FOR PRE-SPEECH & HEARING STUDENTS

Linguistics as a compatible major

Students who complete the undergraduate major in Linguistics will gain an understanding of many aspects of normally developing human language. This is a useful background for graduate work in Speech & Hearing Science at UNC or elsewhere.

The Linguistics major consists of 3 core courses and 4 electives, so students have a great deal of flexibility in designing their individual program of study within the major (in consultation with the undergraduate advisor). Some of the elective course requirements can be fulfilled with certain COMM/SPHS courses.

How UNC SPHS courses fit the Linguistics major

Graduate programs in speech and hearing sciences often expect applicants to have completed certain types of courses before they begin their graduate work. Different graduate programs may have different requirements, so you may wish to contact individual programs for specific details. As an example, the UNC-CH Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences makes the following recommendations:

UNC-CH SPHS recommended pre-professional coursework for the MS in Speech-Language Pathology and Doctor of Audiology programs

Here is a chart that lists some of the UNC-CH courses that are likely to fulfill prerequisites for graduate programs in speech & hearing science, showing how these courses can be applied toward the Linguistics major. (See the non-LING electives page for more information.)

UNC-CH courses that typically fill speech & hearing science prerequisites		*As applied to the UNC-CH LING major*
ENGL 314	The English Language	Major elective
LING 101	Introduction to Language	(LING major prerequisite)
LING 200	Phonology	Core course
LING 201	Syntax	Core course
LING 203	Language Acquisition and Development	Core course
LING 520	Linguistic Phonetics	Major elective
LING 527	Morphology	Major elective
SPHS 540	Speech Science	Major elective
SPHS 570	Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Hearing	Major elective
SPHS 582	Introduction to Audiology	Major elective

One other SPHS course may also be applied toward the LING major as a major elective: SPHS 530 (Introduction to Phonetics). If you wish to apply this course toward the LING major, please consult with the undergraduate advisor to obtain authorization.

External links for more information

Another major often chosen by pre-Speech & Hearing students at UNC-CH is Communication Studies. Some students even take advantage of the resources of both departments by double-majoring in Linguistics and Communication Studies.

Some of the speech & hearing science graduate programs that past LING majors have applied to

In NC:

Out of state: