12.17.1 Program of Study

  1. The Department of Linguistics offers the M.A. program with both a thesis and a non-thesis option. The M.A. with thesis option is intended for those who have completed an undergraduate major in Linguistics with satisfactory standing (a B+ average in Linguistics courses). Students interested in the thesis option who have an excellent undergraduate record and a well-defined research plan, yet who do not possess the equivalent of an undergraduate major, will be required to take additional undergraduate and/or graduate courses in Linguistics. Other students are encouraged to apply for the M.A. without thesis option.

  2. The M.A. with thesis option is normally a two-year program consisting of at least 15 credit hours of graduate courses (including Linguistics 7000 and 7001), plus a thesis.

  3. The M.A. without thesis option is normally a two-year program consisting of at least 21 credit hours of graduate courses (including Linguistics 7000 and 7001), plus a research project (Linguistics 6999), which consists of a major research paper in an approved area followed by an oral examination.

  4. The M.A. in Linguistics requires proficiency in a language other than the student's first language, as demonstrated by a minimum 'B' grade in a second-year undergraduate language course, or performance satisfactory to the Department in an arranged reading proficiency test. A working or structural knowledge of other languages may also be required for particular programs (e.g., courses in the series Linguistics 6050-59 or the former 6010-6041).

  5. All M.A. students are advised to consult the Department's Graduate Program web page for details on program requirements and for general information relating to the graduate program.


12.17.2 Courses

A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to meet the requirements of students, as far as the resources of the Department will allow. Full information is to be found in the Department's Graduate Program web page.

Regularly offered:

  • 6100 Issues in Morphosyntax (credit may not be obtained for both Linguistics 6100 and the former 6001)
  • 6110 Selected Topics in Transformational Grammar
  • 6115 Topics in the Syntax of a Selected Language (prerequisite: 6001 or 6110)
  • 6150 Principles of Language Acquisition
  • 6151 Selected Topics in Language Acquisition (prerequisite: Permission of the instructor)
  • 6203 Phonological Theory (credit may not be obtained for both 6203 and the former 6200)
  • 6204 Selected Topics in Phonology (prerequisite: 6203; credit may not be obtained for both 6204 and the former 6201)
  • 6210 Sociolinguistics (credit restriction: a student may not obtain credit for both 6210 or the former 6211)
  • 6400 Comparative and Historical Linguistics
  • 6500 Field Methods
  • 6956 Language Disorders and Linguistic Theory 
  • 6700 Experimental Phonetics
  • 7000 Seminar in Research Methods
  • 7001 Analytical Issues in Linguistics

Occasionally offered:

  • 6050-54 Structure of a North American Indigenous Language (credit restriction: Except where an exemption is supplied by the Head of the Department, a student may not obtain credit for more than one course in the 6050-54 series. Students may not obtain credit for any of the previously offered 6010, 6011, 6020, 6021, 6030, 6031, 6040, 6041 in addition to a course in the 6050-54 series.)
  • 6055-59 Structure of an Uncommonly-Taught Language (credit restriction: Except where an exemption is supplied by the Head of the Department, a student may not obtain credit for more than one course in the 6055-59 series.)
  • 6212 Selected Topics in Language and Gender
  • 6220 Areal and Temporal Variations in Language
  • 6300-6309 Special Subjects
  • 6420 English Dialectology I
  • 6421 English Dialectology II
  • 6430 Selected Topics in Linguistic Variation (prerequisite: 6220 or the former 6211)
  • 6601 Modern Linguistic Theories
  • 6701 Selected Topics in Experimental Phonetics (prerequisites: 6203, 6700)
  • 6800 Selected Topics in Morphology
  • 6880 Selected Topics in Semantics
  • 6999 M.A. Research Project
  • 7100 Topics in North American Native Indigenous Languages (prerequisites: a course from series 6050-6054 or the former 6011, 6031, 6041)
  • 7200 Advanced Topics in Syntax (prerequisites: 6110, plus either 6001 or 6115)
  • 7400 Seminar in Comparative and Historical Linguistics (prerequisite: 6400 or 6410)
  • 7430 Seminar in Linguistic Variation (prerequisite: 6430)
  • 7800 Seminar in Morpho-semantics (prerequisite: 6800)
  • 7900-03 Special Topics in Linguistics
Note:

Appropriate equivalent credits may be given for courses taken at the Summer Institute of the Linguistic Society of America, or a similar institute. Students are encouraged to attend these institutes. They should, however, consult the Head of the Department as to what courses may be appropriate for credit.

The information on this site has been extracted from the Official 2023-2024 University Calendar. While every reasonable effort has been made to duplicate the information contained in the official University Calendar, if there are differences, the official Memorial University of Newfoundland Calendar will be considered the final and accurate authority.

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