Doctor of Philosophy in Literacy, Language, and Culture

Website: https://twu.edu/literacy-and-learning/graduate-programs/phd-in-reading-education/

The Doctoral Program in Literacy, Language, and Culture prepares educators and researchers for specialized work in literacy at all levels of education. The program recognizes the value of literacy and contributes to literacy development in diverse social contexts, from local school districts to universities in the United States and abroad.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Analyze major research and theories in the areas of language and literacy.
  2. Design, conduct, and disseminate original research.
  3. Create and apply expert knowledge in literacy teaching and learning in higher education, PK-12 schools, and community-based contexts.

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Update Effective August 10, 2023: The Statistics requirement of 6 SCH has changed to a range of 3-6 SCH and the Advanced Research Methods requirement of 3 SCH has changed to a range of 3-6 SCH.  The total SCH for this program has not changed.

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

A minimum of 72 semester credit hours post-baccalaureate or a minimum of 42 semester credit hours post-master’s, including 12 semester credit hours of dissertation, plus satisfaction of the research tools requirement for the Ph.D. Based on a review of the preparation of each entering student, additional courses may be required.

Required Courses
READ 6533Foundations of Literacy3
READ 6563Nature of Literacy in the Adolescent Years3
READ 6573Language and Literacy3
READ 6583Research in Literacy3
READ 6593Advanced Literacy Research Design: Analysis and Evaluation3
READ 6703Integration of Literacy Theory and Research3
READ 6693Literacy Leadership and Policy3
Research Tools
READ 6483Qualitative Research3
READ 6493Advanced Qualitative Research: Design and Analysis3
Statistics3
Advanced Research Methods6
Electives/Area of Emphasis (Approved by Advisory Committee)24
12 SCH must be taken at TWU
Electives may be master’s level courses, Reading Recovery Training courses, or courses from a related area such as Educational Leadership, Early Childhood Education, or Bilingual Education
Dissertation
READ 6983Dissertation (taken two times)6
READ 6993Dissertation (taken two times)6
Total SCHs72

Grade Requirement

A grade of B or higher is required in all graduate courses. A student who has earned a grade of less than B (C, D, or F) in any two courses at the graduate level will be removed from the doctoral program in Literacy, Language, and Culture, even if the course was repeated for a better grade.