Introduction Rationale Courses Program Summary
Introduction
The Department of Linguistics and Communications offers PhD in Linguistics under the umbrella term PhD English (Linguistics). PhD Linguistics offers researchers the opportunity to develop an in-depth insight into the theoretical and scientific study of language and to pursue their research under the supervision of highly qualified and experienced academics.
PhD students are required to study six courses, three courses in each semester. They must complete two core courses; Specialist Module I and Specialist Module II, one in each semester. Keeping in mind the academic and professional needs of the students, the content of each module is determined by the assigned resource person. Students are also required to choose two elective courses each semester from the course list offered to them by the Department, which earns them a total of 18 credit hours. The scholars are advised to select elective courses pertaining to their individual research interest which can be later developed into research thesis. Each course holds the same weightage and earns the scholar 3 credit hours. A comprehensive examination is conducted at the end of PhD coursework in order to assess the level and quality of scholars’ knowledge and research skills acquired during their academic semesters. The successful PhD students are then allocated supervisors in their field of interest to pursue their research. The thesis carries a weightage of 18 credit hours. It should make an original and epistemologically significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge.
Thesis (compulsory)
Thesis (70 to 100 thousand words)
Program Objectives
PhD English (Linguistics)
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To equip the scholars with the latest knowledge and skills required in the field
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To prepare the scholars to reflect on the structure of language and theories of language acquisition to make original contributions to them, especially with reference to languages spoken in Pakistan
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To prepare the scholars to solve real-life problems related to language application and uses at national and international levels in a professional way.
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To enable the scholars to make a significant contribution to the field of linguistics in the form of a doctoral dissertation written on a topic of impact factor.
Career Prospects
The career prospects of PhD scholars are bright and diversified. The nature and scope of PhD thesis determine the career trajectory the scholars may take in terms of future research in their relevant field. Many PhD English scholars are already working as faculty members in different educational institutes during the course of their PhD study. Others, mostly fresh graduates in linguistics, can look forward to a very productive and lucrative careers based on their research and inter and intra-personal skills with reference to language use and scientific knowledge of theories of language. Similarly, the critical thinking and writing skills fostered in the scholars of PhD English Literature make the graduates independent of the limitations of an academic career. Potential careers for graduates may include, but are not limited to, teaching, language planning and policy making, corpus development, civil services, content writing, translation & interpretation, curriculum design and teacher training, independent research work in the field, language-related jobs in print and electronic media, administration and management in Non-Governmental organizations and so on.
*It is mandatory for the prospective candidates to appear for the Admission Test. Please note that no exemption from the test will be given in case of general GAT/other tests taken elsewhere.
Admission Criteria:
1. 18 years degree or MS/MPhil with a minimum cumulative grade average of 3.0 out of 4
2. No third division in the whole academic career.
3. MS/MPhil with a thesis (thesis should be subject-specific)
4. GAT subject-specific (separate for Linguistics and Literature) test with a minimum score of 60% and UGAT Subject Test (separate for Linguistics and Literature) with a minimum score of 70% marks.
5. Students will be shortlisted to appear for an interview along with a tentative research proposal of 500-1000 words.
6. UGAT test date and interview of shortlisted candidates will be announced by the Dean ILA's office in August. Sample tests can be found on the respective departments' websites.