Linguistics Major

A Major in Linguistics consists of 12 courses of 3 credits each for a total of 36 credits.
A grade of C or better must be earned in all course work that is to be applied to the major.

The distribution of these courses falls into four main categories, as specified below. 

Majors may also participate in the Departmental Honors Program in their senior year. See requirements at the bottom of this page. These requirements apply to those who have declared the Major in Fall 2015 or later.  The capstone requirement does NOT apply to those who declared the Major prior to Fall 2015.

 

OFFERING: At least 5 sections of 201 every semester, including 1 Honors section

 

(B)       Exactly 4 of the following courses  (4 courses, 12 credits total)

305      Syntax (taught every semester)

315      Phonology (taught every semester)

325      Semantics (taught every semester)

350      Pragmatics   (taught every semester)

 

330      Historical linguistics (taught every 2-3 years) (cross-listed with Classics department)

381      Sociolinguistics (online) (taught every year)

411      Morphology (taught every year)

421      Language Typology (taught on occasion) 

425      Romance Linguistics (taught on occasion)

431      Investigations into an Unfamiliar Language (taught every 2 years)

435      Experimental Methodologies in Language Acquisition (taught on occasion) 

440      Language Development (taught every spring)

441      Linguistics and Cognitive Science (taught every fall)

451      Phonetics (taught at least one semester a year, typically fall)

455      Computational Linguistics (taught every year, typically spring)

465      Introduction to Prosody (taught on occasion) 

461      Linguistics of Signed Languages (taught every year/every other year, typically spring)

471      Selected Topics in Linguistics (taught every 2-3 years, topics vary)

481      Language and Law (online) (taught every other year, typically fall)

493/4   Independent Study (by SPN only, reserved for students with pre-arranged independent research with faculty)

495/6   Senior Honors Thesis (by SPN only, reserved for students with pre-arranged faculty advisors,
one applies to (C), second applies to (E))

Note that at most 2 D electives may be at the 200-level. (This includes any 200-level courses internal to the department and any approved outside courses.)

215      Language of Advertising (online) (taught every other year, typically spring)

391      Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism (online) (taught every spring, best for students pursuing a path in Speech and Hearing Sciences)

392      Introduction to Communication Disorders (online) (taught every fall, best for students pursuing a path in Speech and Hearing Sciences )

393      Audiology (online) (taught every fall) (best for students pursuing a path in Speech and Hearing Sciences)

394      Speech and Hearing Science (online) (taught every spring, best for students pursuing a path in Speech and Hearing Sciences)

407      Francophone Linguistics (taught every 2-3 years)

445      Language and Cognition (taught every other year, cross-listed with Cognitive Science)

491      Practicum in Linguistics (reserved for students doing research with faculty as research assistants, SPN from UPD required to register))

            See the Approved Outside Courses.

 

(E)      Capstone (1 course, 3 credits total - Choose one option!)

 

Requests for evaluation of transfer and study abroad courses should be sent to the Undergraduate Program Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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Departmental Honors Designation

• All students graduating with at least a 3.8 GPA in the Linguistics Major are designated as graduating with Departmental Honors. [updated 5/2023, effective Fall 2023]]
  Only those students completing a Senior Honors Thesis are eligible for High or Highest Honors. See below. 

Senior Honors Thesis and High/Highest Honors

• To be considered for an Honors Thesis, a student must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better and a grade-point average of 3.6 or better in courses counting toward the Linguistics Major. [updated 5/2023, effective Fall 2023]
• Linguistics Majors intending to write a senior honors thesis who have an agreed-upon faculty advisor must then submit a written proposal to the Undergraduate Program Director and cc their faculty advisor no later than May 31 of their Junior year. This proposal should clearly indicate the proposed thesis topic, the faculty advisor, and a general plan for working together with the advisor over the summer (optional) and into the next academic year. These details may be rather general, and precisified at a later time. 
• Students selected to participate in the program enroll in 01:615:495/496 and spend two semesters researching and writing an honors thesis under the supervision of a faculty member from the Linguistics department.
• Linguistics Majors interested in pursuing an honors thesis MUST make contact with a faculty member in their Junior year to determine that faculty member's interest and willingness in serving as a thesis advisor. Students may not just identify a faculty advisor on their own. The thesis is a significant year+-long undertaking for both student and advisor!
• The thesis must be submitted by March 31 of the senior year.
• An oral examination on the thesis is given by a thesis evaluation committee consisting of at least two Linguistics department faculty members and a possible graduate student in Linguistics in the first two weeks of April. The committee does not include the student's thesis supervisor.
• On the basis of the thesis committee's report and if necessary, in consultation with the Undergraduate Program Director and the faculty advisor, the department determines whether the student is to be recommended for High or Highest departmental honors. 
• All Honors Thesis students are designated as Paul Robeson Scholars.
• Only those thesis students earning Highest honors are nominated for the Henry Rutgers Scholar Award, evaluation of which is conducted outside of the department by a separate SAS committee.