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Home > For Current Students > Student Handbook

Student Handbook
May 25, 2007


Table of Contents

The SLA Student Handbook describes the degree requirements, policies and guidelines of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition.  Students in the SLA Program are also subject to all of the requirements and policies of the UW-Madison Graduate School.

1. SLA Ph.D. Major Requirements

The following requirements for the SLA Ph.D. Major apply to those students who matriculate during or after Fall 2007. Students enrolled in the Program prior to Fall 2007 may choose to fulfill the requirements for the major according to these, or the previous, requirements.

The requirements for the Doctoral Major in Second Language Acquisition consist of coursework for the major and minor, language requirements, preliminary examinations (comprising the seated portion of the preliminary exams and the special topics paper), and the dissertation (comprising the dissertation proposal, the dissertation, and the dissertation defense).

Students must consult with their advisor before registering for courses. Study plans must be approved with the student’s advisor.  At each discussion about registering for courses, students should bring their current study plan.    

1.1 Coursework

Because the doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition is interdisciplinary, courses are taken from different departments to meet requirements for the degree. Students are required to take 36 credits, typically the equivalent of twelve 3-credit courses.

 

Doctoral Major

Introductory Courses

2 courses

Research Design and Methodology

2 courses

SLA Specialization (Strand)

3 courses

 

Elective

1 course

 

Doctoral Minor

Doctorial Minor (Option A or Option B)

4 courses

1.1.1 Introductory Courses

Students must take the following two courses:

  • English 333 Second Language Acquisition
  • English 711 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

1.1.2 Research Design and Methodology

Students must take two courses, one in Quantitative Methods and one in Qualitative Methods:

Quantitative Methods:  Educational Psychology 761 Statistical Methods Applied to Education II is required.

We recommend that students take Ed Psych 760, Statistical Methods Applied to Education I, as preparation for Ed Psych 761. If Ed Psych 760 is taken, it may be used as the Elective.

Qualitative Methods:  Choose one of the following courses.  (Additional courses may be approved by the student’s advisor and the SLA Executive Committee.)

Curriculum and Instruction (C&I)

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714 Research and Evaluation Paradigms in Curriculum and Instruction
715 Design of Research in Curriculum and Instruction
717 Introduction to Qualitative Research
916 Special topics in Research & Evaluation in Curriculum and Instruction (with appropriate topic)
917 Seminar: Design of Research & Evaluation - Curriculum and Instruction (with appropriate topic)
975 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)
976 Discourse Analysis in Education (Qualitative Analysis Course)

English

703 Research Methods in Composition Studies

1.1.3. SLA Specialization (Strand)

The following lists classify courses by the three strands of the interdisciplinary SLA Ph.D.

A. Second Language Analysis and Use
B. Second Language Processes and Learning
C. Second Language Pedagogical Theory and Postsecondary Instruction

When a course's content is broad, the course may appear in more than one category. For courses in which the topic changes each time it is offered, the classification of that course depends on the specific topic.

A. Second Language Analysis and Use

Additional courses may be approved by the student’s advisor and the SLA Executive Committee.

African Languages and Literature

501 Structure and Analysis of African Languages

Anthropology

430 Language and Culture (Cross-listed with Linguistics, S Asian 430)
545 Psychological Anthropology

Communication Arts

560 Communication Theory
572 Interpersonal Communication

Curriculum and Instruction (C&I)

975 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)

East Asian Languages and Literature

431 Introduction to Chinese Linguistics
434 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
741 Studies in Chinese Syntax and Morphology
775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration

As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisor.

Educational Policy

755 Methods of Qualitative Research (cross-listed with Rural Soc, Soc)

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324 Structure of English
325 English Grammar in Use
329 Introduction to the Syntax of English
330 English Phonology
331 English Language Variation in the United States
332 Global Spread of English
336 English in Society
708 Advanced English Syntax
709 Advanced English Phonology
710 Discourse Analysis
713 Seminar: Topics in Contemporary English Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
715 Advanced Second Language Acquisition
905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
906 Seminar: The English Language

French and Italian

340 Structures of Italian
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
350 Applied French Language Studies (with appropriate topic)

German

662 Applied German Philology
727 Topics in German Applied Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
751 Contrastive Grammar of English and German
758 Topics in Contemporary German (with appropriate topic)
769 Introduction to Comparative Germanic Morphology
960 Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
970 Advanced Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Journalism

