Master of Arts in English (Linguistics)

Elly van Gelderen, program director

Admission Requirements

Specific Course Requirements

Track I Course Requirements (General Linguistics)

Track II Course Requirements (Applied Linguistics)

Thesis Committee Membership

Non-Thesis Option

Language Requirement

FAQ

Admission

Candidates for admission to the Master of Arts (M.A.) program with concentration in linguistics must submit the following:

1. Graduate Application
2. Statement of purpose.
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. Resume or vita
5. Official transcripts.

Department of English application process.The deadline is January 15th.

Specific Course Requirements

The Master of Arts in English with a concentration in Linguistics consists of 30 semester hours of graduate courses. Two tracks are available in the program: Track I: General Linguistics and Track II: Applied Linguistics.

Track I: General Linguistics

The general linguistics program must include the linguistics core, consisting of the following courses or their equivalent:

LIN 500 Research Methods
LIN 515 American English or LIN 516 Pragmatics
LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology
LIN 514 Syntax
One Advanced Studies in Linguistics course (LIN 610, 614, 615, 616, 617)
LIN 599 Thesis (6) or LIN 593 Applied Project (3) for non-thesis option
Three electives (9) chosen in consultation with the advisor

Track II: Applied Linguistics: Second Language Acquisition

LIN 500 Research Methods
LIN 515 American English or LIN 516 Pragmatics
LIN 511 Phonetics and Phonology or LIN 514 Syntax
LIN 520 Theories Underlying the Acquisition of English as a Second Language
One course chosen from: LIN 521, 522, 523, 524, 615, 616, 620
LIN 599 Thesis (6) or LIN 593 Applied Project (3) for non-thesis option.

Three electives (9) hours chosen in consultation with the advisor

Note: For both the general and applied linguistics tracks, LIN 510 English Linguistics, or its equivalent, is prerequisite to all of these core courses. It may be taken concurrently with other 500-level courses in the first semester of the program. LIN 500 Research Methods should be taken as early as possible in the student's course work.

Thesis Committee Membership

In addition to the departmental expectation that a student's thesis committee chair be a member of the English Department, a linguistics student must have at least one of the English Department's regular linguistics faculty on her/his committee. This linguistics representative can be either the chair or a member of the committee.

Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate evidence of a competent knowledge of a natural language other than modern English, to be selected by the student, subject to the approval of the chair of the thesis committee. This requirement may be fulfilled in any of the following ways:

• Earning a “B” (3.00) or higher in a 400- or 500-level course in an appropriate (approved) language.
• Demonstrating comparable proficiency by taking a language examination, administered by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
• Demonstrating native speaker proficiency, as determined by the School of International Letters and Cultures, in a language approved by the student’s supervisory committee.
• Earning a “B” (3.00) or higher in both ENG 530 Old English and ENG 531 Old English Literature or their equivalent.
• Holding a bachelor’s degree in an approved foreign language.