Preliminary Data/Data Analysis (4-5 pages).  If you have preliminary data,  then you can present the analysis of these data here.  Only data that speaks directly to your question, methods, or analytic techniques is appropriate.  Include details about the source of the data, information about data collection and preparation of the data for analysis (e.g. transcription and coding), description of interpretative or analytic methods, examples of the data, and summary of the results of the analysis. These analyses should show that you are familiar with the kind of data collection and analysis that you propose.
• Research Design (12-15 pages). This section should begin with a re-articulation of the research question(s) and/or hypotheses and a brief introduction to the design of the research (1/2 page).  However, it should not include information already presented in the literature review.  Rather, this section should present detailed information about the following:
• data sources and availability of these sources (e.g. corpora, media, human participants),
• data collection techniques (e.g. audio or audiovisual recording, interviews, structured tasks, use of archived data, etc),
• data preparation (e.g. transcription practices, spreadsheet management, etc),
• data analysis (e.g. coding schemes, interpretive methods, statistical tests, etc)
• a description of the range of expected results and implications.
• Timeline (1 page).  You should include a timeline that takes the form of a Gantt chart showing your estimated periods of data collection, data analysis, and dissertation write-up.
• Reference List.  No more than 35 references should be included.

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UMass Boston

• Applied Linguistics PhD

Join a cohort of scholars, researchers, and activists dedicated to linguistic diversity.

UMass Boston's PhD program in Applied Linguistics is a critically-oriented community of scholars, researchers, and activists dedicated to understanding linguistic diversity in everyday life. Our unique program emphasizes learning-by-doing through mentorship, coursework, and community-engagement. The Applied Linguistics PhD prepares candidates for teaching, research, and public advocacy careers in higher education, government, community, nonprofits, and private organizations.

Our apprenticeship model combines intensive faculty mentoring from the department’s internationally recognized faculty with structured support from a diverse and active doctoral student community . We also draw on the interdisciplinary expertise of our colleagues across Greater Boston and around the world to provide opportunities for community-engaged scholarship . Applied Linguistics doctoral students are involved in a range of local and global projects and initiatives related to our areas of inquiry : bilingual/multilingual education, multilingual language policy, critical applied linguistics, social resources and social contexts in language learning, and sociocultural theory.

Our curriculum is designed to engage future researchers in critical study of language in society. Through the exploration of cutting-edge research methods, students will develop a comprehensive and deep understanding of the theoretical, empirical, and practical dimensions of language use, language teaching and learning, and language policy in local and transnational contexts; and how they interrogate systems of power that produce marginalization, exploitation, and discrimination. Simultaneously, students cultivate their own scholarly identity, develop their inquiries, and generate knowledge to improve life in our schools, communities, and society. Students and faculty collaborate on research projects, manuscripts, advocacy work, and conference presentations throughout the doctoral program. 

Our PhD program requires three years of residency. During the first two years, a typical course load is three courses per semester (fall and spring) plus department events including the Colloquium, Roundtables, working groups, and talks; classes are offered between 4 and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Funding, including tuition, living stipend, and health insurance, is available for up to three years on a competitive basis.

Please contact Graduate Program Director Professor Avary Carhill-Poza for information about the program, application process, or connection to current students: [email protected] .

Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to apply.

The Department of Applied Linguistics at UMass Boston is committed to cultivating diversity in scholarship and scholar identity and to providing intellectual, social, emotional, and financial support to students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. As such, we strongly encourage students with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, including first generation students, international students, students of color, and linguistically diverse students to apply.

The deadline to submit all materials is January 1 for fall admission. Applicants are responsible for confirming with Graduate Admissions that their application is complete (including all documents and transcripts) well before January 1. Applicants to the PhD Program in Applied Linguistics should submit the following admissions materials:

• UMass Boston Graduate Application
• Official transcript from each college and university attended (including evidence of a master’s degree in applied linguistics or related field, with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0)
• A current Curriculum Vitae
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should come from individuals who can assess the applicant’s academic preparation for advanced graduate work
• One well-written sample of academic work (e.g. MA thesis, course paper, research project, published article, etc.)
• Statement of purpose [1500 words maximum] that addresses the following questions:
• How do your research interests map onto the areas of inquiry supported by the PhD Program in Applied Linguistics (bilingual/multilingual education, multilingual language policy, critical applied linguistics, social resources and social contexts in language learning, and sociocultural theory)?
• What practical or real-world changes do you hope to see as a result of your research, scholarship, and/or activism?
• What professional, personal, and academic experiences have especially equipped you to bring a critical perspective to your research, scholarship, and/or activism? And, how do your experiences as a multilingual language learner, language teacher, or language user inform your goals? (For applicants who are not multilingual, please explain your plans for developing fluency in another language while completing the PhD program.)