620 International Communication
621 Mass Media in Developing Countries

Linguistics

510 Phonological Theories
522 Advanced Morphology
530 Syntactic Theories
540 Advanced Semantics
561 Introduction to Experimental Phonetics

Philosophy

516 Language and Meaning
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
526 Philosophy and Literature

Portuguese

333 Structure of the Portuguese Language
340 Portuguese Phonology
429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
815 Seminar: Portuguese Language (with appropriate topic)

Psychology

406 Psychology of Perception
414 Cognitive Psychology
421 Psychology of Language
550 Animal Communication and the Origins of Language
720 Speech Perception and Reading
733 Perceptual and Cognitive Sciences (with appropriate topic)

Sociology

535 Language and Social Interaction
544 Introduction to Survey Research
545 Ethnomethodology
960 Current Methodological Issues in Social Psychology: Conversation Analysis (topics course; number may change)
965 Recent Developments in Social Psychology: Ethnomethodology (topics course; number may change)

Spanish

429 Introduction to the Romance Languages
543 Spanish Phonology
544 Applied Spanish Linguistics for Teachers
547 Structure of the Spanish Language I
548 Structure of the Spanish Language II
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

B. Second Language Processes and Learning

Additional courses may be approved by the student’s advisor and the SLA Executive Committee.

Communication Arts

402 Psychology of Communication

Curriculum and Instruction (C&I)

630 Workshop in School Program Development (with appropriate topic)
673 Learning Second Language and Literacies
675 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)
975 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)

East Asian Languages and Literature

775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration

As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisors (with appropriate topic)

Educational Policy

755 Methods of Qualitative Research (cross-listed with Rural Sociology, Sociology)

English

325 Structure of English
332 Global Spread of English
700 Introduction to Composition Studies
701 Writing and Learning
702 Perspectives on Literacy
704 Intellectual Sources of Contemporary Composition Theory
713 Seminar: Topics in Contemporary English Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
715 Advanced Studies in Second Language Acquisition
900 Seminar: Topics in Composition Study (with appropriate topic)
905 Seminar: Topics in Applied English Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

German

727 Topics in German Applied Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
960 Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
970 Advanced Seminar in German Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

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512 Methods of Logic
516 Language and Meaning
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
526 Philosophy and Literature

Portuguese

815 Seminar: Portuguese Language (with appropriate topic)

Psychology

406 Psychology of Perception
414 Cognitive Psychology
421 Psychology of Language
550 Animal Communication and the Origins of Language
715 Language and Cognitive Development
720 Speech Perception and Reading
733 Perceptual and Cognitive Sciences (with appropriate topic)

Spanish

544 Applied Spanish Linguistics for Teachers
630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

C. Second Language Pedagogical Theory and Postsecondary Instruction

Additional courses may be approved by the student’s advisor and the SLA Executive Committee.

African Languages and Literature

575 Methods of Teaching African Languages - Theory and Practice

Curriculum and Instruction (C&I)

630 Workshop in School Program Development (with appropriate topic)
673 Learning Second Language and Literacies
675 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)
975 General Seminar (with appropriate topic)

East Asian Languages and Literature

775 Studies in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
932 Seminar in Chinese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
933 Seminar in Japanese Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

Educational Administration

As advised by faculty in this department and SLA advisors (with appropriate topic)

English

334 Introduction to TESOL Methods
335 Techniques and Materials for TESOL

French and Italian

350 Applied French Language Studies (with appropriate topic)
821 Issues in Methods of Teaching French and Italian

German

721 Practicum in the Coordination of Undergraduate Language Instruction
722 Theory of Teaching German
727 Topics in German Applied Linguistics (with appropriate topic)

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517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language (with appropriate topic)
545 Philosophical Conceptions of Teaching and Learning

Spanish

630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (with appropriate topic)
815 Seminar in Language: Modern Spanish
830 Seminar: The Spanish Grammatical Tradition (with appropriate topic)

1.1.4 Elective

The Elective should be an SLA or Research Methods course from the lists above.

1.1.5 Doctoral Minor (Option A or Option B)

Students must take four courses taught in the area of concentration for the minor. The courses must be on topics useful to your academic goals, and may or may not be in a language of concentration. Examples of minors for SLA Ph.D. majors include a Foreign Language, Literature, Culture, and/or Linguistics; Nonnative Varieties of English; Bilingualism/Multi-Cultural Education; and Language Contact.

If the student’s minor is a language, it is highly recommended that the student enroll in one language course each semester; any deviation in this schedule must be approved by the student’s advisor.

