The CU Department of Linguistics has a strong commitment to excellence in teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The linguistics faculty offers a wide range of research strengths—including syntactic theory, sociocultural linguistics, computational and psycholinguistics, phonetics/phonology and language documentation—ensuring that students gain both versatility and expertise in an array of subfields.
Our educational mission is to provide students with insight into the fundamental design features of language—its sound patterns, its word- and sentence-formation devices, its semantic structure—and to create awareness of language varieties: the diversity of human languages, the role of language as an index of social identity and the ontogenetic and historical development of language.
Requirements
Program Requirements
Majors in linguistics must complete a total of 30 credit hours of study in general linguistics, including two years (four semesters) of a natural language (for exceptions, see below). Language study is taken in other departments.
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a grade point average of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate.
In addition to the general Linguistics major the Linguistics department offers four specialized major tracks for undergraduates: Computational Linguistics; Language and Cognition; Sociocultural, Anthropological, and Interactional Linguistics (SAIL); and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). More information about these new tracks can be found on the the Program Tracks tab.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Linguistics Courses | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Language Sound Structures | ||
| Semantics | ||
| Morphology and Syntax | ||
| Natural Language | ||
| Complete a minimum of two years (four semesters) of a natural language other than English (see details below) with a grade of C- or better. | ||
| Electives | ||
| Complete 18 credit hours from the following list of 3-credit linguistic electives. At least 9 credit hours of electives must be upper-division or graduate courses. Admission of undergraduates to graduate courses in Linguistics is allowed only by permission of the instructor. Note that this list includes multiple upper-division linguistic-content courses outside the Linguistics department (specifically, courses listed under ENGL, FREN, JPNS and SPAN). | 18 | |
| Lower-division courses | ||
| Language in U.S. Society | ||
| The Study of Words | ||
| Languages of the World | ||
| Introduction to Python Programming | ||
| Language, Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Language | ||
| Upper-division courses | ||
| Cognitive Science | ||
| Figurative Language | ||
| American Indigenous Languages in their Social and Cultural Context | ||
| World Language Policies | ||
| Talk at Work: Language Use in Institutional Contexts | ||
| Special Topics in Linguistics | ||
| Computational Linguistics | ||
| Japanese Sociolinguistics | ||
| Perspectives on Language | ||
| Language and Mind | ||
| Interdisciplinary Research Methods in Child Language Acquisition | ||
| Introduction to Formal Syntax | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Pedagogical Grammar for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages | ||
| Teaching Second Language (L2) Oral Skills and Communication | ||
| TESOL and Second Language Acquisition: Principles and Practices | ||
| Machine Learning and Linguistics | ||
| Teaching Language Skills: Focus on Social Justice | ||
| Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Honors Thesis | ||
| TESOL Practicum | ||
| Old English 1: Introduction to Old English | ||
| Phonetics and Conversation: AI and Us | ||
| French Phonetics Through Musical Performance | ||
| Japanese Syntax | ||
| Kanji in Japanese Orthography | ||
| Spanish Phonology and Phonetics | ||
| Linguistic Analysis of Spanish | ||
| Special Topics in Hispanic Linguistics | ||
| Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics | ||
Other upper-division linguistics courses may also be chosen if available; graduate courses may be taken with permission of the department. | ||
Natural Language
Students must complete, with a grade of C- or better, a minimum of two years (four semesters) of study of a natural language other than English (including signed languages used by deaf communities).
Only courses taught in the language in question, and focused specifically on language learning, may be used for this requirement. A list of all the approved courses is available from the Department of Linguistics or the departmental undergraduate advisor.
The natural language requirement may be satisfied by examination or waived for foreign students whose native language is not English; in these cases, students must still meet the college minimum major requirement of 18 credit hours of upper-division coursework and 30 credit hours overall in the major by taking an additional 3-credit elective from the list above. Students who wish to have their language requirement waived must obtain the consent of an undergraduate advisor before registering for the fall term of the junior year.
Additional Information
The department recommends that prospective majors complete LING 2000 and at least two 1000-level foreign language courses (in the same language) by the end of the sophomore year, unless the student's foreign language proficiency is already advanced.
The fall semester of the junior year should include LING 3430, a 2000-level foreign language course, and a linguistics elective or LING 4420. It must also include LING 2000 if that was not taken earlier. The spring semester of the junior year should include LING 3100, a linguistics elective and a further 2000-level foreign language course.
Graduating in Four Years
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here refers only to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in linguistics, students should meet the following requirements:
- By the beginning of the spring semester of the freshman year (second semester), declare linguistics as a major.
- During the freshman or sophomore years (first through fourth semesters), take LING 2000 (required) and LING 1000 or LING 2400 (electives)
- By the end of the sophomore year (fourth semester) at the latest, complete two semesters of study of a natural (spoken or signed) language other than English.
