Majors & Minors
Students who major in linguistics use analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and clarity of expression. They observe, hypothesize, draw conclusions, and communicate their findings to a wider audience. In short, they prepare themselves for advanced study or a career, be it in linguistics or in a variety of other fields: computer science, teaching, speech pathology, translating, or law, to name just a few.
Linguistics offers students an opportunity to engage in scientific study of the complexities of sound, form and meaning that underlie human language. Our department emphasizes a balance of theoretical and empirical work that encourages the use of first-hand evidence and gives our students the ability to understand, challenge and defend theoretical claims.
We offer several programs of study that provide both a solid foundation in the discipline of linguistic analysis as well as the opportunity to pursue independent research. Undergraduates may pursue a Bachelor of Arts or minor in Linguistics. Students may also take one of several clusters.
