However, all students are encouraged to integrate into the scholarly community on campus as much as possible, and to spend a good amount of time interacting with faculty and other students in the program. The curriculum provides students with a core set of courses, seminars, internships, and research experiences. Each student's program of study builds upon core requirements and is uniquely designed around individual interests, in consultation with the student's advisor. An important feature of the program in Language and Literacy is that students are encouraged to draw on the scholarly resources of the entire university and develop a cross-disciplinary program of study that includes courses from outside the College of Education. Cognate Study 12 semester hours are taken to broaden the student's understanding of the conceptual base and issues underlying the study of curriculum and instruction.
Students take related work outside their declared areas of concentration.
Students are expected to choose courses that have a clear link to their dissertation efforts. Cognate studies can be drawn from a broad range of offerings across the University. Dissertation and Independent Research 24 semester units of dissertation and independent research leading to completion of an approved dissertation are required. Doctoral students are also encouraged to participate in the Preparing Future Faculty Program offered by ASU's Graduate College. This program consists of two semester hours in which students learn faculty roles and responsibilities and participate in an ongoing series of integrative and collaborative seminars coordinated with the Graduate College.