- During the junior year (fifth and sixth semesters) at the latest, continue natural language study at the intermediate level.
- During the fall of the junior year (fifth semester), take one or both of LING 3430 or LING 4420.
- During the spring of the junior year (sixth semester), take LING 3100 and an upper-division linguistics elective
- During the junior or senior year (fifth through eighth semesters), take the remaining courses as needed
Note: A Linguistics major who has been excluded from any upper-division linguistics course due to enrollment limitations will be given first preference for a seat in that course the following year if the exclusion is made known to the department staff within two weeks after it occurs. No declared linguistics major who still needs LING 2000 for fall of the junior year and attempts to register for it during the regular registration period for continuing students (spring of the sophomore year) will be excluded from the course.
Program Tracks
In addition to the general linguistics major, the Linguistics Department offers four specialized major tracks for undergraduates. These tracks allow students to tailor their major coursework to better reflect their specific interest(s) within the field of linguistics. Concentrated training within a specific subfield of the discipline provides students with the in-depth knowledge and skills needed to pursue specific careers within the field of linguistics. In addition, it provides a foundation for pursuing a focused area of study for those who continue onto graduate school.
Students declaring any track will need to complete the following courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Linguistics Courses | ||
| LING 2000 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| LING 3100 | Language Sound Structures | 3 |
| LING 3430 | Semantics | 3 |
| LING 4420 | Morphology and Syntax | 3 |
| Natural Language | variable | |
| Complete a minimum of 2 years (4 semesters) of a natural language other than English (see details on the Requirements Tab) with a grade of C- or better. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Computational Linguistics
Students declaring the Computational Linguistics sub-plan will also complete 19 credit hours of LING electives (at least 9 at the upper division level); however, they must take 12 of these credits as the following 4 core courses listed below. For the remaining 6 elective credit hours, students can choose electives from the list of electives, also below, some from CSCI or INFO.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Computational Linguistics Core Courses | ||
| LING 1200 | Introduction to Python Programming | 4 |
| LING 3832 | Computational Linguistics | 3 |
| LING 4200 | Text as Data: Computational Corpus Methods for Social Sciences | 3 |
| LING 4632 | Machine Learning and Linguistics | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics | ||
| Computer Science 2: Data Structures | ||
| Natural Language Processing | ||
| Programming for Information Science 2 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 19 | |
Language and Cognition
Students declaring the Language and Cognition track will also complete 18 credits of LING electives (at least 9 at the upper division level); however, they must select 12 of these credits from the set of Language and Cognition-related courses below. For the remaining 6 elective credit hours, students can choose any LING course.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Language and Cognition Core Courses | ||
| Complete 12 credit hours from the following: | 12 | |
| The Study of Words | ||
| Introduction to Python Programming | ||
| Cognitive Science | ||
| Computational Linguistics | ||
| Perspectives on Language (Language and Embodiment) | ||
| Text as Data: Computational Corpus Methods for Social Sciences | ||
| Language and Mind | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Statistical Analysis for Linguistics | ||
| Machine Learning and Linguistics | ||
| Language and Cognition Electives | ||
| Select two courses. These courses can be from the main list of LING electives or from the list below. | 6 | |
| Language in U.S. Society | ||
| Languages of the World | ||
| Community-Based Learning Practicum: Literacy and Language Learning | ||
| Figurative Language | ||
| TESOL and Second Language Acquisition: Principles and Practices | ||
| Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners | ||
| Symbolic Logic | ||
| Language Disorders Across the Lifespan | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Sociocultural, Anthropological & Interactional Linguistics (SAIL)
Students declaring the SAIL track will also complete 15 credit hours of LING electives (9 at the upper division level); however, they must select 12 of these credits from the set of SAIL-related courses below. For the remaining 3 elective credit hours, students can choose any LING course.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Sociocultural, Anthropological & Interactional Linguistics Core Courses | ||
| Complete 12 credit hours from the following: | 12 | |
| Language in U.S. Society | ||
| Community-Based Learning Practicum: Literacy and Language Learning | ||
| Language, Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Race, Ethnicity, and Language | ||
| American Indigenous Languages in their Social and Cultural Context | ||
| World Language Policies | ||
| Talk at Work: Language Use in Institutional Contexts | ||
| Special Topics in Linguistics (Language in Digital Media) | ||
| Special Topics in Linguistics (Language and Politics) | ||
| Japanese Sociolinguistics | ||
| Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select any two LING courses. | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Students declaring the TESOL sub-plan will be required to take four foundational TESOL-focused courses in Linguistics for a total of 12 credit hours. In addition to these four courses, students must complete at least 6 credit hours from a limited set of TESOL-related courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Core Courses | ||
| LING 4610 | Pedagogical Grammar for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages | 3 |
| LING 4620 | Teaching Second Language (L2) Oral Skills and Communication | 3 |
| LING 4630 | TESOL and Second Language Acquisition: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| LING 4910 | TESOL Practicum | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6-7 | |
| World Language Policies | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Language and Culture | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Children's Learning and Development | ||
| Foundations of Bilingual/Multicultural Education | ||
| Teaching English Language Development | ||
| Secondary World Language Methods | ||
| Introduction to Bilingual/Multicultural Education | ||
| Methods of Biliteracy Instruction | ||
| Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners | ||
| Language Teaching Materials Design | ||
| Speakers and the Structure of their Languages | ||
| Foundations of Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners | ||
| Differentiating Instruction in Diverse Secondary Classrooms | ||
