Sociolinguistics Speciality in the Sociology Ph.D Program

The Faculty of the Graduate Program in Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Faculty of the Sociolinguistics Program in the Department of English at NC State are pleased to announce the creation of a Sociolinguistics Specialty for PhD students in the Sociology Program. Students select two specialties from the current Sociology Program options, one of which may be Sociolinguistics. More information about the Ph.D. in Sociology can be found at http://sociology.chass.ncsu.edu/graduate.php. Applications for admission for the 2013 fall semester are due January 1, 2013. Information about application can be found at http://sociology.chass.ncsu.edu/graduate/applicants.php. The four-year curriculum for students entering with an MA degree is given below. A limited number of teaching assistantships and research assistantships are available to qualified students.

Core Courses in Sociolinguistics and Sociology

Students in the Sociolinguistics Specialty Area are expected to complete core requirements in Sociological Theory and Methods. Students will select another specialty area from those currently offered in the Sociology graduate program (Crime, Deviance, and Social Control; Family and Life Course; Food and Environment; Inequality: Class, Race, and Gender; or Work and the Global Economy) to complement their Sociolinguistics Specialty Area. At least nine hours will be taken in the designated specialty area and at least nine hours will be taken in Sociolinguistics, though it is expected that additional hours will be taken in order to assure comprehensive knowledge of the field.

Curriculum

Students will complete the following courses in Core Areas:

SOC 701 Classical Theory
SOC 707 Quantitative Sociological Analysis
SOC 711 Research Methods
SOC 713 Applied Research

Students will take two of the following courses:

SOC 508 Social Organization
SOC 702 Contemporary Theory
SOC 703 Theory Construction
SOC 704 Feminist Thought
*An outside course may be substituted for one of these courses with the approval of the student's committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. At least one of these two courses must be a SOC course.

Students will also take two of the following courses:

SOC 708 Advanced Quantitative Analysis
SOC 712 Advanced Survey Methods
SOC 715 Qualitative Analysis
ANT 516 Qualitative Analysis
*An outside course may be substituted for one of these courses with the approval of the student's committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. At least one of these two courses must be a SOC course.

Doctoral students select two areas of specialization. They must pass at least three courses and a preliminary examination in each of the two areas. Designated Areas of Specialization consist of the following:

Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
Family and Life Course
Food and Environment
Inequality: Class, Race, and Gender
Sociolinguistics
Work and the Global Economy

The Sociolinguistics Specialty

The following courses are to be offered in the Sociolinguistics Specialty:

ENG 523 Language Variation Research Seminar
ENG 525 Variety in Language
ENG 526 History Of the English Language
ENG 527 Discourse Analysis
ENG 528 Language Change Research Seminar
ENG 532 Narrative Analysis
ENG 533 Bilingualism and Language Contact
ENG 534 Quantitative Analysis in Sociolinguistics
ENG 535 Sociolinguistic Methods
ENG 584 Special Topics in Linguistics
ENG 722 Linguistics and Literacy
ENG 729 Language Variation and Social Theory
ENG 730 Ethnolinguistic Variation
ENG 731 Applied Sociolinguistics

Suggested 4-Year Plan

(For students entering with an MA in linguistics or a related field)

Fall Semester Year 1
SOC601 (Proseminar)
SOC701 (Classical Theory)
SOC713 (Quantitative Methods I)
Substantive elective

Spring Semester Year 1
SOC707 (Quantitative Methods II)
SOC711 (Research Methods)
Methods or theory elective

Fall Semester Year 2
Methods or theory elective
Substantive elective
Form dissertation committee

Spring Semester Year 2
Substantive elective
Methods or theory elective
Get approval for dissertation project

Fall Semester Year 3
Methods or theory elective
Dissertation hours
Take first written prelim exam

Spring Semester Year 3
Dissertation hours
Take second written prelim exam
Complete dissertation proposal
Schedule oral prelim exam

Fall Semester Year 4
Dissertation hours
Work on dissertation

Spring Semester Year 4
Dissertation hours
Complete dissertation
Final oral exam
Receive Ph.D. degree