With the challenge of today’s more competitive and more globalised working environment, English language teachers need extra skills to compete and survive. One of the essential abilities is researching skill.

The Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics has the following goals:

- To promote significant doctoral-level research into major areas of applied linguistics in English language teaching and learning.

- To produce graduates with a profound understanding of applied linguistics and learner-centredness so they can teach and conduct research in applied linguistics effectively, and are able to apply the new knowledge in their teaching situation.

- To produce graduates who themselves are able to produce trainers who can develop personnel in this field.

The programme places an emphasis on research within these areas: Foreign Language Pedagogy, Independent/Autonomous Learning, Using Technology in Language Teaching and Learning, Teacher Development and Teacher Training, and Discourse Analysis.