There are two kinds of minors: Option A and Option B. Option A requires four courses in a single department/major field of study. Option B requires four courses in one or more departments and approval from the SLA Executive Committee. As with major courses, plans for the minor must be approved with the student’s advisor.

More information on minors for Ph.D. students

1.2 Language Requirement

The language requirement for the SLA PhD Major contains two parts: oral proficiency and reading proficiency, which must be in different languages and not include English. Students may not be recommended for dissertator status until they have fulfilled both parts of the language requirement.

Oral proficiency

If the student's minor is a language, Superior oral proficiency (according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines or equivalent, if no ACTFL OPI exists) in that language is required.  If the student is a native speaker of the language of the minor, with formal education in that language, that language can be used to fulfill the requirement without testing.

If the student is not minoring in a language, the student may choose to fulfill the oral proficiency language requirement by either demonstrating Superior oral proficiency in *one* language, or Intermediate High level proficiency in *two* languages. If the student is a native speaker of a language other than English, with formal education in that language, that language may be used to fulfill the requirement without testing.

Reading proficiency

Students must demonstrate adequate reading comprehension of another language (one not used for the oral proficiency requirement). Reading proficiency is evaluated by a reading or translation test in the language, at the discretion of the Department in which that language is taught.

Courses in languages for reading knowledge are available in the foreign language departments as well as the Division of Continuing Studies. Check the timetable for more details.

1.3 Preliminary Exams

 

Preliminary Examinations Reading List

1.3.1 Exam Structure

The preliminary exams consist of four seated exams and a Special Topics Exam Paper.

A. Seated Portion of Preliminary Exams

Students take the seated portion of the preliminary examinations over the course of four days. Students will receive the questions for the Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodology portions of the exam the day before the exams (at the end of the Day 1 and Day 3 sessions):

Day 1: Overview of SLA and General Theory, Part 1: General
Day 2: Quantitative Research Methodology
Day 3: Overview of SLA and General theory, Part 2: Strand
Day 4: Qualitative Research Methodology

The seated portions of the preliminary examinations are written on a computer. Students may use their own computer to write their answers, if they wish. Students may not consult any local, online or other documents, files or resources, with the exception of a dictionary.

Overview of SLA and General Theory, Part 1: General

Objectives: Students should demonstrate strong, overall understanding of the scope of the discipline of SLA; the theories on which research in the field is based; the type of questions that researchers in SLA address; and the variety of techniques used to answer these questions.

Format: The Overview Exam consists of a general question for all students.  Students answer one of two questions. The exam is written on a computer.

Time:  3 hours

Quantitative Research Methodology

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Objectives: Students should demonstrate a basic understanding of quantitative research methods. They should be able to distinguish the purposes of the paradigm and situations for its use. They should be able to describe in detail a variety of types of studies that serve as positive examples of quantitative research and explain their strengths and weaknesses. They should also be able to critique an example of quantitative research and point out its strengths and shortcomings, relative to the research question/s .

Format: Students will be given an article from one of the journals on the reading list the day before the exam.  The exam will consist of a question asking the student to critique its method section.  Students will be asked to identify the most important points in the research questions, methodology, argument, and analysis and discuss their strengths and/or weaknesses.  Students may not consult each other, or with any other resources or reference materials.

Time: 3 hours

Overview of SLA and General Theory, Part 2: Strand

Objectives: Students should demonstrate more in-depth understanding of the theories and research findings related to questions of specific concern to them, in line with the strand they have selected and the language or minor area.

Format: Students answer one of two questions.  The exam is written on a computer.

Time: 3 hours

Qualitative Research Methodology

Objectives: Students should demonstrate a basic understanding of qualitative research methods. They should be able to distinguish the purposes of various qualitative approaches and situations for their use. They should be able to describe in detail a variety of types of studies that serve as positive examples of qualitative research and explain their strengths and weaknesses. They should also be able to critique an example of qualitative research and point out its strengths and shortcomings, relative to the research objectives.

Format:  Students will be given an article from one of the journals on the reading list the day before the exam.  The exam will consist of a question asking the student to critique its methods.  Students will be asked to identify the most important points in the methodology, argument, and analysis and discuss their strengths and/or weaknesses.  Students may not consult each other, or with any other resources or reference materials.

Time: 3 hours

B. Special Topics Exam Paper

Objectives: Students should demonstrate that they are prepared to undertake a dissertation in the area of the examination. They should thus demonstrate their understanding of the importance of the selected topic in SLA, the theories to which it relates, and previous research in this area and its strengths and weaknesses. They should speculate on researchable questions in this area.

