Degree Requirements

Deadlines: Plan of Study - End of first year (May)

For students entering fall 2009 or later, the following courses are required:

Core Courses: 21 credits
a. All of:	5110/323 Acquisition of Syntax 5310/308 Phonology I 5410/301 Semantics I 5510/321 Syntax I
b. At least three of:	5120/333 Readings and Research in Acquisition 5320/308 Phonology II 5420/370 Semantics II 5520/322 Syntax II

General Workshop: 3 credits
6010/411	1 credit in spring of second year
	2 credits in fall of third year

Electives: 22 credits
	At most 6 credits of LING 6799/304 “Examination of…” (see section 3.3 for policy on LING 6799/304 and Audit)

Total: 46 credits

IMPORTANT NOTES ON COURSE REQUIREMENTS

While the above table lists the minimum departmental requirements, it is expected that students will ordinarily take all four of the Core Courses in both semesters of the first year. ( For students entering without an MA (or equivalent) note that 24 credits of graduate study is required to obtain a “Level II” stipend. http://www.osp.uconn.edu/budgetprep.php#gas)

All students are required to register for a total of 15 credits of GRAD 6950/495 – Dissertation Research. These credits do not count towards departmental course credit requirements, however, they must be included in the Plan of Study.

Students proposing an experimental study for either general examination (see below) are also required to take Linguistics 6110/332 (Methods in Acquisition) in the fall semester of their second year. This course counts towards the 22 credits of electives.

Many courses at the 6000 level may be repeated for credit; check with department if unsure.

Note: Students holding a Graduate Assistantship must register for 6 or more credits / semester (GRAD 6950/495 counts towards this requirement).

Note to International Students: Students holding an F1 or J1 visa need to meet minimum credit requirements each semester to qualify as full-time students. The basic requirement is currently 6 cr/semester with a Graduate Assistantship or 9 credits without, although limited exceptions apply. Consult with the Graduate Program Director routinely to ensure you have sufficient course credits in your plan of study.

(Requirements last updated: 23 Aug 2007
with additions 21 Aug 2008)

3.1 Forms

Graduate School forms – http://www.grad.uconn.edu/forms.html

Plan of Study
Request for Changes in the Plan of Study

3.2 General Policies on use of LING 6799/304

(1) LING 6799/304 (Investigation of Special Topics) is our course number for independent study at the graduate level. When registering for LING 6799/304, the student can give it a more specific title to reflect the topic of study. This is accomplished by submitting an ‘Independent Study Authorization’ card, available from the Linguistics Department Office. The card requires signatures from the instructor and department head, and then needs to be delivered to the Graduate School for processing. (The Graduate School will take care of registering the student for LING 6799/304; there is no need to register for it through the PeopleSoft system.)

(2) Up to 6 credits of LING 6799/304 can be included in a student’s Plan of Study and applied to the Department’s course-credit requirement for the Ph.D. When LING 6799/304 is used in this way, it should be given a title that includes the word EXAMINATION (e.g. ‘Examination of wh-in-situ’).

(3) An exception to (2) is when LING 6799/304 is used to give credit for a course taken at another university. In this case, LING 6799/304 is counted as a regular course for purposes of the Ph.D. requirements, and the title should include the word COURSE.

(4) Any number of additional credits for LING 6799/304, not counted towards the Ph.D. course-credit requirement, is permitted. In particular, when a student has regular meetings with a supervisor, he or she should register for one credit of LING 6799/304 for each hour of weekly meeting time.

(5) When the student is auditing a course, the University’s registration status of ‘Audit’ is the preferred option, but students should not register as auditors if they wish to take the same course later for credit. Instead they should consult with the instructor and register for 1 to 3 credits of LING 6799/304, depending on the amount of the regular coursework that they will be completing.

(6) The Registrar imposes a limit on the number of times a student can register for LING 6799/304, but this limit can be raised. In the event of a problem, the student should contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

Note: Although it is possible to register for LING 6799/304 on PeopleSoft, in order to have the title properly noted in the system (needed to count towards credit requirement), there is still a paper form that needs to be filled out – available in main office.

