Master of Arts in Linguistics - Documentary and Descriptive Linguistics

The Department of Linguistics offers programs of graduate study leading to the M.A. and the Ph.D. Theoretical approaches in all areas of linguistics are emphasized, providing a thorough grounding in five core areas of linguistics through required courses in phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and field methods. Advanced courses are offered in the department’s core concentrations of phonetics and phonology, syntax and semantics, descriptive and documentary linguistics, computational linguistics, and the linguistics of signed languages, as well as areas that may be within the research interests of specific faculty. Students may also elect to take related coursework in such departments as Anthropology, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Computer Science, Philosophy, Psychology, and Statistics, as well as specific language departments.While the department usually does not accept students to only the MA degree, there may occasionally be reasons why an applicant needs to apply for the MA degree rather than the PhD, and in those cases we may consider the application. MA only students usually do not receive funding. PhD students indicate PhD as their degree objective even if they do not yet have an MA. All students take the same set of core courses, whether enrolled in the MA or PhD program. The MA program is a full-time program, with most courses taking place between 8 am and 5pm on weekdays.Add body text in this space.The documentary and descriptive linguistics concentration prepares students to collect and analyze new data on previously under-studied languages and speech communities, and to prepare grammars, dictionaries, text collections and other descriptive materials that contribute to their documentation. Many students who choose this concentration write a reference grammar of some language for their doctoral dissertations.

We will not be requiring applicants to have taken the Graduate Record Examinations General Test (GRE) for the Fall 2024 application period. Statement of Purpose - a clear and straightforward statement in which you give an idea of: your current interests in linguistics; how these interests developed; your plans for graduate study and eventual specialization, even if tentative. The statement of purpose may be uploaded electronically through the online application process.Recommendation letters - we require three letters from professors who know you and your work. E-mails will be sent to the recommenders whom applicants identify on the application. The recommenders will receive a link which they can use to upload letters of recommendation.Sample research paper, or work of similar scope, that clearly demonstrates your writing ability. Curriculum VitaeA grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or a comparable GPA in upper-division work—junior- and senior-level courses—and in any graduate work already completed is also required.The Graduate School requires applicants to have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution.List of Publications (submitted as "Supplemental Info")