For international students who have not completed at least two academic years of full-time study (excluding ESL or test-prep) at an approved English-speaking college, proof of English language proficiency is required.

Deadlines & Cost

Deadlines: January 1 for fall

Cost: For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s Office or send an email to [email protected] . Please refer to Graduate Student Financial Aid for more information on financial aid.

Application Fee Waivers: Fee waivers are automatic for all UMass Boston alumni, veterans, and McNair Scholars. Additionally, fee waivers for financial hardship are granted to applicants on a first-come-first-serve basis. To request a fee waiver, applicants should first complete their application (but not submit it), then send an email to the Program Director with the subject line: PhD Fee Waiver Request. State your reasons for requesting the fee waiver in your email and attach a letter from your academic advisor attesting to the financial need to waive the application fee. Applications must be complete in order to receive a fee waiver.

Support: Funding for doctoral students—including tuition, living stipend, and health insurance—is available for up to three years on a competitive basis. Applicants to the PhD program in Applied Linguistics are considered for Graduate Assistantships during the application review process in January.

Coursework is the primary way for students to develop their scholarly identity, knowledge, and research skills as they refine a dissertation topic for study. During the first two years of the PhD program, students are encouraged to explore a range of topics and get to know faculty before they choose an advisor for their dissertation project. In their third year, students move on to candidacy by passing associated benchmarks supported by their inquiry courses. The following courses are offered in the Applied Linguistics PhD Program:

Core Courses (9 Credits)

• APLING 700 - Issues in Applied Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 701 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 702 - Issues in Sociolinguistics 3 Credit(s)

Seminars (9 Credits)

• APLING 707 - Current Research on Language and Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 708 - Corpus Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 709 - Language Policy 3 Credit(s)

Colloquium (1 Credit)

• APLING 890 - Graduate Colloquium in Applied Linguistics 1 Credit(s)

Research Methods Courses (9 to 15 Credits)

Complete at least three courses from below.

• APLING 703 - Applied Linguistics Research Methods 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 704 - Advanced Discourse Analysis 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 705 - Advanced Ethnography 3 Credit(s)
• PPOL-G 604L - Statistical Methods in the analysis of Social Problems I 3 Credit(s)
• PPOL-G 605L - Statistical Methods in the Analysis of Social Problems II 3 Credit(s)

Electives (3 to 9 Credits)

Complete no more than three from below.

• APLING 601 - Linguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 603 - Language, Culture and Identity 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 605 - Theories and Principles of Language Teaching 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 611 - Methods and Materials in Foreign Language Instruction 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 612 - Integrating Culture into the Language Curriculum 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 614 - Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 615 - Dual Language Pedagogy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 618 - Teaching ESL: Methods and Approaches 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 621 - Psycholinguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 623 - Sociolinguistics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 627 - Phonetics and Phonemics 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 629 - The Structure of the English Language 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 633 - Discourse Analysis in ESL 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 635 - Literacy & Culture 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 637 - Ethnography of Education: Culture, Language, & Literacy 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 670 - Testing in the Bilingual/ESL Classroom 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 673 - Reading in the Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) Classroom 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 696 - Independent Study 1-6 Credit(s)
• APLING 697 - Special Topics in Applied Linguistics 1-6 Credit(s)

Inquiry Courses (6 Credits)

• APLING 891 - Qualifying Paper Seminar 3 Credit(s)
• APLING 892 - Dissertation Proposal Writing Seminar 3 Credit(s)

Dissertation Research Course (12 Credits)

• APLING 899 - Dissertation Research 1-12 Credit(s)

Graduation Criteria

Complete 55 credits from 16 courses including three core courses, three seminars, one colloquium, three to five research methods courses, one to three electives, two inquiry courses, and one dissertation research course.