Format: The Special Topics Exam consists of a proposal and a paper.  The student selects a three-member committee, consisting of at least two SLA primary faculty members (one of whom serves as committee chair) and one faculty member who is a primary or affiliate SLA faculty member, or a faculty member outside of the SLA Program.  Then, the student prepares a proposal that is reviewed and approved by the committee, and writes a cohesive critical review of the literature pertaining to the special topic.  The Special Topics Paper will be evaluated by the same committee members who approved the proposal.

Proposal: The Special Topics proposal should consist of no more than 3 pages and should be accompanied by a reading list of 20-30 books and articles.  Students should work with their three-member committee on the proposal.  Once the proposal is approved, the student will write the paper without further assistance from the committee. The Special Topics proposal, once approved, should be signed by all members of the committee and given to the SLA Graduate Coordinator for the student’s file.

Paper:  The Special Topics paper should be 25-30 pages, not including back matter.  It should not exceed 30 pages. The paper must be submitted in APA style to include works cited.  The expectation is that the works cited will reflect the reading list for the proposal.  The Special Topics paper should be submitted in both electronic and printed formats to each member of the committee, 1-inch margins, 12-point font, double-spaced, not bound.

Time: The Special Topics exam may be completed either before or after the seated portion of the preliminary exams. Students taking the Special Topics exam need to agree on dates and deadlines with their three-member committee.  The proposal must be approved at least four weeks before the Special Topics paper is submitted.

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SLA Preliminary Examinations are graded by a Committee of SLA Faculty. Each individual portion of the exams is assessed as Pass or Fail. Students may be awarded the grade Pass with Distinction in those exceptional cases in which the work in all portions of the preliminary exams, including the Special Topics Paper, is exemplary.


If a student’s grade for any one of the seated exams in the preliminary examination is borderline, the student must take an oral exam in that area.  This exam will be scheduled as soon as possible after the seated exams, but may need to be scheduled as late as the start of the next semester so that the student and all graders can be present.  If the student fails the oral exam, he or she will fail that seated exam.


If the student does not pass the Special Topics Paper portion of the preliminary exams, he or she must resubmit the paper to the Committee no sooner than four weeks after the first exam paper was submitted.   

1.3.3 Registration and Deadlines

Students must take the seated portions of the preliminary examinations (Overview of SLA and General Theory Parts 1 and 2, Strand, and Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodology exams) within one year of completing the required coursework for the SLA degree. 

Students must pass ALL portions of the preliminary examinations (Overview of SLA and General Theory Parts 1 and 2, Strand, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodology, Special Topics Paper) within two years of completing the required course work for the degree.

The one- and two-year deadlines are tied to the specific dates of the prelims in any given administration of the exams, and thus might not exactly correspond to one calendar year.

Preliminary exams may be given at three times during the academic year:

  • toward the end of the spring semester
  • during the week before the first week of classes of the fall semester
  • during the week before the first week of classes of the spring semester.

Students taking the seated portion of the exams must register their intent in writing with the SLA Graduate Coordinator by the specified deadlines

If a student cancels his/her registered participation for a particular date, the expectation is that s/he will take the exams at the next available date, which cannot exceed the allotted time frame from the completion of required course work to completion of preliminary exams.

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1.4.1 Becoming a Dissertator

When a student has fulfilled all of the degree requirements for the SLA Doctoral Program (completed all required coursework; passed the preliminary examinations, including the Special Topics Paper; fulfilled the foreign language requirement, and had his or her minor courses approved by his/her advisor), the advisor will recommend the student to the SLA Executive Committee for admission to candidacy. The SLA Executive Committee will make its recommendation to the Graduate School on the basis of the student’s entire academic work. A student who fails the preliminary examination or is denied admission to candidacy is not making satisfactory academic progress and is placed on academic probation. The probation period begins in the semester following the semester in which the examination is taken.

Deadlines for dissertator eligibility generally fall on the first day of each semester. Students must request a preliminary warrant from the SLA Graduate Coordinator at least three weeks before the deadline.  In general, requests for warrants occur approximately one month before semester end, while degree deadlines are near the last day of classes. Check the Graduate School Degree and Dissertator Deadlines for exact dates for the academic year.

Dissertator must maintain continuous enrollment until completion of the doctoral degree. Dissertators should enroll each fall and spring semester for three graduate-level credits. See the Graduate School policy on continuous enrollment for dissertators. Note that fall and spring enrollment are required whether or not you are residing in Madison.

