College of Education and Human Development

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Multilingual education PhD

To ensure the success of all of our C&I MA and PhD current students, enhance the student experience for future graduate students, and based upon changing federal education guidelines and available funding, the Department of Curriculum & Instruction is pausing admissions on this program for one calendar year. No students will be admitted to start this program in the Fall 2027-Spring 2028 academic year. Admissions processes will resume in Fall 2027 to admit students for Fall 2028. All updated admissions information will be available by September 2027.

The pause of admissions only applies to the MA and/or PhD program on this page. This does not affect the admissions and enrollment procedures for other programs such as the Curriculum & Instruction's MEd programs or certificates. Those programs will continue to admit and enroll students without pause. 

The PhD program in multilingual education offers students the opportunity to research language use, teaching, learning, and policy. The ideal candidates for the program have a master’s degree in a related field and at least three years of teaching experience, with interests in furthering education and research in multilingual education.

Graduates leave the program prepared for research and teaching careers in higher education, and as policy leaders and language specialists in a variety of settings.

The program has helped me construct knowledge about language education from very different perspectives—as both a researcher and an advocate for bilingual and minority language education.

Zhongkui Ju, PhD 2019

Coursework

PhD curriculum

Your PhD coursework will center on your research interests. The program consists of 48 course credits and 24 doctoral thesis credits for a total of 72 credits. 

Students take classes in research methodology, multilingual education and acquisition, and a supporting academic area. 

You will plan your PhD curriculum based upon your research interests with your faculty adviser. To see curriculum requirements in detail, visit the course catalog, find Requirements > Program Sub-plan Requirements > Second Language Education. 

Research opportunities

Students can engage in research that advances the field of multilingual education and ties into their area of interest. Faculty advisers work closely with each student to achieve research and educational goals and improve educational opportunities for students. Learn more about the student research experience in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Examples of recent student dissertations:

  • Revitalizing language, reframing expertise: An ecological study of language in one teacher-learner’s Ojibwe classroom

  • Migrant adult learners and digital literacy: A collaborative study for sustainable change

  • Recuperating heritage languages, becoming transformative educators: Multilingual teachers and students of color transforming schools

  • Student oral proficiency in grade three Spanish immersion: linguistic diversity, student interaction, and differentiated scaffolding

  • Language instructors learning together: lesson study in higher education

Career outlook

Graduates of the program have assumed positions as university faculty, instructional leaders in the public schools, curriculum development specialists, and assessment specialists. Recent graduates have found employment in the following positions:

  • Augsburg College

  • Colby College

  • Hamline University

  • Indiana University

  • Minnesota State Universities

  • Monterey Institute of International Studies

  • New York University

  • Osaka University Japan

  • University of Alberta

  • University of Iowa

  • Warsaw University

    See faculty who teach in this area

    Martha Bigelow Martha Bigelow

    • Carmen Starkson Campbell Endowed Chair for Innovation in Teacher Development
    • she, her, hers
    • 612-624-7087
    • mbigelow@umn.edu

    My research interests span fields of education, applied linguistics, and cultural studies.

    Martha Bigelow

    Blanca Caldas Chumbes Blanca Caldas Chumbes

    • Associate Professor

    Blanca Caldas is an assistant professor in Multilingual Education and Elementary Education—College of Education and Human Development at The University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She completed her Ph.D.

    Blanca Caldas Chumbes

    Samuel David Samuel David

    My work as both a teacher and researcher at the University of Minnesota are centrally concerned with improving instruction for minoritized multilingual students across diverse classroom contexts.

    Samuel David headshot

    Mary Hermes Mary Hermes

    Mary Hermes' research focuses on language revitalization and how it can connect people to the land and the planet. She explores different ways of knowing and being through feminist and indigenous lenses.

    Mary Hermes

    Kendall King Kendall King

    • Professor of Multilingual Education, Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Faculty Development
    • 612-625-3692
    • kendall@umn.edu

    My scholarship addresses sociolinguistic, interactional and policy perspectives on second language learning and bilingualism, with particular attention to educational and familial practices impacting language use, language learning and equity.

    Profile photo of KK

    Karla Stone Karla Stone

    Dr. Karla Stone is a Senior Lecturer in Multilingual Education at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. In that role, she coordinates the initial license and M.Ed. program for MN K-12 ESL and World Language teacher candidates.

    Karla Stone
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