Students with a master’s degree in a relevant field earned no more than seven years before matriculation may be eligible for advanced standing awarding them up to twelve credits toward the degree.

Doctoral candidacy:   Acceptance of a qualifying paper and dissertation proposal. Dissertation:   Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.

Statute of limitations:   Seven years.

Graduate Program Director Professor Avary Carhill-Poza [email protected]

Applied Linguistics Department

UMass Boston's Department of Applied Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts offers a diverse range of programs and research opportunities aimed at exploring theoretical linguistics, applied linguistics, and interdisciplinary areas of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

Explore the Applied Linguistics PhD Program

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College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

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• How To Apply

How to Apply

Available programs in the english department.

PhD in Applied Linguistics and Technology PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication MFA in Creative Writing and Environment MA in English (two specializations) MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics (seven specializations)

Information about applying to the following programs is available using the following links because the application process and requirements are different from those for applying to the above six programs :

• Applicants to the Concurrent BS in Technical Communication and MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Communication follow application instructions at Concurrent BS in TComm/MA in RCPC .
• Applicants to the Concurrent BA in Linguistics and MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics follow application instructions at Concurrent BA in Ling/MA in TESL/AL.
• Applicants to the Certificate in TESL/TEFL follow application instructions at Certificate in TESL/TEFL .

January 5 is the deadline to apply for entry fall term in all six graduate degree programs above, and the same deadline applies for all types of financial support (graduate teaching assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships) from the English department; completed applications may be evaluated beginning October 15 in those programs participating in early review of applications. Early applications are encouraged.

The following deadlines apply if not requesting support from the English department in the form of graduate assistantships, scholarship, and fellowships:

April 1 to begin fall term in any of the degree programs (application review begins after January 5) October 15 to begin spring term in any of the three Master of Arts programs above (application review begins after October 15)

If you have questions about any of the information regarding applying to our programs, please send an email to [email protected].

Graduate Program Office Department of English Iowa State University 227 Ross Hall Ames, IA 50011-1054

Type of applicant

U.S. graduate OR international graduate applicant Click on the above link for graduate application information and instructions.

Current ISU graduate students or those who have received a graduate degree at ISU Email [email protected] for special instructions. Do not complete the ISU Admissions application form or pay the application fee again.

Nondegree graduate student at ISU If you are interested in taking a graduate course in the English department or in any program at ISU and you do not want to apply to a graduate major, you must be admitted as a nondegree seeking graduate student. Click here for nondegree application information and to download printable PDF application forms.

How to apply as a degree seeking applicant

All application documents must be uploaded into the ISU application system no later than the appropriate deadline above to ensure maximum consideration for admission and for available support if applicable. Early applications are encouraged.

• Applications are evaluated (beginning October 15) for fall entry in programs participating in the early evaluation of applications. If you submit a complete application earlier than the January 5 deadline for fall entry, you may receive notice of an admission decision earlier. Only complete applications will be evaluated after this date.
• Allows email notifications of references to be sent prior to the deadline to ensure that recommendations are received by the deadline.
• The application system also sends email notifications regarding required components you may still need to provide.
• The deadline represents the endpoint in the application process (i.e., the completion of the application file) rather than the beginning. All materials should be submitted by the deadline.
• In addition to the preferred and required minimum criteria provided below, applicants are evaluated on factors such as performance on writing samples, quality of the statement of purpose and personal goals, letters of recommendation, and program match. Each of these influences the applicant’s admission status.
• Conditional admission is not available and not offered to nonnative speakers of English who do not meet the department’s stated TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo required minimum score at time of application (see English Proficiency Examination below).

Application requirements (all degree programs)

The following materials are required for all graduate degree applicants regardless of program. Additional program requirements are listed in the next section. Application documents must be uploaded selecting the appropriate label in order for review committees to easily identify different types of documents in the online system.

• ISU online graduate application The online application form is not actually submitted (and links sent to references) until you click “Save and Submit” and pay the application fee (if required at the time of application submission).

