Major Requirements

workshop

The linguistics major explores the structure of human language, including formal tools for collecting, describing, and analyzing linguistic data. The major also draws on courses offered by other departments and programs within the college, cutting across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Required Courses

The linguistics major requires a total of ten courses. All majors must take the basic five core courses. Students must also take five additional electives, at least three of which must be at the 200-level or above. Four of these electives must fit into either a pre-approved track or a specialized track arranged with the undergraduate advisor.

Core Courses

  • LING 110: Introduction to Linguistic Analysis
  • LING 210/410: Introduction to Language Sound Systems
  • LING 220/420: Introduction to Grammatical Systems
  • LING 225/425: Introduction to Semantic Analysis
  • LING 389: Senior Seminar
  • Recommended but not required: LING 224/424: Introduction to Computational Linguistics

In addition to the five core courses listed above, to complete a major in Linguistics you will need 5 more courses. At least two of these courses need to be at 200-level or above. Suggested tracks are listed below.

Suggested Tracks

Students are encouraged to choose one of the 5 thematic tracks suggested below. Alternatively, students may propose a track organized around a different theme. Individualized tracks must be consulted with and approved by the undergraduate advisor, Professor Asia Pietraszko.

1. Linguistic Theory

This track is recommended if you intend to pursue graduate study in linguistics.

  • LING 226 Morphology
  • LING 227 Topics in Phonetics and Phonology
  • LING 260 Syntactic Theory
  • LING 265 Formal Semantics or LING 266 Introduction to Pragmatics or LING 228 Lexical Semantics or LING 267 Nominal Semantics

Plus one elective.

2. Language Documentation and Description

  • LING 226 Morphology
  • LING 270 Two Suitcases and a Microphone
  • LING 271 Field Methods in Linguistic Description I
  • LING 272 Field Methods in Linguistic Description II

And one of:

  • LING 205 Historical Linguistics
  • LING 227 Topics in Phonetics and Phonology
  • LING 260 Syntactic Theory
  • LING 265 Formal Semantics
  • LING 224 Introduction to Computational Linguistics
  • LING 228 Lexical Semantics
  • LING 267 Nominal Semantics

3. Language variation and change

  • LING 102 Language and Social Identity
  • LING 162 Modern African-American English
  • LING 205 Historical Linguistics
  • LING 227 Topics in Phonetics and Phonology

Plus one 200-level elective.

4. Computational Linguistics

One of:

  • LING 224 Introduction to Computational Linguistics
  • LING 247 Natural Language Processing

One of:

  • LING 250 Data Science for Linguistics
  • LING 268 Computational Semantics

One of:

  • LING/CSC 248 Statistical Speech and Language Processing
  • LING 281 Statistical and Neural Computational Linguistics

One of:

  • LING 260 Syntactic Theory
  • LING 265 Formal Semantics
  • LING 266 Introduction to Pragmatics
  • LING 228 Lexical Semantics
  • LING 267 Nominal Semantics

Plus one elective.

5. Language and the Mind

  • LING 104 Language and Culture
  • LING 265 Formal Semantics
  • LING 266 Introduction to Pragmatics or LIN 228 Lexical Semantics or LING 267 Nominal Semantics
  • LING 245 Philosophy of Language

Plus one elective.

Upper Level Writing

All Linguistics majors must take two LING W courses to satisfy the Upper Level Writing (ULW) requirement of the major. The current offerings include: LING 204, LING 210W, LING 240, LING 260W, LING 265W & LING 270W.