Degree Requirements for the Major in Linguistics
General Program B.A.: 36 credits in the major
field of study, including: A Lin 220M, 321,
322, 421 or 422, 429; one year of a foreign
language (or A Lin 423, Linguistic
Structures)*, as advised; additional credits,
as advised, including a minimum of 3 credits
at the 300 level or above; these are to be
chosen from courses offered by the Program in
Linguistics and Cognitive Science and from
approved courses in other departments.
*This language should be of radically
different structure from the foreign language
chosen for the language proficiency
requirement (See below.) Non-Indo-European
languages are usually advised. Credits earned
in A Lin 289 may be counted toward the 36-credit
requirement only if used to fulfill
this one-year language requirement.
Other Degree Requirements
Language Requirement: Majors are required to
demonstrate competence in a foreign language
equivalent to two years of study of skill
courses in a foreign language at the college
level. This requirement may be satisfied by
course work or the passing of the appropriate
examination. Credits earned for the
proficiency requirement are additional to the
36-credit requirement described above.
Courses in other departments approved for the
linguistics major. (Some of these courses may
have prerequisites within the departments
offering them.) Consult the undergraduate
adviser of the Linguistics and Cognitive
Science Program for modifications in this
list.
A Ant 424; A Clc 125; A Com 373, 465; A Csi
101N, 201N, 310; A Eng 311L; A Fre 306, 406,
450; A Heb 203; A Phi 210L, 332, 415, 432;
A Por 402; A Psy 301, A Psy 365, 381; A Spn
401, 402, 405; one of the following: A Gog
396, A Mat 108, A Psy 210, or A Soc 221.
Honors Program
Declared majors in linguistics who have
completed 12 or more credits of A Lin courses
may apply to the program by letter to the
director of the Program in Linguistics and
Cognitive Science. The requirements are as
follows:
- The major GPA must be at least 3.5, and
the overall GPA must be at least 3.25.
- Students are required to take 39 credit
hours. In addition to satisfying all the
linguistics major requirements, the 39 hours
must include 12 credits of 400 level A Lin
courses. Of these 12 credits, seven must come
from A Lin 429 Field Methods inm
Anthropological Linguistics (4 credits) and
A Lin 423 Language Structures (3 credits),
which constitute a seven credit sequence
involving original research projects. Three
credits must come from A Lin 495 Honors
Thesis (described below). The remaining
credits can come from any 400-level Lin
course.
- Students must take A Lin 495 Honors
Thesis in which they write a major research
paper. The paper can be based on new research
or can be a major revision of a paper written
for a previous A Lin class or independent
study. This course should be taken during the
final semester of the student's senior year,
under the supervision of an appropriate
member of the LINCS faculty. All students in
Lin 495 will make an oral presentation of
their research before submitting the final
written version.
Combined B.A./M.S. Program
The combined B.A./M.S. program in linguistics
and teaching English to speakers of other
languages provides an opportunity for
students of recognized academic ability and
educational maturity to fulfill integrated
requirements of undergraduate and master's
degree programs from the beginning of their
junior year. A carefully designed program can
permit a student to earn the B.A. and M.S.
degrees within nine semesters.
The combined program requires a minimum of
143 credits, of which at least 35 must be
graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.A.,
students must meet all University and college
requirements, including the requirements of
the undergraduate major described previously,
the minor requirement, the minimum 90-credit
liberal arts and sciences requirement,
general education requirements and residency
requirements. In qualifying for the M.S.,
students must meet all University and college
requirements as outlined in the Graduate
Bulletin including completion of a minimum of
35 graduate credits and any other conditions
such as a research seminar, thesis,
comprehensive examination, professional
experience and residency requirements. Up to
12 graduate credits may be applied
simultaneously to both the B.A. and M.S.
programs.
Students are considered undergraduates until
completion of 120 graduation credits and
satisfactory completion of all B.A.
requirements. Upon meeting B.A. requirements,
students are automatically considered as
graduate students.
Students may apply for admission to the
combined degree program at the beginning of
their junior year or after the successful
completion of 56 credits, but no later than
the accumulation of 100 credits. A cumulative
grade point average of 3.20 or higher and
three supportive letters of recommendation
from faculty are required for consideration.
Students will be admitted to the combined
program upon the recommendation of faculties
of the Program in Linguistics and Cognitive
Science and the Department of Educational
Theory and Practice set up to administer the
combined degree program.
Courses
A Lin 100M Understanding Language (3)
General Education: SS
General introduction to all aspects of the
nature and use of language. Language
acquisition, language loss, language change,
language in society. Films and television
documentaries augmented by readings and
written exercises. May not be offered during
1999-2000.
A Lin 216 (= A Eng 216) Traditional Grammar and Usage (3)
Thorough coverage of traditional grammar and
usage with an introduction to the principles
of structural and transformational grammar.
Brief exploration into recent advances in
linguistic thought. Practice in stylistic
analysis using such grammatical elements as
syntax, voice, subordination and sentence
structure.
A Lin 220M (= A Ant 220M & Eng 217M) Introduction to Linguistics (3)
General Education: SS
Introduction to the study of language,
including examination of the characteristics
and structural principles of natural
language. After exploring the basic
characteristics of sound, word formation and
sentence structure, these principles are
applied to such topics as: language
variation, language change,
psycholinguistics, pragmatics, and animal
communication. Only one of A Lin 220M, A Ant
220M, & A Eng 217M may be taken for credit.