Preferred overall minimum undergraduate GPA for English department graduate programs: MA and MFA: 3.25 PhD: 3.50

• Nonnative speakers of English must submit English proficiency examination scores (if applicable) Nonnative speakers must meet the English Department’s minimum TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo score requirement in order to be considered for admission and teaching assistantship support. Test scores are not required if the applicant has earned (or will earn prior to entry term requested) a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a country where English is the only official language (refer to the Office of Admissions downloadable instructions available above). Official test scores are required from applicants in order for an application to be considered. Scores must be reported directly to ISU by the testing agency in order to be considered official. If official scores cannot be sent by the agency at the time of application due to expiration, the exam must be retaken. Please record scores (leave blank if not available yet) and upload a copy of scores into your application account. Iowa State University Inst Code: 6306

Required minimum scores: All programs: 95 IBT* (100 preferred); 587 PBT (600 preferred); 7.0 IELTS; 68 PTE; 115 Duolingo (only approved through Spring 2025 entry term admission cycle)

*Applicants scoring below the above minimum requirements may need to take English support courses. **Minimum score of 25 IBT Writing or 7.0 IELTS Writing required for teaching assistantship consideration.

• Please send your file electronically as an email attachment to englgrad@iastate .edu (you cannot upload this type of file to your ISU application account because this format is not supported by that system).
• Provide a document that can be uploaded to your application account that provides a link to an audio or video of your spoken English (i.e., YouTube).
• Three letters of recommendation References are to be submitted electronically using the electronic letter of recommendation option in the online application system. These letters should be from persons qualified to comment on your preparation for graduate study in the major to which you are applying. If applying for a teaching assistantship, at least one of your references should comment on your teaching experience and abilities or on your potential to teach. If a recommender does not wish to submit an online LOR, you must download a Letter of Recommendation form , complete the appropriate sections at the top, and send the form to your recommender. You must include our email address ( [email protected] ) or postal address (Department of English, Graduate Studies Program, 227 Ross Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-1201 USA) for the recommender to submit their recommendation directly to the program. The use of dossier services, such as Interfolio, is also acceptable for transmitting letters to the program by having them sent directly to [email protected] because the service cannot submit them directly to your application account.
• Application for Teaching Assistantship in the Department of English In Iowa State’s Department of English, graduate students who receive teaching assistantships will normally receive training and begin teaching for one of the following programs:
• English 150 and English 250: In this two-course sequence, undergraduate students practice analyzing, composing, and reflecting on written, oral, visual, and electronic (WOVE) discourse within academic, civic, and cultural contexts.
• Speech Communication 212: In this course, undergraduate students study oral communication and learn to compose, deliver, and analyze public speeches in academic, civic, and professional contexts.

To be considered for a teaching assistantship, please provide a statement explaining your relevant experience and/or interest in teaching courses in these programs. Statements should be 500 words or less. The statement should be provided as a stand-alone document and must be uploaded with the other application materials as a supplemental document.

Program-specific application requirements

_______________, ma in english: additional requirements information.

• Statement of purpose and personal goals Statement of purpose of up to 500 words included in the online application form that explains your preparation for graduate study, career goals and research interests, and specifically why you want to study at Iowa State. We are particularly interested in knowing how your abilities, experiences, awards, and achievements relate to and demonstrate your ability to pursue graduate work in the major.
• Curriculum vitae Include educational background, awards, accomplishments, and teaching/tutoring experience, if applicable.
• Writing sample(s) Expository writing sample (5–20 double-spaced pages) demonstrating critical analysis and research skills in the intended major. Applicants typically submit an essay they produced for an undergraduate or graduate course in English or a related field.

MA in RCPC: Additional Requirements Information

• Statement of purpose and personal goals 1–3 double-spaced pages uploaded as a separate document (leave the actual admission application form blank where it requests a 500-word statement of purpose). Please state preparation for graduate study, including reasons and objectives for study in the major.
• Writing sample(s) Expository writing sample (5-20 double-spaced pages) demonstrating critical analysis and research skills in the intended major. Applicants typically submit an essay they produced for an undergraduate or graduate course in English or a related field.

MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics: Additional Requirements Information

• Statement of purpose and personal goals 1–3 double-spaced pages (leave the actual admission application form blank on Page 4 where it requests a 500-word statement of purpose). Please state preparation for graduate study, including reasons and objectives for study in the major.

MFA in CWE: Additional Requirements Information

Portfolio requirements . a portfolio should be uploaded as a single pdf containing the following items in the specified order (see below for additional instructions concerning content and length):.

