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Graduate Certificate in Linguistics

Dawn Bates, certificate advisor

The linguistics certificate provides students with critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills as well as an in-depth understanding of the complexities of human communication in various social contexts. This certificate will help students enhance their understanding of their chosen field and advance in their careers.

Overview and Description

The field of linguistics has grown rapidly since the 1960s. with an expanding interest in the analysis of language and the application of this knowledge to the solution of real problems such as language teaching, translation and artificial intelligence.

The Linguistics Society of America provides information on job opportunities for linguists in the private sector (academic and industry jobs).

This interdisciplinary graduate certificate in linguistics offers students in several fields the opportunity to gain an understanding of the way in which languages are structured, how they are acquired and how they vary over time, space, social distance and situational contexts.

The type of skills acquired through the completion of the core courses for this certificate include analytical abilities, critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. In addition, the kind of knowledge acquired in the areas of discourse analysis and pragmatics make students aware of the necessity to use appropriate registers and styles when creating written documents or oral presentations to different audiences.

Faculty from several different disciplines participate in the program. Currently, linguistics courses are offered in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering and eight departments at ASU.

The 18-credit linguistics certificate can be completed easily within a two-year period as a complement to another degree or as a stand-alone certificate obtained by working professionals. It is appropriate for ASU students, many of whom will be entering the technology and educational workforce after obtaining their degree. It also provides opportunities for people in the workforce to enhance their skills and broaden their knowledge of linguistic issues.

Certificate Curriculum

Upon completion of the certificate program, students should be able to analyze linguistic data and understand how language use varies according to time, space, social context and characteristics of individual speakers (e.g., age, sex, social class, ethnicity).

Prerequisite Course Work

The prerequisite for the program is an introductory course in linguistics taken at the upper-division or graduate level. Introductory course in linguistics (taken at the upper-division or graduate level, e.g., FLA 400/598, LIN 510, ASB 480/598 or equivalent).

Required Course Work

The certificate requires 18 credit hours—nine hours of core course work and nine hours of electives—to be determined by the student in consultation with a program faculty advisor. Students may transfer three credit hours of graduate level linguistics courses from another institution to this certificate. Students must submit the syllabus, reading list, exams, papers and a copy of official transcripts of any courses taken elsewhere to the certificate faculty advisor so that an evaluation may be done of their suitability for transfer. In addition, official transcripts attesting to the completion of these courses must be sent to the Graduate Admissions office of the Graduate College at ASU, Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 871003, Tempe, AZ 85287-1003.

The required nine-hour core of the certificate consists of courses in phonology, syntax and discourse analysis/pragmatics. The other three courses (nine hours) may be chosen from fields such as second language acquisition, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, computer science, education or language and culture.

All certificate course work must be completed with an average grade of "B" (3.00) or better.

Required Core
LIN 511 Phonology (3)
LIN 514 Syntax (3)
LIN 516 Discourse/Pragmatic Analysis (3)

Students must complete one three-credit course in each category:

  • Phonology: courses in this category provide an in-depth discussion understanding of current trends in phonological theory. The course also involves practice in phonological analysis.
  • Syntax: courses in this category provide students with an in-depth understanding of how to analyze syntactic structure using contemporary theoretical models. The course includes practice in syntactic analysis and discussion of theoretical issues.
  • Discourse/pragmatic analysis: courses in this category provide an in-depth understanding of how language is used appropriately to fulfill communicative functions in various social contexts and how language is structured in conversation and written text.

Electives
The remaining nine hours (three courses) should be chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor within one of four emphases to complement the professional needs of the student completing the certificate. The following courses are sample electives:

  1. Natural language processing

    CSE 457/598 Theory of Formal Languages
    CSE 476/598 Introduction to Natural Language Processing
    CSE 576 Topics in Natural Language Processing

  2. Second language acquisition/applied linguistics

    One course in second language acquisition theory chosen from the grid of ASU linguistics courses (e.g., FLA 515 Second Language Acquisition, LIN 572 Theories of Acquisition of ESL)
    One course on the social aspects of language chosen from the grid of ASU linguistics courses
    One course in applied linguistics or pedagogy (e.g., LIN 574 Methods of Teaching ESL, SPA 420/598 Spanish Applied Linguistics, FRE 422/598 Applied French Linguistics, FLA 525 Trends and Issues in Teaching Foreign Languages; BLE 520 ESL for Children; FLA 598 Technology in the Foreign Language Classroom; SPF 691 Educational Language Policies; SPF 691 Literary Theory and Social Policy; LIN 591 Language Assessment and Testing)

