Overview

A major emphasis of the program is to apply techniques developed in cognitive science and neuroscience to the study of language and language disorders.

The Language and Communicative Disorders program at the University of California, San Diego involves study and research on typical and atypical language acquisition and development, sign languages, bilingualism, and the neural bases of language use and language loss.

The program, the only one of its kind in California, was ranked fourth on the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index rankings compiled by Academic Analytics and released by The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2007.

Education

The program is innovative in that many of the requirements are designed to function as a model of professional preparation specifically incorporating activities in which a successful teacher and researcher must engage after obtaining the Ph.D.: students are required to participate in interdisciplinary research throughout the program, learn about the nature and ethics of research, prepare grant proposals, write manuscripts, and gain experience in oral presentations and teaching.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for the rigors of an academic/research career. They are qualified to serve as faculty in a variety of disciplines, and to provide leadership in teaching, research and health services.

Programme Structure

Concentrations:

The Adult Language

The Child Language

The Multilingualism

The Behavioral Dynamics

The Neural Imaging

The Neural Modeling

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-23 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-01 00:00:00

Language

English

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Diego, United States

Disciplines

Communication Studies Language Studies View 210 other PhDs in Language Studies in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

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AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Students must meet the general admission requirements for both universities. Generally, these include: (a) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; (b) a GPA of at least 3.25 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) credits of upper division and/or graduate courses; (c) good standing in the last institution attended; (d) suitable scores in the quantitative and verbal sections of the Graduate Record Examination, general test; and (e) submission of appropriate application forms and supporting materials as outlined below.

The policy of the program concerning students with advanced degrees (M.A., M.S.) is that they enter the program at the same level as all other students. Any student has the right to attempt to waive a specific class requirement.
Students applying to the Joint Doctoral Program must be admitted by both SDSU and UCSD.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

36477 USD / year

≈ 36477 USD / year
Out-of-State

36477 USD / year

≈ 36477 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

21375 USD / year

≈ 21375 USD / year

Living costs

San Diego

United States

1400 - 2455 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Language and Communicative Disorders.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Education

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

San Diego

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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