(Policy updated 19 Sep 2006)

3.3 Course Sequence Illustration

A typical course package (for a student entering in 2008) might follow the following sequence (this is an illustration, individual plans may vary): Courses are 3 credits except as noted; required courses in boldface

	Fall	Spring	Credit
Year 1	5110/323 Acquis. of Syntax 5310/308 Phonology I 5410/301 Semantics I 5510/321 Syntax I	5120/324 R&R Acquisition 5320/308 Phonology II 5420/370 Semantics II 5520/322 Syntax II	24
Year 2	2 courses such as (or others): 6510/333 R&R Syntax 6530/327 Comparative Syntax 6110/332 Methods in Acq 6210/341 Morphology 6420/372 Topics in Semantics	6010/411 Gen Wkshp (1 credit) 2 seminar or topics courses work on 1st generals paper	+13 =37
Year 3	6010/411 Gen Wkshp (2 cr.) 1 seminar or topics courses complete 1st generals, start 2nd	6020/412 Prof. Meth (1 credit) 1 seminar complete 2nd generals	+9 =46
Year 4	GRAD 6950/495 (6 cr)	GRAD 6950/495 (6 cr)
Year 5	GRAD 6950/495	GRAD 6950/495

4. Special Notes for Experimental Work

Students proposing an experimental study for either general examination (see below) are also required to take Linguistics 6110/332 (Methods in Acquisition) in the fall semester of their second year. This course counts towards the 22 credits of electives.

Certain experiments require approval for research with human subjects from the University Institutional Review Board (IRB). This is a time-consuming process – it is imperative to start on the approval process early.

The first step is to become fully acquainted with the policies of the IRB. Students need to complete the Human Subject Protection Training, an on-line course giving federally-mandated important information about research with human subjects. This training should be completed before any work with human subjects commences, whether this is the student’s own research or work on a research project of a faculty member. Instructions and a link to the CITI Training program are on the IRB website (http://irb.uconn.edu/).

Each research project involving human subjects must be approved by the IRB. Forms, templates, and samples are on the IRB website. Student projects are submitted under both the student’s name and the name of a responsible faculty person (the overseer or advisor for the project). It may be noted that many of the questions do not seem to apply to the type of research the student is involved with, because the same forms are used for more invasive studies. It is a good idea to look at a previously approved protocol for guidance, and to seek feedback from faculty. Once the protocol and consent forms are submitted to the IRB, it is very common for revisions to be needed before the forms can be approved. Work with human subjects can not commence before the forms are approved, so the process must be started early.

5. General Examination Papers

Due Dates:

First paper:	Choose overseer and topic	Second Year, Spring – 1st Tue
	Proposal due	Second Year, Spring – 6th Tue
	Paper due (exam version)	Third Year, Fall – 5th Tue

Second paper:	Choose overseer and topic	Third Year, Fall – 1st Tue
	Proposal due	Third Year, Fall – 8th Tue
	Paper due (exam version)	Third Year, Spring - 8th Tue

Important: see below for absolute deadlines which trigger loss of department funding if not met.

Students proposing experimental work for a general examination paper should take note of the additional regulations (section 4) and plan their time accordingly.

The general examination consists of two papers of publishable quality, one in a topic closely related to the student's special area of interest, the second in some other area. The proposal for the first paper is due to all members of the faculty by the sixth Tuesday of the spring semester of the second year. The completed first paper, ready for the examination, must be submitted to all members of the committee by the fifth Tuesday of the fall semester of the third year. The proposal for the second paper is due to all members of the faculty by the eighth Tuesday of the fall semester of the third year. The completed second paper, ready for the examination, must be submitted to all members of the committee by the eighth Tuesday of the spring semester of the third year.

Proposals for general examination papers identify a problem to be investigated and the nature of the investigation. The proposal has a maximum length of 2,500 words (about ten double-spaced pages) plus bibliography, and is evaluated by a committee of the whole faculty. The approved proposal is then filed in the Department Library. In the planning stage for a proposal, students consult with a faculty member in the area of the planned research. This faculty member is identified on the student's proposal as overseer. Normally, the overseer named on the proposal chairs the examining committee for the paper.

The examining committee consists of at least three faculty members in Linguistics, including the overseer of the paper. The membership of an examining committee is chosen by the faculty at its review of a proposal and communicated to the student by the overseer. To comply with Graduate School rules for general examinations, there are at least five different faculty members on the two examining committees for the two examination papers for each student.

The examination paper should be submitted with a cover sheet that lists the overseer and the members of the examining committee, and should include a one-page abstract summarizing the contents of the paper. The abstract is distributed to all faculty members in the Department. The full paper is submitted by the due date to the members of the examination committee and any faculty member who requests it. One copy should be placed in the department office for the reference of faculty members who are not on the examination committee. Examinations are held within one or two weeks of the due date of the paper. Any member of the faculty can participate in an examination and advise the examining committee. The results of the examination, however, are the responsibility of the examining committee designated at the time the proposal is accepted.

