Linguistics Major, B.A.           1

LINGUISTICS MAJOR, B.A.Contact InformationDepartment of LinguisticsVisit Program Website (http://linguistics.web.unc.edu)104A Smith Building, CB# 3155(919) 962-1192

Misha Becker, Chair

David Mora-Marin, Interim Director of Undergraduate Studies (fall 2018)davidmm@unc.edu

Katya Pertsova, Director of Undergraduate Studies (spring 2019)pertsova@email.unc.edu

Courses in linguistics are intended to open up systematic perspectives onthe nature of human language by means of detailed studies of languagestructure, language change and language acquisition, the sound systemof language, and the syntactic/semantic system of language. Themajor is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of modernlinguistics for the student seeking a general education in the liberal artsas well as for the student preparing for graduate study.

Department ProgramsMajor

• Linguistics Major, B.A. (p. 1)

Minor

• Linguistics Minor (http://catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/programs-study/linguistics-minor)

Graduate Programs

• M.A. in Linguistics (http://catalog.unc.edu/graduate/schools-departments/linguistics)

Student Learning OutcomesUpon 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 orinformation about language-related behavior

• Express their knowledge of some linguistic topic clearly andeffectively in a written assignment of term-paper length

RequirementsIn addition to the program requirements, students must

• attain a final cumulative GPA of at least 2.0• complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–

Chapel Hill courses• take at least half of their major course requirements (courses and

credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill• earn a minimum of 18 hours of C or better in the major core

requirements (some majors require 21 hours).

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section ofthe catalog (http://catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/general-education-curriculum-degree-requirements/#degreerequirementstext).

Code Title HoursGateway CourseLING 101 Introduction to Language (with a grade of C or

better) H3

Core RequirementsOne course each from three of the following four pairs (total of threecourses): 1

9

LING 200 Phonologyor LING 520 Linguistic Phonetics

LING 201 Syntaxor LING 537 Semantic Theory I

LING 202 Linguistic Variation and Language Changeor LING 541 Sociolinguistics

LING 203 Language Acquisition and Developmentor LING 527 Morphology

Four additional linguistics courses chosen from the following lists: 12Up to four LING courses numbered 200 to 699, excluding LING 4002

No more than two courses chosen from:AAAD 421 Introduction to the Languages of AfricaAMST 374 America's Threatened LanguagesCHIN 253 Chinese Language and SocietyCOMP 455 Models of Languages and ComputationENGL 313 Grammar of Current EnglishENGL 314 History of the English LanguageGERM 500 History of the German LanguageGERM 501 Structure of GermanGERM 514 Old Norse I (Old Icelandic)GERM 515 Old Norse II (Old Icelandic)GERM 521 Variation in GermanGERM 545 Problems in Germanic LinguisticsITAL 526 History of the Italian LanguagePHIL 345 Reference and MeaningPORT 526 History of the Portuguese LanguagePSYC 432 Psychology of LanguageSPAN 683 Guaraní LinguisticsSPHS 530 Introduction to PhoneticsSPHS 540 Speech ScienceSPHS 570 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language,

and Hearing MechanismsSPHS 582 Introductory Audiology I

Total Hours 24

H Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the samerequirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollmentand GPA restrictions may apply.

2        Linguistics Major, B.A.

1 With the instructor’s permission, students may take LING 523 insteadof LING 200, LING 530 instead of LING 201, LING 525 instead ofLING 202 or LING 528 instead of LING 203. Credit will not be grantedfor both the 200 level course and its graduate level counterpartnoted here. However, students may receive credit for both coursesin the pairs noted above (LING 200/LING 520; LING 201/LING 537;LING 202/LING 541; LING 203/LING 527), one as a core class and theother as an elective.

2  No more than six (6) combined credit hours from LING 395,LING 493, and LING 495) can be counted toward the major.

Thus, the major requires eight courses, including LING 101. Studentsmajoring in linguistics may concentrate entirely in linguistics, or theymay select their major courses to include a field related to linguistics,such as linguistic anthropology, computer processing of languagedata, philosophy of language, psychology of language, sociology oflanguage, speech and hearing sciences, or study of a particular languageor language family. Any such second-field option should be planned inconsultation with the student’s advisor. Students interested in a careerin speech pathology may pursue a minor in speech and hearing sciencesthrough the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the UNC Schoolof Medicine.

Students interested in the linguistics major are encouraged to consultwith the department’s director of undergraduate studies. Additionalinformation about the major is provided on the department’s Web site(http://linguistics.web.unc.edu); select the link for the undergraduateprogram.

Linguistics (LING) course descriptions (http://catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/departments/linguistics/#coursestext).

Dual Bachelor’s–Master’s Degree ProgramThe dual B.A.–M.A. program offers highly motivated undergraduates theopportunity to earn an M.A. in less than the usual time by completingsome of the M.A. requirements while still an undergraduate. Studentsmust have a grade point average of 3.3 overall and 3.5 in linguistics.Students interested in pursuing this program should consult thedepartment’s director of undergraduate studies, Professor KatyaPertsova, to assess feasibility.

Special OpportunitiesHonors in LinguisticsAny linguistics major with a cumulative total grade point average ofat least 3.3 and at least 3.5 within the linguistics major is eligible toattempt a degree with honors in linguistics. To graduate with honors,a student must work with a faculty supervisor, enroll in LING 691H andLING 692H during the senior year, and complete and defend an honorsthesis according to departmental and Honors Carolina requirements.Interested students should contact the honors advisor, Professor KatyaPertsova, during their junior year.

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

Study AbroadStudents in linguistics are encouraged to consider study abroad. Coursesthat can be applied toward the linguistics major and minor are availablethrough many of the programs administered by the Study Abroad Office.

Undergraduate AwardsThe Marc Adam Eisdorfer Award recognizes the graduating seniorjudged most outstanding in academic achievement in linguistics. It wasestablished in 1998 by Sandra Eisdorfer in memory of her son, a graduateof the class of 1984.