Doctor of Modern Languages at Middlebury: Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Middlebury College
1

Hello everyone,

I am interested in learning more about the Doctor of Modern Languages Program at Middlebury College. I am a recent high school graduate and therefore probably shouldn’t yet be thinking about graduate programs, but it is always good to consider. Throughout my high school career the programs at Middlebury were always highly spoken about by my teachers/mentors. Throughout my high school career, I took Spanish, French, Latin, and Chinese at different levels and also did self-study in additional languages. I know I want to get a Ph.D someday, but it will all start this Fall with a double B.A. in Spanish and Arabic with a minor in TESOL at Western Kentucky University.

Because I do greatly consider getting my Ph.D someday, I had several questions about the DML program at Middlebury and was wondering if alumni had the responses.

  • I would be interested in doing Spanish as the L1 and Arabic as the L2. Would this program certify me to teach the L1 and L2 as a professor at a university/college?
  • I have an interest in second language acquisition and as well as language teaching methods. Do students take required courses in these areas?
  • How is this program similar or different to other graduate programs?
  • Are stipends available for this program? What research experience and teaching experience does one get throughout the program?
  • What would be an ideal M.A. for this program since the DML focuses on two languages and M.A. programs usually focus on one? Should I do one in the L1 or could I do a related field like an M.A. in teaching world language?

Best! :slight_smile:

2

Hi. It’s great to learn of your interest in the program at Middlebury. Most of your questions can be easily answered by looking at the website or contacting the Dean or director of the language programs. What I can say is that you will require graduate level proficiency in both languages. You will be required to take entrance exams as part of the admissions process and demonstrate doctoral level competency. You will take courses in both languages, complete residency abroad in both languages, comprehensive exams in four areas of specialization etc. and provide evidence of at least three years of teaching or do supervised teaching at Middlebury. Your dissertation will be written in the primary language, summarized in the second language and defended in both. It’s a rigorous process but it definitely will give you a leg up on the job market. One of the major differences in the program is that you take courses in four areas of specialization and are required to pass comprehensive and oral exams in these areas to advance to candidacy where you will write your prospectus and decide on a dissertation advisor. This obviously gives you research and teaching competency in four substantial areas from which you may choose your dissertation topic. With regards to the preparation for admission, most doctoral students admitted come from very good language majors or comparative literature with many being native speakers of one of the language pairs. I hope this helps offer some guidance. Best of luck!

2 Likes