About

The Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) prepares students to research and teach in a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that investigates second language learning and acquisition, bi- and multilingualism, language teaching, and the relationship among language, culture, identity and thought in diverse social contexts. The community of faculty and students affiliated with the SLA Program is a vibrant and supportive group representing many languages, as well as many departments and schools on the UW-Madison campus.

The Second Language Acquisition Program offers a PhD Major and PhD Minor (for UW-Madison students whose major course of study is a different, but related, discipline).

Included in the 51-credit program for the doctoral major are two required, introductory courses; two required courses in research methods; an “emphasis” (6 credits minimum); elective courses; and the dissertation.

Graduates of the SLA Program will pursue careers in many different fields, including linguistics, language planning and policy, language program direction and administration and  language teaching. Many of the Ph.D. degree recipients will seek careers in language education or as coordinators or directors of language programs, especially at the post-secondary level. Graduates will also seek positions in Ph.D. programs with an SLA research emphasis.

The Language Institute is the administrative home of the SLA Program.