Discover the science behind language.
Linguistics isn’t about learning to speak new languages. It’s about uncovering how language works. Our undergraduate courses explore the patterns, systems, and social forces that shape human communication. Whether you’re drawn to sound, meaning, technology, or culture, you’ll find a place to start here.
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LING 110 Intro to Linguistic Analysis
This is the course that opens every door in linguistics. In LING 110, you’ll learn how linguists uncover the hidden rules behind language, from the sounds that make words to the structures that shape meaning. The course introduces all the major subfields of linguistics (phonetics, syntax, semantics, and more) through hands-on data analysis and real-world examples. No previous background required.
Our Courses
Our curriculum offers multiple entry points into the study of language. The 100-level courses are designed for a broad audience and explore contemporary social and cultural issues through the lens of language. These courses don’t require any prior background and introduce students to how linguists think about communication, identity, and human interaction. The 200-level and higher courses form the core of the major and minor, providing a more technical foundation in areas like syntax, phonology, and semantics. These advanced courses build on LING 110: Intro to Linguistic Analysis, the gateway course that equips students with the analytical tools needed for deeper study in linguistics.
Featured Courses - Fall 2026
Check out some of our featured courses for the upcoming Fall 2026 semester. For a full and updated list of Linguistics courses and their descriptions, explore our course catalog.
LING 107 Language, Memory, and Landscape
Humans have thrived in diverse, often harsh environments all over the earth for many millennia by passing on important bodies of knowledge of landscape and climate across many generations. How does this work? In this course we will study the deep relationship between people, their environment and...
LING 205 Intro to Historical Linguistics
This course is designed to give an introduction to the principles of linguistic variation and change, and to examine their practical application in the interdisciplinary subfields of historical linguistics and historical sociolinguistics. Topics covered include diachrony and synchrony, genetic relations, the...
LING 215/415 Languages of Africa
About 2,000 of the world’s 7,000 languages are spoken in Africa. The diversity that characterizes these languages is exceptional, but little known to non-specialists. In this course, we will learn about the languages of Africa: the diversity of their linguistic structures (including famous features that are...
LING 237/437 Phonology
This course introduces students to the core principles and analytical tools of phonology—the study of how speech sounds are organized in human language. Through examination of diverse phonological patterns from a typologically broad set of languages, students will explore the most active and exciting...
LING 526 Morphological Theory
This course is an overview of advanced topics in morphology. The course first introduces students to the landscape of possible morphological theories and what different implications they hold for linguistic theory more broadly, since morphology interfaces with syntax, phonology, and semantics. The...
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For more information about the Department of Linguistics, our programs, our research, or our courses, send us an email.