Staci Defibaugh (sdefibau@odu.edu), Graduate Program Director
The Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics prepares students to pursue advanced graduate study in fields like linguistics, applied linguistics, law, psychology, and education; for careers in government and industry; to teach in colleges, adult education programs, businesses, private schools, or institutions in the U.S. or abroad, and for other professions requiring good analytical, linguistic, discourse, and writing skills. The program has two concentrations: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Language, Society, and Social Justice. Students may elect to pursue a concentration area by taking the required 9 credits of specialized coursework for each concentration or they may complete a general MA degree in Applied Linguistics without a concentration. Students in the program can complete their degree in-person on the main campus in Norfolk as well as by taking select courses synchronously online or asynchronously online. They may also earn a graduate certificate in TESOL and/or use appropriate courses in the program as requirements toward obtaining the Commonwealth of Virginia Endorsement for English as a Second Language.
Admission Information
In addition to general University admission requirements, applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or better, and must have taken some upper-level English, linguistics, or foreign language courses. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), General Test is optional. Applicants must also submit a sample of scholarly writing, statement of purpose, and two letters of recommendation. International students must submit scores from the TOEFL iBT, (88 for regular admission and 80 for provisional admission), from the TOEFL PBT (570 for regular admission and 550 for provisional admission) or from IELTS Academic Module (6.5 or higher), a sample of scholarly writing, statement of purpose, and two letters of recommendation, both of which should also address the applicant's proficiency in English. After 12 hours of graduate work, international students must meet the language proficiency requirement for regular admission if admitted provisionally. Applications submitted after the deadlines will be considered for review but admission for the desired semester is not guaranteed.
Curriculum Requirements
The M.A. in Applied Linguistics requires 33 credit hours, including 18 credit hours of program core courses and 15 credit hours of electives, and the passing of an oral comprehensive examination. Elective credit hours may be used to complete one of two concentration areas offered by the program or a general MA degree in Applied Linguistics without a concentration. Students should discuss their plans with the graduate program director at the beginning of their studies. No more than 12 hours may be taken at the 500 level. Courses taken PASS/FAIL are not included in the 33 credit hours.
Applied Linguistics: Core Courses
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| ENGL 540 | General Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 671 | Phonology | 3 |
| ENGL 672 | Language Structure Analysis | 3 |
| ENGL 673 | Discourse Analysis | 3 |
| or ENGL 763 | Seminar in Discourse Analysis |
| ENGL 679 | First and Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGL 770 | Research Methods in Language Analysis | 3 |
| or ENGL 780 | Corpus Use, Research, and Material Design |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 |
Additional Requirements
Master of Arts - Applied Linguistics, Thesis Option
Writing a thesis may benefit those who contemplate further graduate work, as well as those who have a desire to pursue a single topic in depth. Under the guidance of a member of the graduate faculty, a student may earn six hours of credit for a completed approved thesis. Students who write a thesis will defend the thesis early in their final semester and complete their oral exam in a separate examination.
Master of Arts - Applied Linguistics, Oral Comprehensive Examination
At the end of the program, all students must complete an oral comprehensive examination that covers each student’s program of study and, where applicable, the thesis. Students who fail the oral comprehensive examination may re-take it one more time in a different semester. Students who fail a second time will no longer be eligible to receive the Master of Arts degree in applied linguistics from Old Dominion University. During their final semester, students must submit an electronic portfolio that will include course syllabi, a selection of assignments for each course, along with a reflection on their experiences in the MA program.
Continuance
Students must:
1. Meet all university and program requirements;
2. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average or better;
3. Retake any core course in which grades below B- are earned.
Exit
In order to graduate from the program, students must:
- Complete the required course of study for a total of, at least, 33 credit hours of course work. Credit hours with grades below B- and courses taken PASS/FAIL are not included in the 33 credit hour total;
- Submit a program electronic portfolio;
- Pass an oral comprehensive examination;
- Fulfill all university exit requirements.