  3. Sociolinguistics

    One course on regional language variation and change chosen from the ASU grid of linguistics courses
    One course on the social aspects of language chosen from the ASU grid of linguistics courses

  4. Educational linguistics

    BLE 791 Educational Linguistics
    BLE 541 Nature of Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition
    SPF 691 Literacy Theory and Policies OR SPF 691 Educational Language Policies

    For instance, students and working professionals in computer science can concentrate on courses in natural language processing, while prospective teachers, or those in the field, can focus on second language acquisition, sociolinguistics/language variation and change and educational linguistics/policy issues. Ph.D.s in literature can take courses in second language acquisition to aid in language/composition supervisory positions and sociolinguistics for a better understanding of the language used in literary texts.

Eligibility and Application

The graduate certificate in linguistics is available to all ASU graduate students irrespective of their major and to nondegree graduate students and working professionals provided they meet eligibility criteria. Students are advised that only nine hours may be taken in nondegree/certificate status and applied to a graduate degree/certificate program.

Eligibility requirements for obtaining the graduate certificate include having:

  1. Complete of an undergraduate bachelor's degree from an U.S. accredited institution or equivalent.
  2. Formal knowledge of a foreign language, equivalent to two years of study of a foreign language at the university level or plans to fulfill the language requirement concurrently with their certificate courses. The language requirement may be met by completion of courses through the second-year level (four semesters) at ASU or elsewhere, or completion of an upper-division language course with an average of "B" (3.00) or better for all such course work (200 or 300-level), or through examination (language placement tests available online under Language Placement Policies and Tests), indicating they should be placed above the 200-level. If this requirement is not already fulfilled at the time of application, candidates must demonstrate completion of this requirement at the end of their certificate course work, in order for their certificate to be granted.
  3. Taken an introductory course in linguistics taken at the upper-division or graduate level, e.g., FLA 400/598, LIN 510, ASB 480/598 or equivalent.

Application Process

Students interested in earning the graduate linguistics certificate must apply to the University Graduate Admissions by completing an online application, and also to the Department of English. Official transcripts must be sent to Graduate Admissions (code 4007).

Once the application is complete, certificate program staff will contact the applicant to arrange an appointment with Dawn Bates, the certificate faculty advisor. Normally, these appointments will be in late February.

The following items must be mailed to the graduate program coordinator, English Department, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 870302, Tempe, AZ 85287-0302, preferably in one envelope.

  1. A one- to two-page, well-considered statement of purpose detailing the student's background and reasons for wanting to do the linguistics certificate.
  2. Photocopies of transcripts.

For further information e-mail enggrad@asu.edu or call 480-965-3194.

Questions about the application process and other logistical matters concerning the certificate should be directed to Sheila Luna at 480-965-3194, sheila.luna@asu.edu.

Supporting Documentation
At the initial meeting with the certificate faculty advisor students must submit a copy of official transcripts attesting to the completion of a bachelor's degree from a U.S.-accredited institution or equivalent, and/or showing any courses to meet the language requirement and any core and/or elective courses already taken toward the certificate. Proof of a complete bachelor's degree is only required of students admitted to the certificate program as nondegree graduate students. Students who apply to the graduate certificate in linguistics, and who are admitted to ASU as nondegree graduate students, will be denied admission to the certificate program if they do not hold a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent. Graduate students who have already been admitted to an ASU degree program will have already had their undergraduate credentials verified and no additional verification will be required.

Certificate Completion

Supporting documentation for final application for the certificate:
Students must also submit transcripts of all course work, ASU and other, that indicate the grades received in all courses required for the certificate. These materials must be submitted to the certificate faculty advisor.The certificate faculty advisor will keep track of students' progress toward completion of certification requirements.

The student will complete the application for awarding of a graduate certificate form. The student will be awarded a certificate when they fulfill the requirements.

For further information contact Sheila Luna at 480-965-3194 or sheila.luna@asu.edu.