• Statement of Purpose
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Creative Writing Sample
• Expository Writing Sample
• Statement of Purpose In 750–1000 words, discuss how the MFA program in Creative Writing and Environment would further your academic, artistic, and professional goals (leave the actual admission application form blank where it requests a 500-word statement of purpose). Consider addressing some of the following in your Statement of Purpose:
• Fieldwork experiences in natural or urban landscapes that have influenced your practice and/or aesthetic as a writer;
• Writers or currents of environmental thought that have influenced your work. Issues of place, landscape, the natural world, or environment with which your work engages;
• Organizations you’ve worked with or activities you’ve completed that are related to ecological or environmental issues;
• Creative projects with an environmental dimension that you have started or anticipate writing while in the program.
• CV/Resume Be sure to include education (academic degrees, programs of study, educational institutions), work history (including teaching and editing experience, if applicable), and publications, productions, exhibits, honors, and awards for your creative work.
• Creative Writing Sample Include a sample—of no more than 25 pages of prose (double-spaced), 15 pages of poetry (may be single-spaced), or 25 pages of a script for stage or screen (in professional manuscript format)—that demonstrates exemplary ability in one genre. Samples should be in a standard 12-point serif font, such as Times New Roman. We ask that you declare a primary genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama) at the time of application. Once admitted, students are allowed—and encouraged—to work in multiple genres.
• Expository Prose Writing Sample Include a sample of no more than 10 pages (double-spaced, standard 12-point serif font). Your expository writing sample allows you to demonstrate your command of scholarly research and critical writing skills, as well as accepted grammatical rules for written English. Applicants usually submit a scholarly research essay written for an undergraduate or graduate course in literature, rhetoric, advanced composition, or other humanities field of study.

PHD in ALT: Additional Requirements Information

• Statement of purpose and personal goals 1–3 double-spaced pages (leave the actual admission application form blank where it requests a 500-word statement of purpose). Please state preparation for graduate study, including reasons and objectives for study in the doctoral program.
• Writing sample(s) Writing sample(s) (35 pages maximum) demonstrating critical analysis and research skills with cover sheet contextualizing the document. Applicants may include two documents totaling a maximum of 35 pages, but at least one document must demonstrate critical analysis and research skills.
• GRE General Test official scores Preferred minimum GRE General Test scores: 158 Verbal AND 5.0 Analytical Writing AND 147 Quantitative. Official scores are required from all PhD in ALT applicants regardless of prior education or vocational experience. They must be reported directly to ISU by the testing agency in order to be considered official. If official scores cannot be sent at the time of application (i.e., more than five years have elapsed since the test date), the exam must be retaken. Please record scores in the online application form (leave blank if not available yet) and upload a copy of scores into your application account. Register to take the exam or request score reports at www.ets.org,  Iowa State University Inst Code: 6306.

PhD in RPC: Additional Requirements Information

*********************************************************************

Hogrefe Fellowship in Creative Writing Application Applicants for the Hogrefe Fellowship in Creative Writing might need to upload additional documents into their application account.

• Applicants to the CWE MFA program: No additional documents are required except for uploading the Hogrefe Fellowship Application Form if applying for this fellowship.
• Hogrefe Fellowship Application Form .
• A creative writing sample of no more than 25 pages of prose (double-spaced) or 15 pages of poetry (may use 1.15 spacing) demonstrating exemplary ability in one genre.
• Hogrefe Fellowship Application Form
• ISU online graduate application and fee payment
• Scanned official transcripts and degree statements
• Three letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae/resume
• Statement of purpose & personal goals (2–3 double-spaced pages maximum)
• Two writing samples are required: 1] creative writing sample of no more than 25 pages of prose (double-spaced) or 15 pages of poetry (may use 1.15 spacing) demonstrating exemplary ability in one genre and 2] expository prose writing sample (5–10 pages double-spaced) displaying your command of scholarly research and accepted grammatical rules for written English. Applicants usually submit a scholarly research essay written for an undergraduate class or graduate course in English demonstrating critical and research skills.

Postgraduate Personal Statement Example: TESOL & Linguistics

Studying examples of personal statements can be an extremely valuable strategy when you’re applying to a university or college course. 

That’s because personal statement examples can teach you how to write and structure your application, and you can quickly learn how to write a personal statement by examining others.