1.4.2 Dissertation Committee, Proposal and Proposal Defense

In the course of doctoral study, the student will identify a problem, area of interest, or research opportunity as a suitable topic for a dissertation. This topic should be discussed at length with the professor who may serve as director of the dissertation, and then organized into a dissertation proposal.

The dissertation director must be a primary SLA faculty member.  The Dissertation Committee must include five members. The director and at least one other primary SLA faculty member must as serve primary readers.  The remaining three members of the Committee may be affiliate SLA faculty, or faculty in other areas.   

By end of first semester of candidacy, the student must have come to an agreement, by mutual consent, with the SLA primary faculty member who will direct the dissertation. Henceforth the student will sign up for dissertation credits with this director until the dissertation is complete.

The dissertation proposal should contain a clear description of the scope of the proposed study, a concise presentation of the problem, a historical perspective on the problem, a review of relevant literature, and the proposed methodology, including a description of the population to be studied, instrumentation, analytical procedures, and a list of references. The written proposal must be formatted according to the guidelines published in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (current edition).  The student should work on the proposal first with the dissertation director.  The director will tell the student when it is time to send a draft of the proposal in progress to other committee members. At this point, the Dissertation Committee may contain only the three primary readers as members, but it is recommended to include the entire five-member committee at this time. The student should then provide both printed and electronic copies of the Dissertation Proposal to each member of the Dissertation Committee, who will work on drafts with the student until the proposal is ready to be defended. 

It is the student’s responsibility to establish a time and place for the Dissertation Committee to meet for the formal review and defense of the proposal.

The review and defense of the proposal usually ends with a series of recommendations made by members of the Dissertation Committee. Once the Committee has approved the final draft of the proposal, a dissertation proposal approval form must be signed and dated by committee members and be filed in the SLA Program Office, room 1322 Van Hise Hall. The Committee must approve subsequent revisions to the proposal in writing.  The Dissertation proposal must be approved no later than one calendar year after admission to candidacy.

1.4.3 Dissertation Defense

The oral dissertation defense is a final conference between the candidate and the Dissertation Committee, held when the dissertation is complete.  Dissertation defenses are not scheduled during the summer. The defense is open to the public.

The candidate must give each member of the committee a printed copy of the dissertation at least four weeks before any defense. For that copy, the written dissertation must be formatted according to the guidelines published in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (current edition).

The defense will review the aims, methods, and progress of the dissertation. If the Dissertation Committee is not satisfied, another defense may be scheduled.

After the defense, the dissertation director will indicate to the SLA Executive Committee that the defense has been held and will briefly state its findings. Usually, additional changes to the dissertation are required at the defense.  These changes are always reviewed by the dissertation director; they may be reviewed by other members of the Committee as well. 

1.4.4 Rules for Depositing Dissertation

The Graduate School has stringent guidelines for preparing and depositing dissertations. For more information, see: A Guide to Preparing your Doctoral Dissertation.  Students may also contact the Graduate School directly at: Degree Coordinator 217 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706 (608) 262-3011 gsacserv@bascom.wisc.edu.

2. SLA Program Policies and Guidelines

2.1 Graduate School Academic Guidelines

The Graduate School acts as the Dean’s office for graduate students.  It maintains a website, Information for Current Students, with comprehensive information about Graduate School policies and procedures.  Included on this website are the Graduate School Academic Guidelines

The following policies and guidelines are for the SLA Program. They are intended to supplement, not to replace, the policies and guidelines of the Graduate School.

2.2 Governance

The SLA Doctoral Program is governed by an Executive Committee consisting of primary SLA faculty and Co-Directed by primary SLA faculty elected by the Executive Committee to serve rotating terms.  A student representative is invited to meetings of the SLA Executive Committee, as appropriate.

2.3 Advising

The advisor is perhaps the most important individual in the student’s doctoral program.  Advisors must be primary SLA faculty members.   Students are required to meet with their advisor at least once each semester to review their progress, select courses, and to discuss any outstanding issues or questions.

Students are assigned an academic advisor when they begin the SLA Program.  The advisor is selected based on the student’s interests and the interests and availability of faculty.  As students progress through the program and formulate a research agenda, they may decide to change their advisor.

The dissertation advisor may or may not be the same faculty member as the student’s advisor before candidacy.  The choice of a dissertation advisor is a mutual decision between the student and the professor.