| Social and Emotional Learning in Schools | ||
| Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Bilingual Learners | ||
| Assessment for Bilingual Learners | ||
| Chicana/os and Education | ||
| International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding | ||
| Communication and Conflict Management | ||
| International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding | ||
| Multicultural Aspects of Communication Differences and Disorders | ||
| Spanish in the United States | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18-19 | |
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete all 12 credits of the Social Sciences area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement. Depending on the courses selected as a major electives, students may complete some credits in the Arts & Humanities area of the College of Arts & Sciences Gen Ed Distribution and both the U.S. Perspective and the Global Perspective components of the Arts & Sciences Gen Ed Diversity Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| LING 2000 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| Beginning Level Foreign Language 1 (if needed) | 4-5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills Course (Example: Lower-Division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Diversity Course (Example: Diversity: US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LING Lower-Division or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Beginning Level Foreign Language 2 (if needed) | 4-5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills Course (Example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Natural Sciences and Lab) | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 14-15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LING Lower-Division or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Second Year Foreign Language 1 (if needed) | 3-5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Diversity Course (Example: Diversity: Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LING 3100 | Language Sound Structures | 3 |
| LING Lower-Division or Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Second Year Foreign Language 2 (if needed) | 3-5 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-17 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LING 3430 | Semantics | 3 |
| LING Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills Course (Example: Upper-Division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LING 4420 | Morphology and Syntax | 3 |
| LING Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution Course (Example: Arts & Humanities) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| LING Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| LING Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-126 | |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Identify multiple levels of linguistic structure and their interactions: sound segments, sound categories, word structure, sentence structure and semantic structure.
- Be aware of the range of speech sounds found in languages of the world, including how they are transcribed, and be able to transcribe those sounds that are frequently encountered.
- Use transcribed data to infer the contrastive relationships among sounds in a given language.
- Describe the ways in which languages and language families differ with regard to word- and sentence-formation devices.
- Infer language structures from the analysis of data from unfamiliar languages.
- Describe the relationship between conceptual structure and linguistic structure at both the word and sentence level, and identify differences between conventional and calculable linguistic meaning.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)
The bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor's degree first but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year).
Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a standalone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor's–accelerated master's program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.
BA and MA in Linguistics
Admissions Requirements
In order to apply for admission to the BAM program in linguistics, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Transfer students must have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at CU Boulder.
- Have completed at least one upper division linguistics elective.
- Must take a graduate-level "qualifying course" in the semester they apply for admission to the BAM program.
The BAM degree program is recommended only for the most serious and able undergraduate students. For further information, see the graduate advisor in the spring of the sophomore year or during the first week of the fall semester of the junior year.
Program Requirements
Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master’s degree. These 12 credits may be double counted toward the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree. Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor’s degree, and apply to continue with the master’s degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.
If you are interested in the BAM degree program, please contact the Linguistics graduate advisor for more information. Students should discuss possible BAM plans with the graduate advisor by spring of the sophomore year or during the first week of the fall semester of the junior year.
BA in Linguistics, MS in Computational Linguistics, Analytics, Search and Informatics
Admission Requirements
In order to apply for admission to the BAM program, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Complete all prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of B or higher:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LING 1200 | Introduction to Python Programming | 3 |
| or CSCI 1300 | Computer Science 1: Starting Computing | |
| LING 4632/6632 | Machine Learning and Linguistics | 3 |
| LING 3832/5832 | Computational Linguistics | 3 |
| or CSCI 3832/5832 | Natural Language Processing | |
| LING 4200/5200 | Introduction to Computational Corpus Linguistics | 3 |
| One of the following courses in Computer Science as an elective | ||
| Algorithms | ||
| Introduction to Data Science with Probability and Statistics | ||
| One of the following courses (in the semester the student applies) | ||
| Morphology and Syntax | ||
| Linguistic Phonetics | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics | ||
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Have at least junior class standing.
- Provide two letters of reference, one written by the course instructor of the LING 5XXX course they are taking during the semester they apply, the other by the instructor from an upper division course in Computer Science. Letters should be sent directly to the CLASIC Program Coordinator.
Program Requirements
Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master’s degree. However, only 6 credits may be double counted toward the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree.
Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor’s degree, and apply to continue with the master’s degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.