Program Overview

Linguistics Major, B.A.

The Linguistics Major, B.A. program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of modern linguistics. The program aims to equip students with systematic perspectives on the nature of human language through detailed studies of language structure, language change, language acquisition, the sound system of language, and the syntactic/semantic system of language.

Overview

Courses in linguistics are intended to open up systematic perspectives on the nature of human language by means of detailed studies of language structure, language change and language acquisition, the sound system of language, and the syntactic/semantic system of language. The major is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of modern linguistics for the student seeking a general education in the liberal arts as well as for the student preparing for graduate study.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the linguistics program, students should be able to:

• Use a linguistic analysis method (i.e., a formal model or a framework) correctly and apply it to a novel set of linguistic data
• Formulate and test hypotheses on the basis of a linguistic data set or information about language-related behavior
• Express their knowledge of some linguistic topic clearly and effectively in a written assignment of term-paper length

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements, students must:

• earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
• complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
• take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
• earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

Course List

The major requires nine courses, including LING 101. The course list includes:

• Gateway Course: LING 101 - Introduction to Language (with a grade of C or better)
• Core Requirements: One course each from three of the following four pairs (total of three courses):
  • LING 200 - Phonology or LING 520 - Linguistic Phonetics
  • LING 201 - Syntax or LING 537 - Semantic Theory I
  • LING 202 - Linguistic Variation and Language Change or LING 541 - Sociolinguistics
  • LING 203 - Language Acquisition and Development or LING 427 - Morphology
• Five additional linguistics courses chosen from the following lists:
  • Up to five LING courses numbered 200 to 699, excluding LING 400
  • No more than two courses chosen from:
    • AAAD 421 - Introduction to the Languages of Africa
    • AMST 374 - America's Threatened Languages
    • CHIN 253 - Chinese Language and Society
    • COMP 455 - Models of Languages and Computation
    • ENGL 115 - History of the English Language
    • ENGL 213 - Grammar of Current English
    • GERM 500 - History of the German Language
    • GERM 501 - Structure of German
    • GERM 514 - Old Norse I (Old Icelandic)
    • GERM 515 - Old Norse II (Old Icelandic)
    • GERM 521 - Variation in German
    • GERM 545 - Problems in Germanic Linguistics
    • ITAL 526 - History of the Italian Language
    • PHIL 345 - Philosophy of Language
    • PHIL 455 - Symbolic Logic
    • PORT 526 - History of the Portuguese Language
    • PSYC 432 - Psychology of Language
    • SPAN 378 - Afro-Hispanic Language Contacts
    • SPAN 683 - Guaraní Linguistics
    • SPHS 530 - Introduction to Phonetics
    • SPHS 540 - Speech Science
    • SPHS 570 - Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Mechanisms
    • SPHS 582 - Introductory Audiology I

Dual Bachelor’s–Master’s Degree Program

The dual B.A.–M.A. program offers highly motivated undergraduates the opportunity to earn an M.A. in less than the usual time by completing some of the M.A. requirements while still an undergraduate. Students must have a grade point average of 3.3 overall and 3.5 in linguistics.

Special Opportunities

Honors in Linguistics

Any linguistics major with a cumulative total grade point average of at least 3.3 and at least 3.5 within the linguistics major is eligible to attempt a degree with honors in linguistics. To graduate with honors, a student must work with a faculty supervisor, enroll in LING 691H and LING 692H during the senior year, and complete and defend an honors thesis according to departmental and Honors Carolina requirements.

Departmental Involvement

Many linguistics majors and minors join Underling, the undergraduate linguistics club, which sponsors a variety of educational, outreach, social, and career-development events each year.

Study Abroad

Students in linguistics are encouraged to consider study abroad. Courses that can be applied toward the linguistics major and minor are available through many of the programs administered by the Study Abroad Office.

Internship Course

Students interested in receiving credit for participating in an internship that involves a linguistic component can enroll in LING 493. LING 493 can be applied towards elective credit in the major or minor.

Undergraduate Awards

The Marc Adam Eisdorfer Award recognizes the graduating senior judged most outstanding in academic achievement in linguistics.

Department Programs

• Major: Linguistics Major, B.A.
• Minor: Linguistics Minor
• Graduate Programs: M.A. in Linguistics, M.A. in Linguistics–Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures (Hispanic Linguistics), Graduate Certificate in Computational Linguistics

Courses

• Linguistics (LING) course descriptions are available.