Program in Linguistics

The Interdepartmental Committee on Linguistics administers a graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Linguistics. Graduate standing is ordinarily required for enrollment in courses. Students should consult the relevant departmental listings for other prerequisites.

Requirements

Master of Arts Degree A minimum of 30 credits, 18 electives and 12 credits as follows: LNGS 701; LNGS 702 or ANTH 748; a course in the structure of a modern or ancient language (this must be a linguistics course; language courses do not count toward the linguistics major); a course in theoretical linguistics. The latter two courses, as well as the remaining 18 credits of electives, are chosen in consultation with an advisor.

Comprehensive Examination All students must pass a comprehensive qualifying examination, normally offered in the spring of the second year, consisting of written and oral components.

Thesis (optional) Three of the total 30 credits may be devoted to writing a thesis. This option is recommended for those who plan to move on to a Ph.D. program in linguistics. Before beginning a thesis, students must have successfully completed both parts of the comprehensive examination, and must submit a written thesis proposal signed by two members of the linguistics committee who have agreed to supervise the research.

Language Requirement Reading knowledge of French or German is required. Competency is determined by written examination. Other languages may be substituted by petition to the linguistics committee.

Address
315 Gilmer Hall
(434) 924-0646 Fax: (434) 982-4766
www.virginia.edu/~linguistics

Course Descriptions

TOP

LNGS 501 - (3) (IR)
Synchronic Linguistics
Prerequisite: LNGS 701 and instructor permission.
Studies the theoretical foundations of major linguistic models focusing on problem-solving and descriptive techniques. Emphasizes the American structuralist and transformational-generative models of language.

LING 509 - (3) (Y)
Teaching English as a Second Language
Prerequisite: LNGS 701 and instructor permission.
Studies the theory, problems, and methods in teaching English as a second language, focusing on relevant areas of general linguistics and the structure of English.

LING 525, 526 - (3) (SI)
Romance Linguistics

LING 545 - (3) (IR)
Language Learning and Teaching

LNGS 591 - (3) (O)
Grammatical Concepts in Foreign Language Learning
Explores tense, mode, voice, subject, object, and predicate, and their applications in various languages.

LNGS 601 - (2) (SS)
Between Two Cultures, Between Two Languages
Virginia teachers examine the relationship of language to culture and the motivational differences between native and non-native speakers learning standard English.

LNGS 701 - (3) (Y)
Linguistic Theory and Analysis

LNGS 702 - (3) (O)
Historical and Comparative Linguistics
Prerequisite: LNGS 701 or instructor permission.
Studies linguistic change focusing on the methods of comparative and internal reconstruction.

LING 897, 898 - (3) (S)
Non-Topical Research

LING 901, 902 - (3) (S)
Directed Research

Special Areas Students should choose electives in one or more of the following areas: anthropology, comparative Latin and Greek, English language study, Germanic linguistics, Indic linguistics, philosophy, psychology, romance linguistics, Slavic linguistics.

The following courses satisfy the special area requirement. Refer to the appropriate department for course descriptions.

Anthropology

ANTH 504 - (3)
Linguistic Field Methodology
ANTH 540 - (3)
Linguistic Anthropology
ANTH 542 - (3)
Twentieth Century Linguistics
ANTH 545 - (3)
African Languages and Folklore
ANTH 549 - (3)
Selected Topics in Theoretical Linguistics and Linguistic Anthropology
ANTH 741 - (3)
Sociolinguistics
ANTH 745 - (3)
American Indian Languages
ANTH 748 - (3)
Language and Prehistory

Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

SANS 501 - (4) (Y)
Elementary Sanskrit I
SANS 502 - (4) (Y)
Elementary Sanskrit II

Classics

GREE 505 - (3)
Comparative Greek and Latin Grammar
GREE 506 - (3)
The History of the Greek and Latin Languages

English Language and Literature

ENMD 501 - (3)
Introduction to Old English
ENMD 505, 506 - (3)
Old Icelandic
ENMD 905 - (3)
Studies in Early English Philology
ENMD 981, 982 - (3)
Studies in Old English
ENMD 983, 984 - (3)
Studies in Middle English
ENPG 981 - (3)
Philosophy of Composition
ENLS 801 - (3)
Language, Linguistics and Criticism
ENLS 805 - (3)
Language Change and Literary Study
ENLS 841 - (3)
Modern English Grammar

French Language and Literature

FREN 529 - (3)
Applied Linguistics: French
FREN 710 - (3)
Old French
FREN 711 - (3)
History of the French Language
FREN 712, 713 - (3)
Old Provencal I, II

Germanic Languages and Literature

GERM 510 - (3)
Introduction to Middle High German and the History of the German Language
GERM 588 - (3)
Linguistic Approaches to Literature

Philosophy

PHIL 750 - (3)
Topics in Philosophy of Language

Psychology

PSYC 555 - (3)
Developmental Psycholinguistics
PSYC 711 - (3)
Psycholinguistics
PSYC 854 - (3)
Cognitive Development
PSYC 855 - (3)
Language Development

Slavic Languages and Literatures

RUSS 501 - (3)
Applied Russian Linguistics: Phonology and Morphology
RUSS 507, 508 - (3)
Problems in Methods of Teaching Russian
RUSS 521 - (3)
The Structure of Modern Russian
RUSS 522 - (3)
History of the Russian Language
RUSS 821 - (3)
Advanced Structure of Russian: Phonology and Morphology
RUSS 822 - (3)
Advanced Structure of Russian: Lexicology
SLAV 525 - (3)
Introduction to Slavic Linguistics
SLAV 592 - (3)
Selected Topics in Linguistics
SLAV 711 - (3)
Balkan Studies
SLAV 742 - (3)
Common Slavic
SLAV 743, 744 - (3)
Old Church Slavonic
SLAV 793 - (3)
Independent Study in Slavic Linguistics
SLAV 851 - (3)
History and Structure of East Slavic Languages
SLAV 853 - (3)
History and Structure of the South Slavic Languages
SLAV 854 - (3)
History and Structure of West Slavic Languages
SLAV 861, 862 - (3)
Seminar in Slavic Linguistics

Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Languages and Literatures

SPAN 514 - (3)
Applied Linguistics in Spanish
SPAN 531 - (3)
Hispanic Sociolinguistics
SPAN 721 - (3)
The Phonology of Spanish
SPAN 730 - (3)
History of the Language