Students can consult with any faculty member for advice on general examination proposals and papers, whether or not the faculty member is named to the examining committee for the paper under the procedures outlined above.

The department will notify the Graduate School of the results of the examination when two corrected copies of each general examination paper passed by the faculty have been deposited in the department office. A student is formally considered (for Graduate School regulations, etc.) to have “passed the General Examination” only when the final copies of both approved papers have been submitted to the department.
Once the student completes the General Examination, s/he becomes eligible for travel funds from the Graduate School, to support presentation of research at conferences (see http://www.grad.uconn.edu/doctravel.html).

5.1 Note re: M.A. Degree

Doctoral students may apply for the M.A. degree if they have completed 24 credits on an approved Ph.D. plan of study and have passed the doctoral general examination. The application is made on the form that is submitted to the Graduate School upon depositing the final version of the second general examination paper in the department office.

5.2 Note on Deadlines for Continued Support

Students who submit their paper by the due date will have their exam as usual. If a student fails to meet the due date for a GE paper, the committee will hold a meeting with the student to hear the explanation and decide on a course of action.

Ultimately, failure to complete the GE papers will lead to the students losing any financial support received from the Department. If a student has failed to submit the final version of the first GE paper by the end of the spring semester in the third year (specifically, by the last day to submit grades), then the student will automatically lose all funding from the Department. Since this is the final version of the paper, the examination and any revisions that are required must have been completed by this date.

Similarly, if a student has failed to submit the second GE paper by March 1st of the fourth year, funding will automatically be cut. This is almost a full year after the ordinary due date.

As with all rules and regulations, appeals for extension may be considered in exceptional circumstances. The key word here is ‘exceptional’, extensions to the above deadlines are not routinely granted.

(Policy 22 March 2004)

Note also that the Graduate School imposes time limits for the completion of the General Examination:
The general examination must be passed within five years of the beginning of doctoral study, or within four years if the student entered with a master’s degree in the same or a closely-related field. Failure to complete the work within the periods specified or failure to maintain continuous registration (see “Continuous Registration”) will require reevaluation of the student’s entire program and may result in a notice of termination. (from Graduate Handbook 2008-2009)

5.3 Notes for advisors and overseers:

GE Proposal should be submitted prior to faculty meeting on due date (Tue) for consideration by faculty at its next regular meeting.
Outcome of examination is conveyed by memo to DGS, with deadline for revisions (if any).
When revisions are completed to satisfaction of committee, overseer sends a memo to Program Assistant and DGS.
Completed final paper (with revisions made and approved) is deposited with program assistant in department office.

6. Dissertation Prospectus

Due date: Fourth year, end of spring semester

Special note re: deadlines and steps in the approval process

There are 2 steps in the approval process, and these can be time-consuming. Students facing important deadlines for an approved prospectus (e.g., for filing the dissertation or for a Dissertation Fellowship) need to allow sufficient time for these steps, and to plan accordingly.

Steps: i. Approval by advisory committee
ii. Review within department (see below)

After approval by department review, the Prospectus is forwarded by the Department Head to the Graduate School for final approval by the Graduate Faculty Council.
Approval by the Graduate Faculty Council requires final approval for the use of any human or animal subjects involved in the research (if applicable)

Options for Step ii: For either option, the first step is approval by the committee.

After the committee approves, one of the following should happen:

A. The written prospectus is reviewed by two faculty members not on the committee who read it. Faculty are normally given 2 weeks to do this. Students should thus allow at least one month for the completion of step ii (in case changes are needed).

B. The student gives a presentation to the faculty, including at least two faculty members not on the committee. Then all the faculty members in attendance discuss whether or not to approve. It is the student’s responsibility to find a time that sufficient faculty members can attend.

Note: students are reminded that scheduling for option A and especially B may take significantly longer in periods when classes are not in session (e.g., summer).

(Revised 23 August 2007)

Dissertation Fellowships and Prospectus Deadline

Eligibility for the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (currently $2000) from the UConn Research Foundation requires final approval of the prospectus by the Graduate Faculty Council (step iii). Annual deadlines for this competition are in November and June. Refer to the grad school website for particulars (including application form, eligibility requirements, and deadlines).
http://www.grad.uconn.edu/funding_resources.html

6.1 Description of Propspectus

The prospectus is a well-thought-out description of the work one proposes to undertake for the dissertation. It is a proposal, not a finished project. Yet, enough work should have been done on the project to indicate that it will be successful.

