Here you can find ...

• descriptions of our major and minor programs
• requirements for the advanced major, general major, or minor degrees
• options if you're interested in speech-language pathology and audiology
• information about the ASL-English Interpretation Program
• our FAQ about linguistics, courses, careers, etc.

Major and minor requirements

As part of the Faculty of Arts, BA-advanced major, BA-general major, and minor degrees in Linguistics are available. At present, linguistics does not offer an Honours major, but we're working on it.

The Department of Lingusitics particularly urges students who may wish to continue their educations with graduate work to opt for the Advanced (4-year) degree, as most graduate schools in North America will not accept a General (3-year) degree as sufficient.

All courses at 2000 and 3000 levels have prerequisites. Please be sure to check the course descriptions to be certain your prerequisites are in order before enrolling in a course. Students should bear in mind that not all courses are offered annually (though most core courses are offered at least every couple of years). In extreme cases special permission may be received to make a substitution, but in general 'take it when you can' is the best strategy. Students hoping to go on to graduate study in Linguistics are strongly recommended to include at least one advanced theory course (LING 3120 Syntactic Theory or LING 3140 Phonological Theory) as part of their programs.

Additional questions can be directed to the Undergraduate Advisor.

Advanced Major

The requirements for an Advanced Major in Linguistics include 48 credit hours in Linguistics, in addition to general University and Faculty of Arts requirements. Students are encouraged to speak to counselors from the Faculty of Arts regarding general requirements of study, scheduling, prerequisites, etc.

The 48 credit hours of Linguistics courses must include:

• LING 1200 Introduction to Linguistics (6 ch)
• 12 credit hours (four half-courses) selected from the 20o0-level 'core' courses:
  • LING 2200 Syntax (6 ch)
  • LING 2420 Phonology (3 ch)
  • LING 2440 Analytic Techniques (3 ch)
  • LING 2460 Morphology (3 ch)
  • LING 2640 Comparative Linguistics (3 ch)
• One of the full-year "structure" courses:
  • LING 3200 Structure of a Non-Indoeuropean. Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3300 Structure of American Sign Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3400 Field Methods (6 ch)
• 6 additional credit hours selected from the 300-level core courses:
  • LING 3120 Syntactic Theory (3 ch)
  • LING 3140 Phonological Theory (3 ch)
  • LING 3200 Structure of a Non-Indoeuropean Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3300 Structure of American Sign Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3400 Field Methods (6 ch)
  • LING 3800 Seminar (variable content, 6 ch)
  • LING 3820 Special Topics (variable content, 3 ch)
  • LING 3840 Special Topics in ASL (variable content, 3 ch)
• 18 additional credit hours of linguistics courses from any level

General Major

The General Major is offered as an alternative for students who wish to major in linguistics but are unable or unwilling to commit to a full 120-credit hour Bachelor of Arts degree. The requirements for a General Major in Linguistics include 30 credit hours in Linguistics, in addition to general University and Faculty of Arts requirements. Students are encouraged to speak to counselors from the Faculty of Arts regarding general requirements of study, scheduling, prerequisites, etc.

The 30 credit hours of Linguistics courses must include:

• LING 1200 Introduction to Linguistics (6 ch)
• 9 credit hours (four half-courses) selected from the 200o-level 'core' courses:
  • LING 2200 Syntax (6 ch)
  • LING 2420 Phonology (3 ch)
  • LING 2440 Analytic Techniques (3 ch)
  • LING 2460 Morphology (3 ch)
  • LING 2640 Comparative Linguistics (3 ch)
• 6 credit hours selected from the 300-level core courses:
  • LING 3120 Syntactic Theory (3 ch)
  • LING 3140 Phonological Theory (3 ch)
  • LING 3200 Structure of a Non-Indoeuropean Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3300 Structure of American Sign Language (6 ch)
  • LING 3400 Field Methods (6 ch)
  • LING 3800 Seminar (variable content, 6 ch)
  • LING 3820 Special Topics (variable content, 3 ch)
  • LING 3840 Special Topics in ASL (variable content, 3 ch)
• 9 additional credit hours of linguistics courses at any level

Linguistics Minor

The Linguistics Minor is offered to students with major programs in other disciplines. It consists of 18 credit hours, in addition to major discipline and Faculty of Arts requirement:

• LING 1200 Introduction to Linguistics (6 ch)
• 6 credit hours (two half-courses) selected from the 2000-level 'core' courses:
  • LING 2200 Syntax (6 ch)
  • LING 2420 Phonology (3 ch)
  • LING 2440 Analytic Techniques (3 ch)
  • LING 2460 Morphology (3 ch)
  • LING 2640 Comparative Linguistics (3 ch)
• 6 additional credit hours of linguistics courses at any level