MA with a Major in Language and Culture Studies

Degree Details

The MA with a major in Language & Culture Studies prepares students to work as specialists in their field across language and culture boundaries.  Our graduates serve as:

    • Literacy specialists
    • Language surveyors
    • Scripture engagement consultants
    • Researchers
    • Other cross-cultural roles

Students must complete the Foundational Courses (15 credit hours),  Specialization Courses (12 credit hours), Electives (3-9 credit hours) and a Capstone Project (Thesis or Comprehensive Exam) to complete this 36 credit graduate degree. For more information about this degree, please contact your academic advisor or see our current catalog.

Persons interested in this program should apply for Graduate Admission to Dallas International University.  If previously enrolled at DIU in anything other than “graduate admission status”, you will need to change your admission status. For more information, contact MA-LCS-Coordinator@diu.edu.

Prerequisites

Prior to admission to the program, students must complete the following prerequisite requirements:

AA4350 Language and Society

AA4370 Cultural Anthropology

AL4304 Introduction to Language Structure*

 

*AL4304 Introduction to Language Structure is only required for students planning to take AA5355 Principles of Literacy or AA5934 Literacy Megacourse.  This prerequisite course may be substituted by taking all three of the following courses: AL4302 Principles of Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics, AL4303 Principles of Phonological Analysis, and AL4410 Principles of Grammatical Analysis.

Foundational Courses

Students select one course from each of the three categories: Language & Culture as Dynamic Systems, Research, and Training, plus two additional
foundational courses per the student’s choice for a total of 15 credit hours.

Courses (One course from each category required) Hours
A. Language and Culture as Dynamic Systems   3
AA5353 Language Development and Planning
AA5354 Language Contact
AA5374 Christianity Across Cultures
B. Research 3
WA5339 Research Methods in World Arts
AA5340 Ethnographic Research Methods
AA5341 Social Science Research Design and Methods
C. Training 3
AA5387 Training Across Cultures
Student Choice: Two Additional Foundational Courses (from the courses listed above) 6
Total hours of Foundational Courses 15

Specialization Courses

Students choose 12 credit hours from the following list of Specialization courses. Please note that specializing in Literacy will take AA5934 Literacy Megacourse for 9 credit hours, plus additional courses totaling 6 credit hours, but excluding AA5333 Principles of Literacy.

Specialization Courses Offered regularly Hours
AA5355 Scripture Engagement Methods 3
AA5356 Current Issues in Scripture Engagement 3
AA5392 Scripture Engagement Practicum 3
AA5357 Oral Tradition and Literature 3
AA5353 Language Development & Planning 3
AA5321 Multicultural Teamwork 3
AA5323 Multicultural Leadership 3
AA5333 Principles of Literacy 3
AA5934 Literacy Megacourse
 9
AA5352 Language Program Design & Management 3
AA5343 Principles of Multilingual Education 3
AA5372 Social & Political Organization 3
Specialization Courses offered only by individual study  
AA5377 Area Studies 3
AA5361 Principles of Language Survey 3
AA5362 Language Survey Methods 3
AA5373 Religion & Worldview 3
AA5366 Theory & Practice of Sociolinguistics 3
Total hours of Specialization Courses 12

Capstone (Comprehensive Exam or Thesis)

Students may choose the Thesis or Non-thesis option. Students select 9 credit hours of electives from any graduate courses listed in the DIU catalog if taking the comprehensive exam as their capstone project, or 3 credit hours of electives if taking the thesis option. Students may not select courses listed as Foundational or Specialization as their electives.

Non-thesis option (comprehensive exam) 9
     3 Electives (9 hours)
     Comprehensive Exam
Thesis option 9
     One Elective (3 hours)
     Thesis (6 hours)
Total Capstone hours 9