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Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics Major

Undergraduate Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics MAJOR

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To declare a major in Linguistics, please go to mymajor.sas.rutgers.edu.
To be accepted as a Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics Major you must pass 615:201 Introduction to Linguistic Theory with a grade of C or better.

A Major in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics consists of 22 courses total (21 courses of 3 credits each and 1 course of 1.5 credit) for a total of 64.5 credits.
This Major is considered a credit-intensive major. As a result, the requirement for a minor is waived for students completing this major. Students in credit intensive majors may still choose to complete a minor, even though they are not required to do so, or double major. Popular combinations include a Cognitive Science major or a Developmental Psychology minor.
A grade of C or better must be earned in all course work that is to be applied to the major.
For information about Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics at Rutgers, please contact our S&H Advisor: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All academic advising either the Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguisics or the Linguistics major/minor are conducted by our Undergraduate Program Director: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 
The distribution of these courses falls into seven main categories, as specified below. (There are three components in addition to the four required for the Linguistics Major.)
Majors may also participate in the Departmental Honors Program and complete a thesis in their senior year. See requirements on the Linguistics Major page.
 

Requirement R1: Introduction to Linguistics (A)
(1 course, 3 credits)

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

201      Introduction to Linguistic Theory  (1 course, 3 credits)
This course is required. It is a prerequisite for all courses in (B) and many (but not all) in (C) and (D): it must be taken before them. 

 

 

Requirement R2: Theoretical Linguistic Subfields (B)
(4 courses, 3 credits each, 12 credits total)

OFFERING: At least 1 section of each B course every semester, with 2 sections of at least 2 B courses each semester

These four courses  
305      Syntax (taught every semester)
315      Phonology (taught every semester)
325      Semantics (taught every semester)
350      Pragmatics   (taught every semester)
 

Requirement R3: Linguistics Electives (C and D) 
(6 courses, 3 credits each, 18 credits total)

OFFERING: At least 2-3 C and 1 D course within Linguistics every semester
R3.1: These two courses (3 credits each, 6 credits total)
440      Language Development (taught every spring)
451      Phonetics (taught at least one semester a year, typically fall)
R3.2: Four Linguistics (C) and (D) courses (including at least one 1 (C) Course and at most three (D) Courses)
Note: You can fulfill R3.2 with 4 C and no D, 3 C and 1 D, 2 C and 2 D, or 1 C and 3 D. This is different from the Linguistics Major, because of the requirement in R3.1.
(C) Must take at least one, up to four
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)
441      Linguistics and Cognitive Science (taught every 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))

(D) May take at most 3, with at most 2 D electives at the 200-level.

Note: The list of D courses for this Major includes most Courses from the list of Approved Outside Courses (see below). 
Please see important restrictions in Degree Navigator on D electives for this major.
The D electives do NOT include the 39x courses, which required in R5 (below).

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

Requirement R4: Linguistics Capstone (E)
(1 course, 3 credits)

OFFERING: 1 section every semester
Choose one option. 
Note: For the vast majority of the students in the Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics Major, the Capstone will be 615:497 (the Advanced Seminar) NOT the Honors thesis.
495/496 Senior Honors Thesis (first semester applies to (C), second applies to (E); MUST have faculty advisor permission and submit a proposal by the end of May of your Junior year, SPN from UPD required to register))
497 Advanced Undergraduate Seminar (taught every semester, SPN from UPD required to register)
 

Requirement R5: Core ASHA-aligned Speech and Hearing Science Courses 
(4 courses, 3 credits each, 12 credits total)

OFFERING: 2 courses each semester, covering all four courses in an academic year
Note: These courses count as D electives in R3 for the Linguistics Major, but do not count as D electives for the Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics Major, since all four are required to satisfy R5.
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)

 

Requirement R6: Speech and Hearing Electives
(4 courses, 3 credits each, 12 credits total)

OFFERING: At least 2-3 courses for each category each semester offered by other departments

 1 course from each of the following four sets of courses (based on ASHA requirements)
Notes: 
No more than 2 of these courses may be at the 100 Level.
No credits may be used from Advanced Placement (AP) Courses.
No more than 1 course may be used from other Non-New Brunswick Courses (i.e., Transfer courses, and courses taken at Rutgers Camden or Newark).
  1. Statistics Electives
  2. Biological Sciences Electives
  3. Physical Sciences Electives
  4. Social/Behavioral Sciences Electives

 

Requirement R7: Speech and Hearing Capstone
(2 courses, 3 credits and 1.5 credits, 4.5 credits total)

OFFERING: 290 of every fall, 498 every semester

290      Career Explorations in Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics (online) (new in AY25-26, taught every fall)
498      Research Methods and Professionalism in Speech and Hearing Sciences (online) (new in AY25-26, taught every semester)
  
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.. 

Departmental Honors Designation

  • All students graduating with at least a 3.8 GPA in the Speech and Hearing Sciences in Linguistics Major are designated as graduating with Departmental Honors.