TESOL (Ph.D.)
Sookmyung Women’s University has been significantly contributing to English education in Korea by cultivating professional English educators through high-quality academic programs. In 1997, Sookmyung Women's University established the first TESOL program in Korea, and since then, Sookmyung has been recognized as having the best TESOL program in Korea and international community.
In 2019, TESOL Ph.D. program in which all courses are offered was launched. This program aims to prepare students to understand various critical aspects of language, literacy, and education, and bridge gaps between research and practice. This program is designed for individuals who seek to be faculty researchers, teacher educators, English program developers, material developers, and so on.
Requirements
Ph.D. Coursework
You need to take 12 3-credit hour courses (i.e., a total of 36 credit hours) to complete your Ph.D. degree. There will be no restriction as to what courses are required and what are optional.
Publication Requirements
You are required to get at least TWO research papers in academic journals listed in KCI (Korea citation index; 등재지) or KCI candidates (등재후보지) before graduation. If you are an international student, you may get your research papers published in academic journals back in your home country in your native language. However, the journals must be in the same index level as KCI (Korea citation index) or KCI candidates. If you are not clear about this point, you can contact your advisor.
Comprehensive Examination
You are required to take comprehensive examinations in 4 subject areas. You can choose the 4 subject areas out of 12 courses that you complete. You are allowed to take comprehensive exams after completing at least 18 credit hours.
Academic Symposium
An academic symposium will be held twice a year – in August and in February. Students are expected to present their academic papers or research ideas in the symposium and will receive feedback from professors and colleagues. Students can use this opportunity to develop their research ideas or to upgrade their research paper, which will increase the possibility of their research papers being published.