Department of EnglishMA in English

Concentration in Linguistics

The MA in English with concentration in Linguistics is distinguished for its faculty's expertise in a variety of areas, including phonology, syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics (especially American English dialects), linguistics and literature, and the history of English. The program allows you to deepen your grasp of linguistic work with a variety of languages, including American English, Old and Middle English, Korean, and Japanese. Because the study of language and linguistics is a multidisciplinary field, our program is supported with faculty whose interests in these areas come from the English Department, as well as many other departments and colleges across campus. This MA provides a fulfilling education in its own right; at the same time it is an excellent preparation for continued study in doctoral programs.

Degree Requirements

The MA in English with a linguistics concentration follows the same basic coursework for all students earning an Masters in the courses (ENGL 5340: Research Methods; ENGL 5342: Critical Methods). Students take two courses in British literature (one before 1660 and one after), but may choose the option of taking a historical course to substitute for the early period British course. The historical courses that satisfy the early British requirement include ENGL 5301: Old English, ENGL 5334: History of the English Language, and ENGL 5303: Studies in Medieval British Literature. Two courses in American Literature (one before 1900 and one after) are required, but students may substitute one of the following to satisfy this requirement: ENGL 5337: American English Dialects or ENGL 5337: Linguistics and Literature.

The remaining courses are all in English language and linguistics: ENGL 5335: Principles of Language, 1 course on the structure of English (syntax, phonology, morphology, or semantics), 1 course on sociocultural issues (language and gender, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, applied linguistics, or American English dialects), and 1 additional course in linguistics from the English department or another department on campus. Students can choose the thesis option or instead decide to take to additional courses in linguistics.