Linguistics, PhD

Program Overview

Linguistics, PhD

Overview

The Stony Brook Linguistics Department, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a leading center for research and training in all areas of modern linguistics. The Department offers graduate training that leads to the M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics, the M.A. in Computational Linguistics, and the M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Admission Requirements

• Baccalaureate Degree: Students must present evidence that such a BA or BS degree will be awarded by the time they begin graduate work. A final transcript is required prior to registration.
• Minimum grade point average of 3.0: A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (or its foreign equivalent) on a 4-point scale is required.
• Recommendations: Three letters of recommendation are required.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): The GRE is not required for the MA LIN, the MA CompLing, the MA TESOL, and the PhD in Linguistics.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Writing Sample: The writing sample should be a paper written for a previous course taken in linguistics, or if that is not available, a paper on any subject is acceptable.
• Foreign Language Requirement: Proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to two years of college work is required.
• English proficiency (for students whose native language is not English):
  • PhD, MA LIN, MA Comp Ling: 250 (computer), 90 (iBT TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS).
  • Minimum total score: 90 (iBT TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS).
  • Minimum speaking component scores: 22 (iBT TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS).

Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

• Students must complete a minimum of 60 credits; 30 of them before advancing to Candidacy.
• Required Courses (12 credits):
  • LIN 521 - Syntax I
  • LIN 621 - Syntax II
  • LIN 523 - Phonology I
  • LIN 623 - Phonology II
• Electives: A minimum of 18 credits of Linguistics 500 and 600 level courses. Courses from other departments may also be counted as electives with permission from the Program Director.

Qualifying Papers

• Acceptance by the department of two papers of publishable quality in distinct areas of linguistics (“Qualifying Papers”) is required.
• Each paper will be defended orally before a committee of at least three faculty members.
• The membership of the two qualifying paper committees must not be identical.
• Each qualifying paper requirement will be completed after the committee’s acceptance of revisions decided upon at the defense.
• The final version of the first Qualifying Paper must be submitted not later than the last day of classes of the fourth semester, and the final version of the second Qualifying Paper must be submitted not later than the last day of classes of the sixth semester.
• Failure to meet Qualifying Papers deadline may affect the student’s priority for funding.
• Students who have not had both Qualifying Papers accepted by their committees by the end of the sixth semester will normally be dismissed from the program.
• Public presentation of one of these papers is required, as is submission of one of the Qualifying Papers for publication in an appropriate journal.

Language Requirement

• Demonstrated knowledge of two foreign languages other than the student’s mother tongue.
• This requirement may be satisfied by any of the following methods:
  1. Submission of an analytic paper demonstrating knowledge of the structure of the language.
  2. Satisfactory completion of a course in the structure of the language.
  3. Satisfactory performance on a standardized exam designed to measure language proficiency.
  4. Satisfactory completion of two years of college-level instruction in the language.

Advancement to Candidacy

• Advancement to candidacy takes place upon the successful completion of the following: the required courses in A, the qualifying paper requirement in B, and the language requirement in C.

Teaching and Research

• Students become qualified in teaching and research by working with faculty on an individual basis as teaching assistants and by participating in research projects.
• They have the opportunity to prepare and teach undergraduate classes during the academic year and in summer sessions.

Dissertation

• Before a student proceeds to write the dissertation, a dissertation proposal must be accepted by the department.
• The dissertation proposal outlines the topic and how the student plans to go about investigating this topic.
• The advisor will organize a discussion in which a committee considers the proposal with the student.
• The purpose of this discussion is to ensure that the topic is manageable and substantive.
• The dissertation committee will consist of a minimum of four members, at least three from the full-time faculty in the department and at least one from outside the department (or University).
• The committee will be chosen in consultation with the dissertation supervisor, who will be a full-time member of the department faculty.
• The formal public defense of the dissertation requires the full attendance of the dissertation examining committee.