18 Characteristics of UTSA Doctoral Programs

Program Admission Requirements. In addition to the University-wide admission requirements, the minimum requirements for admission to the Doctoral degree program in Culture, Literacy and Language (CLL) are as follows:

1. A master’s degree in an area such as the following: anthropology, applied linguistics, bicultural-bilingual studies, foreign language education, history, international business, linguistics, psychology, sociology, and teaching English as a Second Language. Masters’ degrees in other fields may be accepted, subject to the approval of the Doctoral Studies Committee.
2. A portfolio consisting of the following items will be evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee, comprised of members selected from the graduate faculty of the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies:
• A master’s degree transcript documenting a grade point average of 3.5 or better in an approved master’s degree program.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for exam taken within the last five (5) years.
• Advanced proficiency in a language other than English to be demonstrated by examination or approved coursework.
• For students whose master’s degree is from a non-English speaking university, submission of a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of no less than 550 on the Paper-based Test (PBT), 79 on the Internet-based Test (iBT), or 6.5 on IELTS.
• Three letters of recommendation attesting to the student’s academic and personal attributes for success in the program and potential for contributing substantially to a field of study related to the degree.
• Statement of Purpose: A description of research interests, reasons for seeking doctoral study, and connections between the applicant’s interests/professional goals and the program in Culture, Literacy and Language (limit of three pages).
• Academic writing: A sample of academic writing such as a paper written for a course, a master’s thesis or a scholarly publication.

For more details, see http://www.graduateschool.utsa.edu/prospective_students/academic_programs