The prospectus should be submitted before preparation of the dissertation is well underway. Failure to present the prospectus early may result in wasted effort on a dissertation. The prospectus should be submitted to the head of the department at least six months before the filing of the dissertation at the Graduate Records Office (prior to the oral defense), and the prospectus should gain the approval of the Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty Council at least three months before the filing of the dissertation. The prospectus should not be submitted before the Ph.D. Plan of Study has been fully approved.

The prospectus must first be approved by all members of the student's advisory committee. Three copies of the prospectus, together with the signed yellow prospectus forms issued by the graduate school, are to be submitted to the Department Head. The prospectus will be reviewed by two members of the faculty who are not on the committee, chosen by the Department Head.

The prospectus should emphasize the theoretical relevance of the study for linguists who are not specialists in the area of the dissertation. It should include relevant background, and point out the novelty of the proposed study.

In undertaking their review, the reviewers will ask:

Is the prospectus clear for the linguist who is not an expert in the specific area of the dissertation? ? Does the prospectus convey to the non-specialist reader that the project is soundly conceived and the prospectus thoughtfully written?
Is the prospectus well written, well organized, and well argued?
Does the prospectus describe a project of appropriate scope?
Does the student demonstrate full knowledge of the subject and an understanding of the proposed method of investigation?
Does the student show awareness of the relevant research by others?
Does the student show how the proposed investigation, if successful, will contribute to scientific knowledge?

The prospectus should include:

an accurate title;
a concise statement including:

the purpose, importance, and novelty of the study;
for experimental works, the methods and techniques to be used in data collection and analysis;
information about what languages will be studied, and why

a bibliography.
The prospectus is to be as brief as possible without sacrificing completeness. The limit is 15 pages, with 1-1/2 line spacing, no smaller than 10 point type, and no smaller than 1-inch margins all around. The bibliography is not included in the 15-page limit.

After the reviewers have read the proposal or considered the oral presentation, they will recommend one of the following:
- Approve
- Approve with comments
- Revision needed
- Reject
The reviewers will communicate results to the student, the student's Major Advisor, and the Faculty, within two weeks of receipt of the prospectus. The Department Head will inform the graduate school of an approved prospectus and forward the three copies together with the signed yellow forms to Tom Peters, Assistant Dean for Graduate School Affairs and Records. A memo will also be sent to the student.

(Rev. 17 Dec 2002; minor revision 8 Aug 2007)

7. Dissertation and Defense

Deadlines

Defense Draft to Committee Members	2 weeks prior to defense
Announce Oral Defense in University Events Calendar	2 weeks prior to defense
Submit Tentative Approval Page signed by all committee members	1 week prior to defense

Instructions for Ph.D. Candidacy

Upon approval of the plan of study, passing the general examination, and having had the dissertation proposal fully approved by the Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty Council, the student becomes a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. At this time (or before), student and advisory committee determine a schedule for completion of dissertation research, submission of an outline, submission of drafts, and submission of a final draft, aiming toward completion of the dissertation by the end of the fifth year of study. The dissertation is to make a significant contribution to the candidate's field of specialization.

The Dissertation

The dissertation is to make a significant contribution to the candidate's field of specialization. The student should work regularly with the major advisor and advisory committee in conducting the research of the dissertation and in preparing the written document.

If a student faces extraordinary expenses in the conduct of the dissertation research (e.g., special equipment, subject payments), a Doctoral Dissertation Extraordinary Expense Award may be requested from the Graduate School. The award (maximum $500) must be requested before the expenses are incurred. See the Graduate School website for more information: (http://www.grad.uconn.edu/funding_extexp.html).

Final Examination (Defense)

All members of the advisory committee are expected to have seen drafts of the dissertation and to have discussed its content with the student well before the defense version of the dissertation is submitted.

A preliminary defense date can be set well in advance for planning purposes, once each committee member agrees that there is a reasonable expectation for a defensible draft to be produced at least two weeks before the defense date.

The (complete) defense version must be submitted to all members of the committee at least 2 weeks in advance of the defense date, at which time the date can be confirmed. If the defense draft is not submitted by this date, the defense is automatically postponed.

Any member of the committee may declare that the defense should be postponed at any point if the work is not deemed satisfactory.

The final examination is oral and under the jurisdiction of the advisory committee. It deals mainly with the field of the dissertation.

In preparing for the Oral Defense of the dissertation, please note the following:

1. There is an instructional document available from the Graduate School or on the Graduate School website with important university-wide requirements.
2. The student must announce the Oral Defense in the University Events Calendar at least two weeks before the date of the Defense.
3. The signed Tentative Approval Page must be submitted to the Graduate School Office at least seven days prior to the date of the Defense.
Forms and procedures at: http://grad.uconn.edu/dissert.html
4. The student should prepare at least three copies of the Approval page printed on appropriate bond paper and bring them to the defense. The student or advisor should have a copy of the Report of the Final Examination form at the defense.

