Requirements
Pre-Concentration Courses in Linguistics
Two 200-level courses introduce students to the methods and results of
linguistic analysis. Students planning to concentrate in linguistics must
elect one of these courses. Students are encouraged to select the course
whose particular focus bests suits their own interests. The prerequisite
does not count towards the 30 credit hours required for the concentration.
Ling 210, Introduction to Linguistic Analysis, introduces students
to the analytic methods, and theoretical concepts, that linguists use
for describing languages. Drawing on examples from a large number of
the world's languages, students investigate the diverse sound, word,
and sentence structures of individual languages, and consider whether
there are properties common to all languages.
Ling 212, Introduction to the Symbolic Analysis of Language, is
an introduction to the analytic tools used in the study of language.
The course discusses what language is, what someone knows when they know a
language, and what characterizes a scientific account, or formal analysis,
of human knowledge of language. The analytic tools introduced may include
phrase structure and transformational grammars, logic, and probability.
Concentration Requirements
The Linguistics concentration requires a total of 30 credit hours at
the 300 level or higher. Students should consult with their advisor
to ensure that their concentration program consists of a coherent set
of courses. The interdisciplinary nature of the field of
linguistics - and hence of the concentration program - makes it
particularly important that students are aware of the options
available to them.
Required Courses
All concentrators are required to take the following three
courses. This coursework should be completed as soon as possible, as
it is intended to ensure that all students gain a solid understanding
of the fundamental nature of language and the methods currently
employed in linguistic analysis.
Ling 313 Sound Patterns
explores two fundamental aspects of the sounds of the world's
languages: speech sounds as physical entities (phonetics) and speech
sounds as linguistic units (phonology).
Ling 315 Introduction to Syntax examines the rule systems whereby words are
organized into phrases and phrases into sentences in human languages.
Ling 316 Aspects of
Meaning introduces students to aspects of semantic and
pragmatic systems in natural language, including logic and formal
systems, reference/co-reference, and text analysis.
Additional Courses
Beyond the three basic courses, concentrators are encouraged to fill
out their program, in consultation with a linguistics concentration
advisor, with courses that satisfy their own particular interests and
goals. (See the next page
for descriptions of three concentration profiles.)
These additional courses may be offered by the Department of
Linguistics or another program or
department. Each term, the Linguistics Undergraduate Program
distributes a list of courses offered by other units that are approved
for concentration credit in Linguistics. Concentrators may request
that courses not on this list also count towards the required credit
hours; these requests must be approved by the Undergraduate Committee.
Double Concentration
Because the study of language is inherently interdisciplinary, a
concentration in linguistics can be designed to integrate very well
with other academic fields. A large proportion of current linguistics
concentrators (more than half) complete double concentrations.
An LSA double concentration requires satisfying all of the
concentration requirements of both programs. However, since LSA places
no limit on the number of credit hours that may be offered jointly for
both concentrations, this allows students to double-concentrate with
substantially fewer than 60 total concentration credit hours.
Students considering a double concentration in linguistics and
another field in LSA should consult concentration advisors in both
fields.
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