A Lin 289 Directed Study in Foreign Language (4)
Study of a foreign language not regularly
taught at the University; independent work
with the guidance of a faculty member using
recordings and other material; meetings with
native speakers when possible. A limited
number of languages may be offered in any one
year. May be repeated for a different
language or for more advanced study in the
same language. Prerequisite(s): permission of
undergraduate adviser.
A Lin 301 (= A Phi 301 & A Psy 301) Introduction to Cognitive Science (3)
Cognitive science investigates the nature of
the human mind and cuts across several
disciplines (e.g., psychology, computer
science, philosophy, linguistics). This
course examines the approaches these
disciplines use to promote our understanding
of various mental phenomena (e.g.,
perceiving, reasoning, production and
comprehension of language, memory.) Only one
of A Lin 301, A Phi 301 & A Psy 301 may be
taken for credit. May not be offered during
1999-2000.
A Lin 321 (= A Ant 321) Introduction to Syntax (3)
The human ability to produce and understand
an infinite number of different sentences is
one of the most remarkable capabilities we
have. The study of the structure of sentences
is called syntax, and this course is an
introduction to syntactic theory. The
particular approach we will be pursuing is
called generative grammar, the approach to
syntax pioneered by linguists such as Noam
Chomsky. Chomsky argues that all humans are
born with an unconscious knowledge of
Universal Grammar, the basis on which the
grammars of all languages are built. Through
a detailed examination of English sentence
structure, we will investigate the
connections between English syntax and
Universal Grammar. Only one of A Lin 321 &
A Ant 321 may be taken for credit.
Prerequisite(s): A Lin 220M or permission of
instructor.
A Lin 322 (= A Ant 322) Introduction to Phonology (3)
Introduction to the description and analysis
of human speech sounds and their
organization. Introduction to articulatory
phonetics and the International Phonetic
Alphabet followed by examination and
generative phonological analysis of data from
English and a wide range of other languages.
Only one of A Lin 322 & A Ant 322 may be
taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Lin 220M
or permission of instructor.
A Lin 325 (= A Ant 325) Sociolinguistics (3)
Introduction to the study of language as a
social phenomenon. Includes basic
sociolinguistic concepts, interactional
sociolinguistics, social dialects, black
English, diglossia, bilingualism and
bilingual education. Only one of A Lin 325 &
A Ant 325 may be taken for credit.
Prerequisite(s): A Lin 220M or permission of
instructor.
A Lin 421Z (= A Ant 421Z) Advanced Syntax (3)
General Education: WI
This course continues the investigation of
the relationship between the grammars of
particular languages and Universal Grammar.
We will examine the syntax of several
languages from around the world asking
ourselves the following questions: a.) How do
the principles that organize the grammars of
other languages around the world compare to
English? b.) What grammatical properties are
true for all languages? We will discuss the
answers to these questions in the light of
generative grammar. Only one of A Lin 421Z &
A Ant 421Z may be taken for credit. The
former A Lin 421 & A Ant 421 do not yield
writing intensive credit. Prerequisite(s):
A Lin 321 with grade of C or higher.
A Lin 422 (= A Ant 422) Advanced Phonology (3)
Advanced studies in generative phonological
theory, with a focus on the analysis of
prosodic phenomena such as stress, tone, and
accent. Discussion of recent theoretical
trends in phonology. Only one of A Lin 422 &
A Ant 422 may be taken for credit.
Prerequisite(s): A Lin 322 with grade of C or
higher. May not be offered during 1999-2000.
A Lin 423 Linguistic Structures (3)
Investigation of the structure of a selected
language, language family, or language area;
may be repeated for credit when topic
differs. Prerequisite(s): A Lin 321 or 322 or
consent of instructor.
A Lin 425 Comparative and Historical Linguistics (3) (= A Ant 425)
Language development and change. Language
classification, linguistic reconstruction.
Prerequisite(s): A Ant 220M or A Lin 220M or
consent of instructor. May not be offered
during 1999-2000.
A Lin 429 Field Methods in Anthropological Linguistics (4)
An introduction to the techniques of
collecting and analyzing primary linguistic
data from native speakers, taught through
intensive examination of a selected language;
may be repeated for credit with change in
language. Prerequisite(s): A Lin 321 or 322
or permission of instructor.
A Lin 495 Honors Thesis (3)
Students in the honors program should enroll
in A Lin 495 during one semester of their
senior year. Students will write a major
paper under the supervision of a faculty
member in the Program in Linguistics &
Cognitive Science, and deliver an oral
presentation of their research.
Prerequisite(s): Admission to the honors
program in Linguistics.
A Lin 497 Independent Study in Linguistics (1-6)
Independent reading or research on a selected
topic in linguistics, under the direction of
a faculty member. Normally taken for 3
credits, but if the nature of the project
warrants it, as many as 6 credits may be
earned in one term; may be taken a second
time, with approval, for a maximum total of
12 credits. Prerequisite(s): a 300-level
course from the list of courses approved for
the linguistics major; permission of
instructor and director of linguistics
program.
A Lin 499 Seminar on Topics in Linguistics (3)
Seminar on selected topics in linguistic
theory and methodology, chosen on the basis
of current interest; may be repeated for
credit with change of topic. Prerequisite(s):
varies with topic, usually a 300-level
linguistics course: permission of instructor.