But with so many university personal statement examples available, how do you know if you’re reading a good one?

Postgraduate personal statements should highlight relevant academic and practical experience, research skills and ambitions and their suitability for the course. This postgraduate personal statement example for TESOL & Linguistics considers these three critical elements.

Studying master’s degree personal statement examples can be especially valuable. They’re sometimes referred to as personal mission statements or statements of purpose , so if you’re tasked with writing a personal mission statement, the following example will work for you.

I’ve broken down this personal statement example section by section, with a commentary on each element. 

That way, you’ll see its strengths and weaknesses and get some inspiration for your own personal statement .

Once you’ve read the personal statement example and analysis, you can download a pdf of the whole document to use as inspiration for your own!

Personal Statement Example: Introduction

““In me the tiger sniffs the rose.” Sassoon’s compelling line has always inspired me to enjoy both the “tiger” and “rose” in my own personal and professional life and offers me the motivation needed to become an outstanding English teacher. To achieve this goal, I intend to dedicate myself to exploring English teaching methods through courses such as Language Teaching Methodology and Teaching Young Learners. I am confident that by pursuing the TESOL and Applied Linguistics MA programme at Slater University, I will gain a rich understanding of critical ideas in English language teaching, adding value to my own life and those of my students.”

My Commentary and Analysis 

In this personal and engaging introduction, the writer has used a quotation to outline their motivation and show their ongoing engagement with their subject of choice.

They’ve also taken the opportunity to illustrate the logical progression of their academic and professional ambitions, linking their goals with the opportunities available on the course.

A relatively concise and direct introduction, it expresses the writer’s personality and genuine passion whilst creating a legitimate motivation for higher study on this particular course.

If you’re struggling with your personal statement introduction, check out my article on how to write perfect opening paragraphs here .

Personal Statement Example: Academic Background

“My graduate studies in Teaching English have laid a robust foundation for my further studies. Taking courses covering educational theories, dialectics, English language and literature and English teaching assessment, I’ve developed my understanding of the theoretical aspects of English teaching. Equally, my experience supporting learners through the use of modern educational technology has prepared me for the Technology-Enhanced Language Learning module. To explore teaching and learning strategies, I’ve enhanced my critical thinking and analytical skills through extensive reading and essay writing. Participating in several tutor-led research projects, one of which focused on the design of micro-writing teaching activities in high school English, I applied literature research methodologies, classroom observation techniques and interviews. I identified and analysed the challenges students and teachers face, and the research results were included in a 30,000-word academic paper.

Consequently, I am confident that my capacity for research and data analysis will fully support my study of English language teaching and effectively underpin my studies at Slater. Equally, my meticulous attitude and strict logical thinking are reflected in my outstanding academic results and active participation in regular extracurricular activities. As vice president of the student union, I took responsibility for event planning, organising a wide range of student activities and raising team cohesion by showing excellent organisational and communication skills.”

My Commentary and Analysis

This is a convincing section which outlines the writer’s educational background fully. It covers academic and practical elements and explains clearly how the writer has gained a range of relevant skills and experiences which have prepared them well for study at a higher level.

The writer then outlines the ways in which this level of preparation will add value to their studies and, in doing so, makes clear and effective links with regard to their suitability. 

Making this connection in a master’s personal statement is critical, as it reassures an admissions reader that the applicant is committed to further study and that they have the transferable skills to succeed.

The final section outlines further transferable skills that may well be of value on a postgraduate course and certainly in an educational role. It would be even more valuable if this was linked directly to a specific aspect of the course being applied for.

If you’d like to learn more about structuring your personal statement or statement of purpose , you can read my complete guide to writing a master’s degree personal statement here . 

Alternatively, click on the image below to download a free template for structuring your writing.

Personal Statement Example: Practical Experience 1

“To deepen my theoretical understanding of English teaching methodology, I interned as an English teacher and class advisor at a technical school. By completing classroom observations, researching textbooks, preparing course materials and devising teaching syllabi according to the curriculum, I improved my knowledge of English, gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between English teaching and learning, and accumulated practical skills in English teaching. Applying my well-grounded knowledge of modern teaching theories and methods to conduct English teaching in various contexts, I was gratified to see my students progress confidently. I received sound feedback from students and a high appraisal from the instructor, increasing my confidence in working in the English teaching sector.

