Literacy, Language, and Culture, PhD

Program Description

The Literacy, Language, and Culture (LLC) Ph.D. program is designed to provide an in-depth advanced education for students who have completed a master’s degree in education and desire to pursue careers as scholars, researchers, university faculty, and educational leaders. The program is grounded in the belief that literacy skills, including reading, writing, and oral language, are integral to success in school and in the work place, to enriching social lives, and to active and effective citizenship. Coursework provides a broad background in the relevant theoretical and research literature in the areas of literacy, language, and culture along with opportunities to conduct original studies that explore the nature of both in- and out-of-school literacy practices. Students pursuing an LLC Ph.D. receive research training enables them to use their skills to address educational problems associated with literacy development, particularly for individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds and from areas of high poverty.