The PhD program requires candidates to undertake a number of graduate level courses, pass a qualifying examination, and then carry out research in a chosen area. The candidates are required to publish research papers in journals of international repute.

• Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of language acquisition and development across psychological, social, cultural, and digital contexts, with emphasis on technology's impact on language use and learning.
• Master advanced linguistic analysis in theoretical and applied domains, focusing on formal modeling, computational linguistics, and contemporary analytic techniques.
• Develop expertise in designing and conducting independent research using interdisciplinary methods, including computational tools, corpus linguistics, and text analytics.
• Apply linguistic knowledge to real-world and cross-cultural issues, contributing to global research and professional practice in multilingual and international contexts.

• Analyze the impact of psychological, social, and digital factors on language acquisition, development, and use across diverse contexts.
• Critically evaluate cultural, socio-political, and social justice dimensions that influence language practices, ideologies, and communication systems.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in core linguistic domains—syntax, semantics, phonology, morphology, and pragmatics—with both theoretical and applied proficiency.
• Apply advanced linguistic analysis methods, including computational, corpus-based, and discourse-analytic techniques, in contextually relevant and real-world scenarios.
• Design and conduct empirical research using qualitative, quantitative, and computational methodologies, ensuring methodological rigor and ethical standards.
• Produce independent, original research of publishable quality, meeting international scholarly standards and contributing to global academic discourse.

The PhD requires the successful completion of 6 graduate-level courses, totaling 18 credit hours. Coursework must be completed in the first phase of the program and includes a mix of core, methodological, and elective courses.

Students become eligible to take the Comprehensive Examination upon successful completion of PhD coursework with a minimum CGPA of 3.0. This examination must be passed within two years of admission; failure to do so will result in cancellation of admission.

A student may commence work on the PhD thesis only after:

• Successfully passing the Comprehensive Examination, AND
• Receiving formal approval of the research synopsis by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The PhD dissertation must present original research.

A plagiarism test will be conducted on the dissertation prior to its submission to external evaluators.

The PhD dissertation shall be evaluated by a minimum of two PhD experts from academically or technologically advanced foreign countries.

If the foreign evaluators recommend the dissertation for the award of the PhD, a local committee consisting of two local experts and an internal evaluator will be formed. The thesis will then be sent to all three members of this committee for review.

Upon receiving favorable feedback from the local experts, the student is required to defend their dissertation before the committee. The student will be considered successful upon approval of the dissertation by the local committee.

Publication of One research article in an HEC approved “X” category journal OR Two research articles in an HEC approved “Y: category is a requirement for the award of the PhD degree.