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Major in Linguistics

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The Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics provides students with a fundamental understanding of how language works. Specifically: develops knowledge of the structure of language; how children and adults learn language; how language is used in different types of discourse and texts; and how languages change over time. Through their studies, students come to appreciate what all languages share in common and in what ways they differ from each other. Because studying linguistics develops essential skills that have broad applications, the major provides excellent preparation for careers in fields such as teaching, business, technology, government and nonprofit organizations, as well as advanced studies in humanities, social sciences and law.

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Linguistics Major Curriculum

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The B.A. in Linguistics requires a minimum of 120 units which includes courses for the major, General Education, all University requirements, and free electives.

In addition to the requirements for the major, students must meet all other university requirements for a bachelor’s degree. Please consult the Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree section in the course catalog for complete information. A “C” (2.0) or better is required in all courses applied to the major.

Language Requirement

Linguistics majors are required to take two semesters of foreign language study.

Required (15 units)
LING 351 - Introduction to Linguistic Phonetics and Phonology (3)
LING 406 - Descriptive Linguistics (3)
LING 408 - Syntax (3)
LING 412 - Sociolinguistics (3)
LING 430 - Historical Linguistics (3)

Electives (18 units) A minimum 6 units must be upper-division LING courses.

CAS 312 - Human Growth and Development (3)
ENGL 303 - The Structure of Modern English (3)
LING 305 - The English Language in America (3)
LING 307 - Speech/Language Development (3)
LING 360 - Nonverbal Communication (3)
LING 375 - Meaning and Mind (3)
LING 413 - Language Acquisition (3)
LING 414 - English As A Global Language (3)
LING 416 - Anthropological Linguistics (3)
LING 417 - Psycholinguistics (3)
LING 425 - Linguistic Approaches to Prompt Design for Language Models (3)
LING 442 - Changing Words: History, Semantics and Translation (3)
LING 469 - Language, Gender, Identity and Social Bias (3)
LING 492 - Linguistic Fieldwork (3)
PHIL 368 - First Course in Symbolic Logic (3)
PSYC 415 - Cognitive Processes (3)
Upper-division MLNG course (3)

Additional Information

Students must consult with an adviser in linguistics before establishing their individual programs of study. Other courses in the university may be taken as electives with the permission of the adviser.

Graduation Requirement (3 units)

HONR 201B - Honors Seminar: American Institutions and Values since 1877 (3)
POSC 100 - American Government (3) Total (120 units)

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