DESIGNING YOUR MAJOR PROGRAM

The Linguistics major allows students a lot of flexibility in choosing what courses to take and what order to take them in. This page is here to help you decide how to structure your own major program, depending on your interests.

WHAT ORDER SHOULD I TAKE MY COURSES IN?

For nearly all LING courses, the only official prerequisite is LING 101[30]/Introduction to Language. However, there are some cases where having a bit more background information might help you get more out of a course.

For example, a great many courses build on basic ideas in phonology and syntax. So you may want to take LING 200[60]/Phonology and/or LING 201[61]/Syntax fairly early in your career. These two courses are both offered every spring, and each would count as one of your three required core courses (chosen from LING 200-203).

WHAT COURSES SHOULD I CHOOSE?

(Under construction -- this section will be expanded)

Are you interested in word and sentence structure, especially the way that words or sentences are put together and interpreted?

LING 201[61] -- Syntax/Intro to Transformational Grammar
LING 527[127] -- Morphology (offered infrequently)
LING 537[137] -- Semantics
LING 539[139] -- Language of Time
Formal Perspectives on Afican-American English (sometimes offered under LING 296[70], "Issues in Linguistics")

Are you interested in meaning, logic, and philosophy of language?

LING 409[109] -- Cognitive Linguistics
LING 410[110] -- Philosophy of Language
LING 455[104] -- Symbolic Logic
LING 537[137] -- Semantics
LING 545[145] -- Language and Mind
See also the Philosophy courses that are approved to count as LING major electives

Are you interested in speech sound structure, including the articulation and perception of consonants and vowels as well as the cross-linguistic patterns behind segment inventories, segmental alternations, and the arrangement of consonants and vowels into morphemes and words?

LING 200[60] -- Phonology/Sound Patterns in Language
LING 520[120] -- Linguistic Phonetics
LING 524[124] -- Phonological Theory II (graduate seminar, open to advanced undergraduates)

Are you interested in speech and hearing science or speech pathology?

LING 200[60] -- Phonology/Sound Patterns in Language
LING 201[61] -- Syntax/Intro to Transformational Grammar
LING 203[63] -- Language Acquisition and Development
LING 520[120] -- Linguistic Phonetics
LING 547[147] -- Language Deficits and Cognition
See also the SPHS/COMM courses that are approved to count as LING major electives

Are you interested in social and cultural aspects of language?

LING 202[62] -- Linguistic Variation and Language Change
LING 302[72] -- Language and Power (offered infrequently)
LING 306[75] -- Language and Nationalism
LING 409[109] -- Cognitive Linguistics
LING 541[170] -- Sociolinguistics
LING 542[172] -- Pidgins & Creoles

Are you interested in language teaching or education?

LING 200[60] -- Phonology/Sound Patterns in Language
LING 201[61] -- Syntax/Intro to Transformational Grammar
LING 203[63] -- Language Acquisition and Development
New courses on Mesoamerican Languages, Structure of Japanese are sometimes offered under LING 415[115] ("Topics in Linguistics")
See also approved LING electives offered under English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romance Languages, Slavic, and Spanish.

Are you interested in all things linguistic?

Another option is to put together a "sampler" program -- choose 1~2 courses from several of the above areas to get a taste of the different areas of linguistics.

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