Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning, Literacies, Literature and Learning

The Literacies, Literature, and Learning (LLL) specialization encompasses fields such as Reading and Writing Development, Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and English Education across early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary contexts. Students will gain a broad understanding of literacy, literature, and English education while also developing a deep understanding in a specific area of scholarship.

Students who began the T&L PhD program in AU24 or prior should follow the curriculum of one of the 8 areas of study associated with the PhD program prior to its redesign. This specialization only pertains to students who began in AU25, or, those who began prior and have already discussed and executed a specialization change with their faculty advisor. If you have any questions regarding which plan of study is most appropriate for you, please consult with your faculty advisor.

Focus Areas

Emergent literacy
Reading and writing development
Issues in research on literacy
Reading difficulties
Digital and multimodal composing
Media, information literacy and popular culture

Children’s and young adult literature
English education
Adolescent literacies
Literacy in out-of-school spaces
Digital literacies
Critical literacies

Students may also develop individualized foci in conjunction with their advisor and faculty committees. Students will explore and conduct research on these topics from a range of perspectives (e.g., cognitive, developmental, sociocultural, literary, critical) with faculty who are committed to advancing equity, diversity and social justice for all readers and writers. Graduates are prepared to engage in scholarship as tenure-track faculty members and in roles outside the academy.