MA: Linguistics
The Master of Arts in Linguistics requires 36 hours of coursework including a mix of required courses and restricted and non-restricted electives in all the major linguistic subfields. There are two options for completing the MA: a thesis option and a non-thesis option. Thesis writers are required to do advanced coursework in phonology or syntax and 3-6 hours of thesis writing; non-thesis writers have a little more flexibility in their advanced coursework and take more courses at that level in lieu of thesis writing credits.
Core Courses (9 credit hours):
All students must take the following three courses and earn a grade of B or better:
Breadth of Study (6 credit hours):
All students must take at least two of the following Breadth of Study courses:
- LING 402-3: Phoenetics
- LING 412-3: Structure of Japanese
- LING 415-3: Sociolinguistics
- LING 417-3: Language Contact
- LING 426-3: Gender, Culture & Language
- LING 430-3: Grammatical Structures
- LING 445-3: Psycholinguistics
- LING 450-3: Language Families
- LING 500-3: Formal Semantics
- LING 543-3: Studies in Applied Linguistics
(substitutions allowed with program approval)
Integrative Studies (3 credit hours):
All students must also take at least one of the following Integrative courses:
- LING 506-3: Historical Linguistics
- LING 550-3: Seminar (LING 550A, LING 550B, LING 550C, LING 550D; each focus on different areas within linguistics)
- LING 552-3: Field Methods in Linguistics
(substitutions allowed with program approval)
Depth of Study (3 credit hours):
All students must take at least one of the following Depth of Study courses:
- LING 553-3: Advanced Phonology
- LING 558-3: Advanced Syntax
(substitutions allowed with program approval)
Additional coursework requirements diverge, depending on whether students choose the thesis or the non-thesis option for the MA.
The non-thesis option (3 credit hours):
Most MA Linguistics students graduate on the non-thesis track. This track requires an additional 3 credit hours from the Integrative and/or Depth of Study group(s):
- LING 506-3: Historical LInguistics
- LING 550-3: Seminar (LING 550A, LING 550B, LING 550C, LING 550D; each focus on different areas within linguistics)
- LING 552-3: Field Methods in Linguistics
- LING 553-3: Advanced Phonology
- LING 558-3: Advanced Syntax
(substitutions allowed with program approval)
The thesis option (3-6 credit hours):
MA Linguistics students who wish to write theses must formally apply to do so by the beginning of their third semester. If accepted to the thesis track, thesis-writing students must also enroll in a minimum of three and a maximum of six credit hours of LING 599 Thesis. Detailed inforamtion regarding the thesis may be found in the MA Thesis module.
Electives (9-12 credit hours):
To complete the 36 hours required for the MA degree in Linguistics, students may choose electives from among courses offered by the program or relevant coursese taught by faculty in other Programs such as Anthropology; Communication Disorders and Sciences; Communication Studies; Computer Science; English; Languages, Cultures, and International Studies; Philosophy; Psychology; and the College of Education and Human Services (subject to program approval).
Where appropriate, students are encouraged to take courses in quantitative and ethnographic research methods taught by Anthropology, Counseling, Quantitative Methods, or Special Education. Students are also encouraged to attend the annual summer institutes sponsored by the Linguistic Society of America and TESOL. Credit will be approved for course work successully completed in this way.