Degree Requirements

Master of Arts

Candidates for the master’s degree must complete thirty-six semester hours of coursework and submit a thesis or report for approval by a supervising committee.

The following coursework is required. A course used to fulfill requirement 1 or 2 may not also be used to fulfill requirement 3.

1. Linguistics 380K, 380L, 380M, 381M, and 385.
2. Six additional hours of research equivalencies (Linguistics 381K, 381L, 389C, 389D, 389P, 389S, 389V, 395, any advanced course or non-core area course) in the primary area of interest.
3. Six hours in a minor area.
4. Linguistics 398R or 698.
5. The remaining six hours of coursework for the report option, or remaining three semester hours for the thesis option, must be fulfilled by courses approved by the graduate adviser.

During the first year, students write a first year paper in conjunction with a research course. During the second year they write their master¹s report or thesis.

The department has no formal language requirement, but the faculty recommends that students have or acquire some familiarity with at least one language other than their native language.

Doctor of Philosophy

Candidates for the doctoral degree in linguistics must complete the following courses. A course used to fulfill requirement 1 or 2 may not also be used to fulfill requirement 3.

1.  Linguistics 380K, 380L, 380M, 381M, 385, and 397.
2.  At least one research equivalency (Linguistics 381K, 381L, 389C, 389D, 389P, 389S, 389V, 395, any advanced course or non-core area course, including approved courses in other departments) each semester during the first three years.
3. Six hours in a minor area.
4. The remaining twelve hours of coursework must be fulfilled by courses approved by the graduate adviser.

The minor area and research equivalency courses form a core part of the Program of Work which must be approved by the graduate adviser.

The department has no formal language requirement, but the faculty recommends that students have or acquire some familiarity with at least one language other than their native language.

Admission to candidacy. To qualify for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree, a student must complete fifty-four semester hours approved for the Program of Work; complete first and second year research papers approved for the requirement by the graduate adviser; and submit a qualifying paper and have it approved by a faculty committee.