This valuable experience helped me realise that my current teaching methods need to be more expert if I am to help students move beyond the mechanical repetition of grammar rules and vocabulary. I am confident that by examining the theoretical and practical aspects of the English language and studying modules such as Practice of English Language Teaching and Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching, I will become the competent and inspirational teacher I desire to be.”

Commentary and Analysis

This critical section outlines the writer’s practical teaching experience. Given their ambitions and the course content, it’s essential material to include as it shows an admissions team that they have not only had this experience but are still positive about developing a career in this field.

That means they’re more likely to view the application more positively: they can see the applicant’s relevancy and potential and how the course will connect with their goals.

The writer also outlines the skills and experiences developed during this internship, which are also relevant to their goals and will be of value on the course. 

The reflection at the end of this section is crucial as it shows self-awareness regarding skills that need to be developed and also knowledge and understanding of the course content that will help them achieve this.

When the reader sees this kind of link made by a self-aware and motivated student, it’s easier for them to judge the candidate’s suitability and make an achievable offer.

Check out lots more examples of personal statements here , and see how they can inspire your application!

Personal Statement Example: Future Study Aims

“Aware of Slater’s competitive reputation for academic excellence, I have been developing my knowledge of linguistics, phonetics, semantics and pedagogy by reading relevant books and literature sources prior to starting the MA programme. During my postgraduate studies, I will treat every course seriously, endeavour to gain expert knowledge regarding the cognitive and social processes of language learning and lay a thorough grounding in current research, theories, principles and practices in English education. My goal is to learn how to design effective teaching plans and devise appropriate testing methods for English teaching and develop my capabilities in analysing, synthesising and evaluating research sources in TESOL and Applied Linguistics. I also intend to accumulate teaching experience by interning at various educational or training institutions. All of these experiences will combine to provide me with the advanced skills necessary to help students master knowledge as a result of my logical and dynamic teaching style.”

My Commentary and Analysis: 

This section begins with the use of relevant vocabulary, which further reassures the reader that the writer is immersed in their intended field of study.

It would have been more effective if the writer had identified some of the sources of their research, argued for or against the findings of others or related the value of this knowledge directly to the challenges they expect to face on the course.

There’s a summary of academic and professional goals included here, which connects clearly to the course outcomes.

However, the rest of this section is quite general and doesn’t really add any new or tangible information. It sounds good, but it’s quite empty content. Essentially, the writer is promising to be a good student, and although that’s reassuring, it doesn’t really offer any depth or detail.

The one thing that all successful personal statements have in common is that they are concise, engaging and accurate in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Consequently, I always recommend Grammarly to my students and clients. 

It’s an outstanding tool for ensuring your personal statement is rich with detail whilst hitting those all-important word limits. Check out the latest version of Grammarly here , or hit the banner for more information.

Personal Statement Example: Conclusion

“I have selected the TESOL and Applied Linguistics MA programme at Slater University to engage in debate with the programme’s erudite professors, access the rich alum resources and contribute to the worldwide prestige of a faculty which will be of great help to my intellectual growth and career development. I am confident that my previous experiences, my engaging and communicative nature and my capacity for detailed research and application will be of reciprocal value to the Slater community. An optimistic, positive, and sociable individual with the patience to teach and a strong desire to continually expand my knowledge and understanding, I’m convinced that, whatever the challenges, this course represents the next step on my personal and professional journey. I look forward to adding to the diversity of spirit, culture and opportunity that exemplifies Slater’s ethos.”

In some ways, this conclusion covers all the critical points. It outlines the applicant’s motivation for study, considers their value to the institution and indicates an awareness of the ethos and culture of the learning experience on offer.

Whilst these are all necessary elements to include in a concluding paragraph, they don’t contain very much detail.

When writing about the university, there’s no mention of particular faculty members the writer would like to work with or tangible physical resources such as libraries, labs or on-campus organisations. There’s no real sense of types of research opportunities or how this particular college is more important than any other.

As a result, it feels like this conclusion could have been written without having read any of the relevant literature.

You must ensure you include detail in your personal statement conclusion and that it is specific and compelling. 

There’s some mention of the value they might add, but no consideration of context. How will their previous experiences and communication skills be of value to the community? They don’t actually say.