For further information and details regarding the scheduling of the defense and the preparation of the dissertation, see the Graduate School web page (link below) and the Graduate Catalog, pages 33-34.

http://grad.uconn.edu/dissert.html
http://catalog.grad.uconn.edu/

Following the defense

The ‘Report on the Final Examination’ is filed by the advisor as soon as possible following the defense.

The advisor will keep the signed Approval pages until all required changes have been approved.

The advisor will instruct the student in changes to be made to the dissertation and approvals required. They will set a timeline for the completion of these changes.

When the final version of the dissertation is approved, the student will submit the dissertation as required by the graduate school. In addition, two copies (not necessarily on bond paper) should be submitted to the department, and each member of the advisory committee should receive a copy.

When students are preparing to leave the department, they should be sure to clear their desks, return their keys, and make arrangements with the Program Manager for the settling of any bills and the forwarding of mail . Departing students are strongly encouraged to keep us up to date with their mailing addresses and professional positions!

8. Graduate Assistantships and Other Funding

9. Appendix

For students entering fall 2006, the following courses are required.

Core Courses (26 credits)	a. 301, 308, 321, 323 b. 309, 370, 322 (5cr), 333
Generals Workshop (3 credits)	Two semesters of 411 1cr in spring of second year 2 cr in fall of third year
Electives (22 credits)	At most 6 credits can be LING 304 “Examination of…” (see section on LING 304 for additional details)

*Total: 51 credits*

For students entering fall 2005, the following courses are required.

Core Courses (23 credits)	a. 301, 308, 321 (5 credit), 323
	b. three from: 309, 370, 322, 333
Generals Workshop (5 credits)	Two semesters: 411 (NB. 411 is 2 cr. in fall 3rd yr.)
Electives (25 credits)	At most 6 credits can be LING 304 “Examination of…” (see section on LING 304 for additional details)

*Total: 53 credits*

For students entering fall 2004, the following courses are required.

Core Courses (23 credits)	a. 301, 308, 321 (5 credit), 323
	b. three from: 309, 370, 322, 333
Generals Workshop (6 credits)	Two semesters: 360 or 411
Electives (25 credits)	At most 6 credits can be LING 304 “Examination of…” (see section on LING 304 for additional details)

*Total: 54 credits*

All students are required to register for a total of 15 credits of GRAD 6950/495 – Dissertation Research. These credits do not count towards course credits.
Students proposing an experimental study for either general examination (see below) are also required to take Linguistics 6110/332 (Methods in Acquisition) in the fall semester of their second year. This course counts towards the 25 credits of electives.

For students entering prior to fall 2004 – consult the department if unsure.

10. Checklist for Students

Plan of study	Major Advisor selected Advisory Committee selected Form filled in Signatures of Advisory Committee Plan of Study submitted to Catalina

LING 6799/304 (if applicable):	Form with appropriate title filed with Catalina Check LING 6799/304 policy

English Proficiency (if applicable):	TEACH test passed Notify DGS when passed

General Examinations:
Paper #1:	Overseer and Topic chosen Proposal submitted to faculty Examination version of paper Paper submitted to committee + one copy in office Abstract submitted to faculty Exam outcome reported to DGS Revisions approved by overseer/committee (memo from overseer to Catalina and DGS) Final (revised, corrected) paper filled in main office

Paper #2:	Overseer and Topic chosen Proposal submitted to faculty Examination version of paper Paper submitted to committee + one copy in office Abstract submitted to faculty Exam outcome reported to DGS Revisions approved by overseer/committee (memo from overseer to Catalina and DGS) Final (revised, corrected) paper filled in main office

After second paper completed:	Form ‘report on outcome of general examination’ completed, signed and filed

M.A.:	After completing 24 credits and the general exam (both papers), a student may apply to the department to receive an M.A. degree in the course of continuing Ph.D. studies

Prospectus:	Approval by advisory committee Submitted for review by 2 additional faculty members: to department head, for written review presentation scheduled for oral review After approval by review (and revisions, if any) Submitted to Graduate Faculty (via Department Head)

Completion of prospectus confers eligibility for Dissertation Fellowships from the Research Foundation. Application deadlines November and June (annual)

Dissertation:	Approval of committee for defense Form for the above Schedule defense (consult advisor and department head) Announcement form Form for reporting outcome of defense File dissertation

Download the Graduate Handbook