Second Language Acquisition Ph.D. Program
The primary goal of this program is to educate and prepare future researchers and leaders in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Program graduates will have developed a strong interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of the development, use, and maintenance of second languages, along with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct high-quality empirical investigations. They will learn to critically integrate old and new knowledge to produce real-world applications in the areas of language teaching, language learning, language policy, and language maintenance.
View the Second Language Acquisition Ph.D. course descriptions.
Characteristics of the Program
The first defining characteristic is a strong commitment to cross-linguistic and cross-cultural factors in second language learning. The program emphasizes research in the context of multiple languages. Admission to the program requires an advanced level of proficiency in at least one of the languages taught by the department (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) in order to carry out research and teach in that language.
The second defining characteristic is the strong interdisciplinary emphasis supported by a network of related programs in cognitive sciences, linguistics, social sciences, cultural studies, and education. These interdisciplinary connections draw on the strengths of faculty in Modern Languages, English, Philosophy, and Psychology in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences; faculty in the Language Technologies Institute of the School of Computer Science; and faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in the departments of Linguistics and Instruction & Learning, and the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC).
Contact Information
Senior Administrative Coordinator
Vera Lampley
Department of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Director of Second Language Acquisition Ph.D. Program
Keiko KodaDepartment of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213