2.4 Transfer Credits

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The Graduate School requires that students take a minimum of 32 graduate credits (300 level or above, no audits or pass/fail) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Therefore, only 4 credits of transfer credit are allowed from outside UW-Madison. (This is usually 1 course.) The SLA program holds to this limit of one transfer course from inside UW-Madison as well.  It is expected that courses will be taken for the SLA doctoral program after enrollment in that program begins. Only one transfer course, from any institution, will be approved.  Students must discuss all requests for transfer credits with their advisor and make requests in writing to the SLA program's Executive Committee.

2.5 Request for Exceptions to Course Requirements

In addition to transferring one course into the SLA program, the student may request to waive additional courses if he/she has taken similar course work.  If a student wishes to waive a required course, he/she must submit first to the advisor, and then in writing to the SLA Executive Committee, a description of the course taken and a statement of which course is desired to be waived.  The student should append to that request relevant material documenting the course (e.g., transcript, reading list, syllabus, if available). When a required course is waived, elective courses must be substituted so that student still take a 36 credits of courses in the program (with the exception of one transfer course as described in Section 2.4, above).

2.6 Satisfactory Academic Progress

Continuation in the Graduate School at UW-Madison is at the discretion of the SLA Program, the Graduate School, and your advisor. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress are placed on academic probation.

Criteria for making satisfactory academic progress are:

  • GPA:  The Graduate School requires students to maintain a minimum of a 3.00 grade point average for graduate courses (numbered 300 and above, excluding research) to receive a degree.
  • Ph.D. Major and Minor coursework:  Students typically complete all of the major and minor coursework requirements within two years of enrolling in the Program.  Students are required to complete all coursework before taking the preliminary examinations.
  • Preliminary Examinations: Students must take the seated portion of the preliminary examination within one year of completing the required coursework for the Ph.D. Major and Minor. Students must pass all portions of the preliminary examinations, including the Special Topics Paper, within two years of completing the required coursework.
  • Foreign Language Requirement:  Students must meet the oral and reading language requirements before being granted dissertator status.
  • Dissertation Director and Proposal:  Students must come to an agreement with the SLA primary faculty member who will serve as the dissertation director no later than one semester after achieving dissertator status. The dissertation proposal must be approved no later than one calendar year after achieving dissertator status.
  • Dissertation Defense: Graduate School regulations require Ph.D. candidates to defend their dissertation “five years from the date of passing their preliminary examinations."

2.7 Incompletes

The Graduate School requires that incompletes be resolved by the end of the next fall or spring term in which you are enrolled.  The SLA Program requires that all incompletes be resolved before students may take any portion of the preliminary examination. 

2.8 Leaves of Absence

Students at the pre-dissertator stage who wish to take a leave of absence must apply to the SLA Executive Committee for a leave of absence from the program. Approval of that leave is necessary for the student to continue to make satisfactory academic progress.  Approval is also necessary to defer guaranteed support.  In certain types of guaranteed support, the program may not be able to defer, and thereby maintain, the guarantee of support if a leave of absence is taken. It is to the student’s advantage to request a leave of absence as soon as possible, especially when funding is at issue.  Students at the pre-dissertation stage who take a leave of absence must apply for reentry to the Graduate School within one year of the semester in which they wish to return.

Dissertators may not take a leave of absence.  They must remain enrolled until graduation. See the Graduate School policy on continuous enrollment for dissertators.

2.9 Auditing Courses

Students may not audit a course that is used to fulfill a degree requirement.  In addition, courses that "by their nature require participation (seminars, research, laboratory, or performance courses)” are not appropriate for auditing. Audits do not count toward the minimum/maximum credit load but students need to complete a form if they will go over the total 12 credits with the audited course. Dissertators who audit a course beyond the 3-credit (dissertation) requirement will be removed from dissertator fee status and assessed regular graduate student fees.

2.10 Grievances and Appeals

Students should first approach the person(s) concerned, if possible, then the advisor, then the SLA Co-Directors, then the SLA Executive Committee, and then, only if the problem is not resolved, the Graduate School.

2.11 Academic Honesty

The SLA Program holds its students to high standards of academic integrity.  We expect all students to become familiar with the University’s guidelines for academic honesty and the consequences for academic misconduct.

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Upcoming SLA Events

Reception for Graduating SLA Student Sookyung Cho
4:00 pm, Wednesday, May 14
1322 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Avenue
Join us for conversation, cake and congratulations to Dr. Cho on her accomplishment!

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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