Master's Degree

The Graduate Group in Linguistics does not provide funding for pursuit of a master's degree. In special circumstances, students who bring outside funding for their studies may be considered for admission to a master's program. Ph.D. students have the option of receiving an M.A. on the way to the final degree, or if leaving the program without receiving a Ph.D.

The requirements for the M.A. degree are the following:

1. Satisfactory completion of eleven approved semester courses, including one year each of phonology (Ling 530-531) and syntax (Ling 550-551). These courses must be at the 400 level or above.
2. Satisfaction of the M.A. research requirement by submission either of a thesis (written under the supervision of a Graduate Group faculty committee) or of a research paper written for an advanced course or seminar and approved by a faculty committee. The committee consists of at least two faculty members: the adviser and a reader.
3. An oral examination based on the thesis or research paper. This consists of a private meeting with the committee, during which the student answers questions on the content of the thesis.

The M.A. cannot be completed in less than three semesters of residence.

Submatriculation

Undergraduates who submatriculate are subject to the same requirements for the M.A. as are regular graduate students. A student interested in this program should meet with the undergraduate chair and then the graduate chair to discuss the requirements and the curriculum. Students must submit a paper application no later than the spring semester of the junior year.

Be aware that, due to University rules, a student cannot earn graduate credit until he or she is actually enrolled in a graduate program. Any graduate-level course taken before that time can be counted toward an undergraduate degree, but not toward a graduate degree. For this reason, students intending to submatriculate should complete an application before the end of the first semester in which they take a graduate course.