phd tesol distance learning

Online Ph.D. in Literacy: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Specialization

Request more information, meet the literacy needs of english learners through evidence-based practice..

Explore differentiated literacy instruction and develop theoretical and applied expertise to help you support English learners domestically and abroad.

Use the most up-to-date research to enhance teaching, curriculum design, and professional development in nearly any educational setting. Through online coursework, graduate ready to help English learners of all ages and backgrounds address the challenges they face.

Career Outlook: Teach English in the US or around the World

Qualified TESOL instructors are in high demand in the United States, especially in areas with significant immigrant and refugee communities like California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas, and other urban areas. 1 Even outside of the US experienced, trained teachers are greatly needed. Those with a TESOL degree are usually sought out for positions that go beyond teaching, such as teacher training, curriculum and materials development, and program administration. 2

Career Spotlight: Director of Literacy and ESL Services

As a director of literacy and ESL services, you supervise, mentor, and instruct faculty; create and review course materials; test and place students in TESOL programs; and mediate interactions between faculty and staff to mitigate concerns and take suggestions. You might also teach TESOL courses and take charge of administrative duties.

In this position, you can make up to $132,722 3 annually, depending on your experience and location.

Potential career titles:

• Supervisor for curriculum and instruction: TESOL
• Research specialist
• Higher education instructor

Curriculum: TESOL Skills to Help Students Thrive

Our courses are designated to meet the highest professional standards in TESOL set by the International TESOL Association. Learn to conduct in-depth examinations of linguistic differences and cultural characteristics of English learners in order to assess their academic needs and provide authentic, collaborative learning opportunities.

Engage with full-time, tenured St. John’s faculty members and benefit from their years of experience as national and international educators and their cutting-edge TESOL research. As you learn, connect with a dynamic and collaborative online learning environment.

In addition to 18 credit hours of core literacy courses and 15 credit hours of research required for the Ph.D. in Literacy, the TESOL specialization includes the following three courses:

• EDU 9001: Foundations of Bilingual and Second Language Education
• EDU 9003: Literacy Development for First and Second Language Learners
• EDU 9010: Linguistics for Teachers of English Language (ELL) and Exceptional Learners

Specialization Outcomes

• Examine principles, policies, educational models, research assessment, and technology in TESOL education.
• Learn the history of American education with an emphasis on linguistically diverse learner programs.
• Understand the theory and practice necessary to teach literacy and language arts to monolingual and linguistically, culturally diverse learners.
• Examine the cross-cultural framework for the study of birth through adolescent development, focusing on the effects of cultural heritage characteristics and socioeconomic levels.

More Specialization Options

Ph.d. in literacy: literacy.

Support literacy as the backbone of education from kindergarten to high school graduation, gain first-hand experience with expert faculty, and build a foundation for student success.

Help drive success among English learners with a specialization in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages as part of your online Ph.D. in Literacy through St. John’s University. Contact us at 844-393-1677 or request more information today!

• “Teaching Opportunities in the United States.” (n.d.). TESOL International Association. Retrieved on October 6, 2022, from https://www.tesol.org/enhance-your-career/career-development/beginning-your-career/teaching-opportunities-in-the-united-states .
• “Teaching Opportunities Outside the United States.” (n.d.). TESOL International Association. Retrieved on October 6, 2022, from https://www.tesol.org/enhance-your-career/career-development/beginning-your-career/teaching-opportunities-outside-the-united-states .
• “How much does a Director of Literacy make?” (December 13, 2021). Glassdoor, Inc. Retrieved on October 6, 2022, from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/director-of-literacy-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm .

English Language and Applied Linguistics PhD / MA

Ranking Top 30 QS world rankings 2024 Ranking details

Delivery format Online or in person

Start date Flexible – September or January encouraged

Duration Full time: PhD – 3 years, MA by Research – 1 year. Distance learning PhD: 4-6 years part-time

Award Doctorate / Master of Arts

Entry requirements Merit in a Masters degree Full requirements

Fees £4,921 (full-time), £2,461 (part-time) Fee details

• Visit our open day - 23 November

Page contents

Course overview.

Become an expert researcher at the forefront of your field. With an international reputation as a centre of excellence, our Department of Linguistics and Communication offers campus and distance-learning PhD supervision across a broad range of research areas.

Fees and scholarships

Full-time. Fee to be confirmed

Part-time. Fee to be confirmed

The fees quoted are for one year only. For those studying courses that are longer than one year, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

* For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change. The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2025.

