The Graduate Certificate in Second Language Studies (SLS) provides students with a new opportunity to add a concentration in applied linguistics, highlight their training in research-based language pedagogy, and enhance their preparation and professionalization. Current KU graduate students in good standing with their academic programs and non-KU students or KU Alumni who have previously completed an advanced degree in an applicable field with a graduate GPA of 3.0 of higher are eligible to apply. 

Admission to Graduate Studies

Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 

• Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.  

• English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required. 

Students must formally apply to the certificate program no later than the last semester they take a course that will count towards the certificate.

Admissions

Before applying to the certificate, students interested in the certificate should contact Graduate Program Coordinator, Aley Pennington, or Academic Director for the SLS certificate, Nina Vyatkina, to determine eligibility. For more information on admission to a graduate certificate program, see the policy on Graduate Certificate Programs - Eligibility and Admission Criteria.

CURRENT KU STUDENTS:

A student must be in good standing with their graduate degree program in order to participate in the certificate program. The application process entails completing the online application and submitting materials required for the Second Language Studies (SLS) Certificate:

• A C.V. or Resume.
• A personal statement declaring your interest in Second Language Studies and its relationship to your graduate course of study and/or career objectives.
• 1 letter of recommendation from your graduate degree program.
• A KU Advising report in lieu of an official transcript.

Please see the Online Application for more information.

NON-KU STUDENTS OR KU ALUMNI: 

Non-KU students or KU Alumni must have a previously completed advanced degree in an applicable field. The application process entails completing the online application, payment of the application fee, and submitting materials required for the Second Language Studies (SLS) Certificate:

• A C.V. or Resume.
• A personal statement declaring your interest in Second Language Studies and its relationship to your graduate course of study and/or career objectives.
• 2 letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic work or potential for graduate study.
• Official transcripts from any institutions where coursework related to study in your second language was completed.

Send official sealed transcripts to:

Graduate Admissions
1450 Jayhawk Blvd.
Strong Hall, Room 313
Lawrence, KS  66045

-or-

graduateadm@ku.edu

The graduate certificate in Second Language Studies (SLS) provides students with a new opportunity to add a concentration in applied linguistics, highlight their training in research-based language pedagogy, and enhance their preparation and professionalization.

Current KU graduate students in good standing with their academic programs and non-KU students or KU Alumni who have previously completed an advanced degree in an applicable field with a graduate GPA of 3.0 of higher are eligible to apply. The certificate will be awarded to students who successfully complete 4 graduate-level courses across disciplines (12 credits total):

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
LING 715	Second Language Acquisition I	3
LA&S 720	Introduction to Language Teaching Research	3
A graduate-level course in Linguistics, or another approved* related graduate-level course offered by Linguistics, CLAS languages, literatures, and cultures departments, or by the School of Education		3
Elective course in Second Language Studies from list below or as approved*		3
LING 709	First Language Acquisition I
SPAN 801	Teaching Spanish in Institutions of Higher Learning
SLAV 522	The Grammatical Categories of Russian: Linguistic Units, Functions and Meanings
SLAV 824	Proseminar in Methods of Teaching Slavic Languages I
FREN 550	Capstone Seminar in French and Francophone Language, Literature, and Culture
FREN 704	Methods in Foreign Language Instruction
C&T 818	Language, Discourse and Ideology
C&T 820	Methods of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
C&T 822	Second Language Acquisition for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Educators (TESOL)
Total Hours		12

A student who has prior coursework deemed equivalent to any of the required courses may replace these with approved electives.

*Graduate-level course equivalents will be approved by the Linguistics Academic Administrator for the Second Language Studies certificate program for Linguistics students and by the Academic Director for the Second Language Studies certificate program for all other students. 

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Propose a well-motivated study that addresses a novel question about instructed second language acquisition and addresses gaps in the current scholarly literature. 
• Propose procedures for ethical conduct of research in instructed second language acquisition, adhering to ethical practices for data collection, data storage, and dissemination of results.