Child Language Doctoral Program

The doctoral program in Child Language offers a specialized degree in this interesting area of study. The program crosses traditional academic boundaries to give students the theoretical, empirical, and methodological competence necessary to study basic and applied issues in language acquisition. This multidisciplinary program is a cooperative endeavor of faculty members from the Departments of Applied Behavioral Science, Clinical Child Psychology, Linguistics, Molecular Biosciences, Psychology, and Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders. In addition, the Child Language Doctoral Program has faculty specializing in genetics of language and speech, and in quantitative methods.

Students study 4 areas:

1. Core theoretical and experimental work on language acquisition,
2. Relevant methods and theories in linguistics and psycholinguistics,
3. Theoretical perspectives on developmental psychology, and
4. The nature of disordered language development and methods and techniques for language intervention.

In addition, new areas of study are offered in genetics of language acquisition and impairments, as well as quantitative methods.

Each student is advised by a support committee of 3 faculty members. Enrollment in a proseminar in language acquisition is required of all students in addition to participation in research activities. Opportunities for individual research projects include the projects of participating faculty members and the research teams of the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, and the clinical/research facilities of KU Medical Center.

Graduates are candidates for teaching and research positions, clinical positions providing service to communicatively disabled persons, and research work in business and governmental sectors.

Faculty

We are a cross-disciplinary program and our faculty is involved in research spanning many diverse fields of study. Our portfolios are dynamic and growing, so you will be directed to our most recent information.

An internationally recognized scholar leads program activities: Mabel L. Rice.

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. 

Graduate Admission

Students are admitted to the doctoral program for the fall semester. Applicants must submit a curriculum vita (C.V.) or resume, a personal statement describing professional goals and interest in program, Graduate Record Examination scores (GRE), 3 letters of recommendation, and a list of all courses taken in relevant areas such as child development, linguistics, psychology, special education, speech and hearing sciences, genetics, and statistics. Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements.  No one is admitted for a terminal M.A. degree.

Applicants should have earned bachelor’s degrees that include course work in linguistics, psychology, speech pathology, genetics, and/or statistics with minimum grade-point averages of B. Preference is given to those with master’s degrees in linguistics, psychology, education, special education, speech and hearing sciences, molecular biosciences, genetics, or to applicants with relevant post-baccalaureate work experience. The admissions committee supervises the admission process and recommends applicants for admission.

Please see additional admission information on the Child Language Doctoral Program Admission page.

Students who are interested in enrolling in graduate level coursework in the Child Language Doctoral Program without formal admission to a graduate program at KU are encouraged to apply for graduate non-degree seeking student status. See the admission details above.

Applicants to our program should complete the KU Application for Graduate
Study. Please be aware that the following items will need to be prepared in advance and uploaded 
with the online application:
•  A current C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) or resume
•  A personal statement describing the applicant’s interest in studying child language and 
professional goals
•  A list of all courses taken in relevant areas such as child development, linguistics, 
psychology, special education, speech and hearing sciences, genetics, statistics
•  Official score report from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although
the online application will ask you to self-report your scores, official scores

3
must also be sent directly from GRE. KU’s University code is 6871. (Note: GRE scores are used by 
Research and Graduate Studies in awarding of Graduate Fellowships).
•  Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language if your first language is not 
English
•  3 letters of recommendation

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses on Language Acquisition and Impairments		16
LING 709	First Language Acquisition I
LING 739	First Language Acquisition II
LING/PSYC 782	Research Methods in Child Language
LING 822	Seminar in First Language Acquisition
SPLH 816	Language Development
SPLH 840	Communication of Infants and Toddlers: Early Intervention Supports and Services
SPLH 842	Language Disorders of Children: Preschool
SPLH 844	Language Disorders of Children: School Age
SPLH 900	Proseminar in Communicative Disorders
Statistical and Methodological courses: *other statistics courses may be approved at the discretion of the Program Director		15
PSYC 790	Statistical Methods in Psychology I
PSYC 982	Issues in Scientific Conduct
PSYC 815	Design and Analysis for Developmental Research
PSYC 818	Experimental Research Methods in Social Psychology
CLDP 948	Latent Trait Measurement and Structural Equation Models
LING 720	Research Methods in Linguistics
SPLH 964	Seminar in: _____ (Grant Writing)
Supplemental Courses		24
LING 705	Phonetics I
LING 712	Phonology I
LING 714	Phonology II
LING 716	Second Language Acquisition II
LING 725	Syntax I
LING 726	Syntax II
LING 731	Semantics
LING 735	Psycholinguistics I
LING 737	Psycholinguistics II
LING 738	Neurolinguistics I
LING 742	Neurolinguistics II
PSYC 725	Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 735	Psycholinguistics I
PSYC 737	Psycholinguistics II
PSYC 800	Experimental Psychology: _____
PSYC 825	Social Development
PSYC 870	Cognitive Development
SPLH 820	Developmental Phonological Disorders
SPLH 846	Language Disorders of Adults
SPLH 848	Language Disorders of Special Populations
SPLH 854	Reading Disorders
SPLH 860	Evaluation of Speech and Language
PSYC 971	Essentials of College Teaching
Total Hours		55

Each student’s plan for completing these requirements will be detailed in their Plan of Study and selected in consultation with their faculty advisor and approved by their Doctoral Advisory Committee.

Continuous Research & Proseminar Enrollment

All students are expected to be engaged continuously in research on child language. Research involvement is documented with appropriate enrollment in research, thesis, and dissertation credit hours. Students are also required to enroll continuously in one of the following proseminars every semester in the program, selected in consultation with their faculty advisor:

• CLDP 799 Proseminar in Child Language 
• SPLH 900 Proseminar in Communicative Disorders

Research Skill and Responsible Scholarship

2 options for fulfilling the research skills requirement are available:

1. Proficiency in a language other than English or reading knowledge of 2 languages other than English can be demonstrated.
2. A record of professional research experience or publication may be used to demonstrate research skills.

For students entering without the master’s degree, the requirements for the M.A. may be found on the M.A. degree requirements page.

Written Exam

After completing the research skills requirement and the major portion of the course work, the doctoral student must pass a written preliminary examination and a comprehensive oral examination. The written examination covers 4 areas:

1. Language acquisition,
2. Psycholinguistics,
3. Developmental psychology,
4. Disordered language development or language intervention.

Oral Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive oral examination covers the major field, taking one of 5 forms:

1. A defense of the written preliminary examinations,
2. A defense of a completed research project,
3. A prospectus for a future research project,
4. A discussion of a major review paper, or
5. A review of a research grant proposal and a simulated site visit defense of the proposal.

Dissertation and Defense

All doctoral students are expected to complete an independent research dissertation and complete a successful defense of the dissertation.

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

• Apply a broad base of knowledge to promote inquiry, discover solutions, and generate new ideas and creative works.
• Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in a range of contexts using a variety of means and modalities.
• Access, evaluate, and use qualitative and/or quantitative information to identify patterns, and formulate and support interpretations.
• Establish, grow, and sustain productive relationships to effectively address key issues facing local, national, or global communities and solve problems that advance society.