The reader is consequently left with the impression that this candidate knows a lot about their field but little about the university they are applying to.

This could easily jeopardise their application, despite much of this personal statement being of a high standard.

For more great advice, check out my article on writing an excellent final personal statement paragraph here .

Click here or on the banner below to get your free download of this complete personal statement example . 

Whether you’re looking for personal mission statement examples or an example of personal purpose statement, I hope this personal statement example has been helpful. Above all, I wish you every success in your academic career. 

If you’d like to work with me to develop your personal statement 1:1 and write a powerful mission statement, I’d be delighted to hear from you. 

Find out about my personal statement support services by clicking here or on the image below.

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet .

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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Linguistics Personal Statements and Statements of Purpose for Graduate School, Writing and Editing Service, Samples, Help

MSc Linguistics Canada, French, Spanish, Italian

MSc Linguistics Personal Statement of Purpose Saudi Arabian

Sample 1st 2 Paragraphs for the PHD in Linguistics, Saudi Arabian

A young woman from Saudi Arabia, English has been my special love ever since I was a child and I am most pleased to have had the opportunity to live in the USA since 2010 and to earn my Masters Degree in TESOL. Now, in addition to preparing myself for a long career teaching English and teachers of English, I hope to contribute to my profession as a linguist and to publish in this area, with special attention to the challenges faced by Arabic speakers at learning English.

I hope to develop a better understanding of the effect of cross-linguistics interface on language acquisition: especially with respect to semantic structure and syntactic variation. I am also very much interested in the correlation between language acquisition and identity. I look forward to serving as a professor in a university in a Linguistics or English Department. I want to be an active scholar in the area of linguistics, English, and second language acquisition, publishing articles and books that will contribute to overcoming obstacles faced by learners in a language acquisition process. 

Statement of Purpose Examples

Successful statements of purpose to help you write your own, words and their origins.

To the Selection Committee:

For as long as I can remember, the origins of words have fascinated me.  Dictionaries have their own special bookshelf in our house.  When running across an unknown word, it was never enough to simply look it up.  First, anyone else in the room would be polled, a hypothesis would be put forward, and then every available dictionary would be checked and the definitions compared.  I was always fascinated by the small, seemingly negligible discrepancies.

In school my interests began gravitating towards Language Arts at a young age.  It only seemed natural that I would enroll in Advanced Placement English courses in high school, where I excelled all four years and won several awards (see CV).  Once I entered college I began to experiment and took classes in a variety of fields, but being unable to find anything that piqued my interest nearly as much as language I double majored in English and Spanish.  Unable to resist the temptation I also took several German classes and sat in on a Latin class, although it did not fit into my class schedule.

In order to complete my degree I chose to write my Spanish thesis on Hemingway’s misuse of the Spanish language in his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls .  The research for such a project was extensive and challenging, but also captivating.  I was so engaged by the subject that by the end of the semester I had read much more than I needed to about Spanish colloquial language and the cultural fears and taboos that the current, often vulgar, slang stems from.

In the realm of linguistics I have developed a particular interest in the origin and histories of languages.  I was first introduced to Indo-European linguistics in the Senior Seminar for Modern Languages at [redacted] University.  These ancient roots that have managed to hold their meaning despite almost vanishing into modern words immediately enthralled me.  I once spent an entire day sitting on the floor of the school’s library poring over etymological dictionaries that I was not allowed to check out.

I have always felt that study at the graduate level was an end in and of itself, and that learning, simply for the sake of learning, is a worthwhile pursuit.  Having said that, I firmly believe that the study of historical and comparative linguistics has never been more important.  Everyday languages disappear and die out, taking with them a unique way of viewing the world.  With this degree I hope to be well equipped to do research and fieldwork with endangered languages, and eventually go on to do doctoral work, whether at [redacted] or back in the United States.

I am highly aware of the superb reputation of [redacted] University, and my research into your Comparative Indo-European Linguistics course of study has only served to deepen my interest in attending.  I know that in addition to your excellent faculty, your program offers one of the widest ranges of languages anywhere.  I hope you will give me the privilege of continuing my studies with you.

This university required a “letter of intent,” hence the slightly varied format.

{Need more help with your linguistics Statement of Purpose? Check out our ebook Hacking Your Statement of Purpose for a concise guide to writing and revising your Statement of Purpose.}