Distance learning PhD:

• Fees for students joining between September 2024 and August 2025 are as follows: £12,330 part-time
• Fees for students joining between September 2025 and August 2026 are as follows: £12,760 part-time

Tuition fees will be payable each year for between four years (minimum registration) and six years (maximum registration). Students who go into Writing Up after four or five years will pay a nominal continuation fee (the same as for the full-time PhD).

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2025 entry are above.

Paying your tuition fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. You can check whether you are eligible for UK or international fees with our admissions team.

Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.

Funding options

Apply for a phd that already has funding attached.

These are most common in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine) subjects, but they can sometimes be available for pre-defined research projects in the arts, humanities or social sciences. These may be advertised as fully funded (with fees and a stipend) or competition funded, meaning the projects compete against other projects at each institution.

Self-fund, or search for funding or a studentship once you have an offer

You devise your own PhD topic, find a supervisor, write a research proposal and apply to the relevant programme. If you’re offered a place at Birmingham, you can then apply for studentships or funding from various sources. Our Postgraduate Scholarships and Funding database lists all available funding.

A limited number of scholarships and studentships may be available to outstanding applicants. For further information, please explore our scholarships and funding database.

Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership

For 2025 entry Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership is offering up to 87 fully funded PhD studentships for eligible students in arts and humanities through an Open Competition and 23 studentships through Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDA). 

The deadline for AHRC funding applications is 12:00 GMT on 13 January 2025.

Midlands Graduate School ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership 

For 2025 entry Midlands Graduate School ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership offers pathways at the University of Birmingham in:

• Applied Linguistics
• Area Studies
• Cross-disciplinary Methodologies and Advanced Data Analysis
• Economic and Social History
• Living in a Digital Society
• Socio-Legal Studies
• Sustainable Development, Net Zero and Climate Resilience 

The deadline for ESRC funding applications is 12:00 GMT on 21 January 2025 .

Application process

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online.

When proposing your own research topic you’ll need to make sure the department offers the necessary expertise. We ask that you identify an appropriate supervisor before you submit your application and contact them in the first instance to discuss your research proposal. 

If there is a good fit between your proposed research and our research strengths, we’ll be able to give you advice on a draft of your research proposal before you make a formal application.

When contacting a member of our staff, it would be helpful to include the following:

• A draft research proposal or a summary of your research ideas
• Details of university-level qualifications and any relevant professional experience
• Details on how you propose to fund your research

Please contact only one member of staff in the first instance . 

Find a supervisor

A summary of our key research areas, and staff working within those, can be found below.

• Applied linguistics and second language acquisition
• Corpus linguistics
• Discourse and analysis and stylistics
• Sign language and gesture
• Cognitive linguistics and psycholinguistics
• Iconicity and figurative language
• Sociolinguistics and language variation and change
• Quantitative linguistics and data visualisation

Research proposal

The research proposal is a key part of your application, so take your time. Your potential supervisors will use it to decide if your research is something they can support.

Your proposal should be a clear and concise summary of your research. It generally consists of an outline of your proposed research project, including your main research questions and the methods you intend to use.

You should also comment on the potential impact and importance of your intended research and on how your work would interact with current trends in your academic field. It should illustrate the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of the staff within your chosen department. 

The word count is typically 1,000-1,500 words for Arts programmes and around 2,500 words for Law programmes. 

Submitting your application 

If you are submitting your own research proposal, applications are accepted all year round. However, if you wish to start in September, we would encourage you to apply by 1 June. Whilst you are still welcome to apply after this date, it is important to allow time for us to review your application.

If you are seeking funding, please be aware that the majority of funding opportunities have deadlines in early spring so we would encourage you to apply as early as possible.

We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

If the programme has a Distance learning option then students will usually attend a residential visit in September or January, and those students wishing to attend the September residential are also encouraged to apply by 1 June 2024. The visit will take place at the end of September/beginning of October and you will receive further details once you have accepted your offer.

If you experience any difficulties with the application process and contacting potential supervisors, please contact us via the "Ask us a question" form above.

When you're ready, return to this page and begin your application by clicking APPLY NOW

Career opportunities

The University is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits.

The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers report.

Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique.

Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations.

Careers Network

Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one to one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters.

As a postgraduate researcher, you’ll benefit from tailored support to prepare you for a career in academia or set you up for a wide range of other professions.

We also offer subject specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.

Student experience

At Birmingham, your university experience isn’t just about studying. You will have the opportunity to discover new experiences, develop different skills and make friends for life.

Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.