The interdisciplinary Ph.D. in German Linguistics and Applied Linguistics prepares students to conduct systematic examinations of how the German language is structured, how it is acquired, how it is used across varied linguistic communities and by individuals, and how it is taught and learned. In addition to the traditional subfields of linguistic inquiry, faculty members offer courses in second language acquisition, psycholinguistics, language contact, language change, sociolinguistics, and Pennsylvania German. Alongside courses in German, students also take coursework in other departments, including Spanish, Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Psychology and Communication Sciences and Disorders. Students also have the opportunity to participate in Penn State’s dual-title doctoral degree in Language Science and may apply for admission into the LINDIV program, which is a training grant that focuses on linguistic diversity in the context of human-technology interaction. Many students also participate in collaborative research and outreach opportunities with graduate students and professors in other departments through the Center for Language Science.
For more information about degree requirements, check the Graduate Student Handbook.