TESOL (PhD, 3 Years)

Tuition Fee

Start Date

2026-03-01

Medium of studying

On campus

Duration

36 months

Details

Program Details

Degree

PhD

Major

Language Acquisition | Linguistics | Translation

Area of study

Langauges

Education type

On campus

Timing

Full time

Course Language

English

Intakes

Program start date	Application deadline
2025-09-01	-
2026-03-01	-
2026-09-01	-

About Program

Program Overview

(PhD, 3 Years)

Duration

3 years

Qualification Awarded

Doctor of Philosophy in TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Level of Qualification

Doctorate Degree (3rd Cycle)

Language of Instruction

English

Mode of Study

Full-time or Part-time

Minimum ECTs Credits

180

Profile of the Programme

The general objectives of this PhD program are to provide students with a rigorous and intellectually challenging degree that prepares them to become autonomous researchers among the many aspects of TESOL, varying with individual interests and areas of specialization.

Doctoral students are expected to design and conduct an independent research project and produce a Thesis (80,000 words). Through their research project, students are expected to evidence an original contribution to knowledge, develop or apply innovative research and advance scholarly knowledge and professional practice in the field of TESOL.

More specifically the program aims to:

Develop students’ in-depth understanding and critical analysis of current literature and research methodology in the field of TESOL;
Provide students with a critical awareness of current problems and debates within the field, and enhance their skills in critical evaluation of theoretical and empirical literature relevant to TESOL and their area of specialization;
Provide students with the research skills and competencies to be able to undertake an original and significant research project that merits publication in the field of TESOL;
Develop students’ skills in communicating TESOL-related research knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
Enable students to make a significant and original contribution to the field of TESOL through the advancement of scholarly knowledge and professional practice
Enable students to become autonomous and expert researchers in the field of TESOL with an understanding of the quality of research required for potential peer-reviewed publications

Career Prospects

The program provides excellent career opportunities for those who wish to become professionals in education and English language teaching, working for educational establishments such as the Ministry of Education, public and private universities or public and private schools as academics/ researchers or administrators. In addition, the programme offers countless opportunities for work in research centres, academia, educational consulting centres, publishing houses and other organizations specializing in EFL/ELT materials and/or EFL course and test design. Overall, the PhD will provide graduates with strong opportunities when it comes to their career advancement and allow them to pursue a wider range of careers which require more specialized knowledge in a given area.

Admission Criteria

The minimum general requirement for admission to the post-graduate degree programme is a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised university (eg. American, European), or another recognised equivalent qualification).

In addition to the above, applicants must also satisfy the following requirements:

Accredited Master’s degree in TESOL, or Applied Linguistics, or English Language/ Linguistics
Teaching experience: at least one year
English language proficiency: Applicants should provide evidence of English language proficiency equivalent to C1-C2.
Initial Research Proposal: An initial proposal (2,000-2,500 words, excluding references) outlining the research topic, aim and objectives, research questions and proposed research methodology.
Application form: Applicants must submit an application form for admission and enrolment to the program. The application form requests general information about the applicant, their qualifications, relevant experience etc.
Statement of Purpose: Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive outline highlighting their academic and individual competencies and state why they believe they are suitable for admission to the Program, as well as their reflections regarding the expectations and value of the Program for their personal advancement and career development.
Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must obtain two recommendation letters from individuals who have known the applicant in an educational and/or professional environment. At least one of the recommendation letters must be from an academic institution where the applicant has studied previously.
Previous theses/dissertations and any published work of academic relevance (if any).
Individual Interviews. The interviews elicit motivation, potential and personal mission.

Assessment

Αssessment comprises the examination of the thesis proposal, the thesis, the presentation of the thesis as a public lecture and the oral examination (viva).

Graduation

The student must complete 180 ECTS and all programme requirements.

A minimum cumulative grade point average (CPA) of 2.0 is required. Thus, although a ‘D-‘ is a PASS grade, in order to achieve a CPA of 2.0 an average grade of ‘C’ is required.

Key Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, the students should be able to:

Demonstrate a systematic understanding of basic principles of research design, including an understanding of how to conceptualize TESOL/applied linguistics research, formulate researchable problems, and construct and test hypotheses.
Demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and inquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field.
Make a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge in TESOL by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication.
Manage successfully all the stages of a substantial research project, including managing data, and conducting and disseminating research in a way that is consistent with both professional practice and the normal principles of research ethics.
Identify and critically explain issues and areas needing development in their specialized TESOL
Demonstrate ability of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas, and challenge current assumptions and accepted practice within areas of TESOL.
Exhibit competence in the use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies in TESOL inquiry, and to exhibit skills in the use of quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods.
Develop skills in the dissemination of findings to the wider academic community, initially through writing-up their Thesis and then through publishing their work in internationally refereed publications and/or presenting at academic conferences and seminars.
Demonstrate a reflective approach to their research, professional development and their own area of practice.
Act autonomously in the planning and implementation of research.
Communicate with their peers, the larger scholarly community, the profession and with society in general and promote their areas of expertise.

Academic Path

Section: A – Courses

Min. ECTS Credits: 180 Max. ECTS Credits: 180

Course Code | Course Title | ECTS Credits ---|---|--- PHD-700 | Research Methods | 15 PHD-710 | Research Proposal | 15 PHDF-100 | Doctoral Course – Fall semester | 30 PHDS-100 | Doctoral Course – Spring semester | 30

Semester Breakdown

Semester 1

Course ID | Course Title | ECTS Credits ---|---|--- PHD-700 | Research Methods | 15 PHD-710 | Research Proposal | 15