Requirements for the Major and Minor in Linguistics

Requirements for the Major

The major in Linguistics leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. All linguistics courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

Completion of the major requires 36 credits in linguistics and one year of a foreign language in addition to the Uni­versity's entry skill requirement.

1. LIN 201 Phonetics
2. LIN 211 Syntax
3. LIN 301 Phonology
4. LIN 431 The Structure of an Uncommonly Taught Language
5. Seven additional linguistics courses, of which at least six must be upper division (LIN 344 may not be used as one of these courses)
6. Two semesters of foreign language  after completing Entry Skill 3, the University's foreign language requirement. These may be either in the same language with which the entry skill was met or in one or two other languages.
7. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: In the junior or senior year, students must successfully complete LIN 300 Writing in Linguistics, a one-credit course.

Notes:
1. Students majoring in Linguistics may be interested in courses offered through other departments. Please consult the director of undergraduate Studies for more information on appropriate courses.
2. Students electing TESOL may not take any courses required for certification for Pass/No Credit. Requirements for TESOL certification are detailed following the Linguistics minor and honors program listings.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor requires 20 credits.
1. LIN 201 Phonetics
2. LIN 211 Syntax
3. Four additional linguistics courses, of which at least three must be upper division.

Notes:
1. One of the courses required for the minor may be taken for Pass/No Credit.
2. Linguistics minors that are closely integrated with students' majors are strongly encouraged. The fields with which linguistics has special affinities are: anthropology, psychology, English, foreign languages, philosophy, and computer science.
3. Students must consult with the director of undergraduate studies in linguistics to enroll in the minor.

Honors Program

Linguistics majors who have maintained a g.p.a. of 3.50 in the major are eligible to graduate with departmental honors. An additional requirement for honors is the submission of a senior thesis based on research performed during the senior year. Students must submit a written thesis proposal for approval to a sponsoring faculty member in the semester prior to the start of their senior year. Acceptance into the honors program depends on approval of the proposal by the sponsoring faculty member, the director of undergraduate studies and the department.
LIN 495 and LIN 496 will be taken as a 2 semester sequence during the senior year, for a total of six credits. Students will receive only one grade upon completion of the sequence. These courses must be taken in addition to the total credits required for the major. The student's thesis must be completed and submitted no later than three weeks prior to the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in LIN 496. The thesis will be read and evaluated by a committee consisting of the student's sponsor, one other member of the Department of Linguistics, and one faculty member from another department, as arranged by the director of undergraduate studies.
If the thesis is accepted by the committee and the student retains a 3.50 g.p.a. for all linguistics courses taken, the Department will recommend that honors be conferred.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Preparation Program

The TESOL Teacher Education Program prepares undergraduates for initial certification as Pre-K-12 teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Students wishing to apply to the program should plan to major in Linguistics and should consult with the program director as early as possible in their academic careers to insure completion of program requirements in a timely manner.

Requirements for Initial Certification
A. Completion of all requirements for the major in Linguistics.
B. A 3.00 g.p.a. in the major and a 2.75 g.p.a. overall.
C. Two years of college-level study of a language or languages other than English. (Completion of Skill 3 Basic Foreign Language Competence satisfies the first year of this requirement.) These may be in one, two, or three languages.
D.  Linguistics and foundations courses:
• LIN 101 Human Language
• LIN 201 Phonetics
• LIN 211 Syntax
• LIN 301 Phonology
• LIN 307 Introduction to Sociolinguistics
• LIN 431 Structure of an Uncommonly Taught Language
• Plus two additional 3 credit upper division linguistics courses
E.  Professional educational requirements:
1. SSE 327 Human Growth and Development in the Educational Context
2. SSE 350 Foundations of Education
3. LIN 344 Language Acquisition and Literacy Development
4. LIN 375 TESOL Pedagogy: Theory and Practice
5. LIN 378 Content-based Language and Literacy Development
6. LIN 449 Field Experience I (1 credit co-requisite of LIN 375)
7. LIN 450 Field Experience II (1 credit co-requisite of LIN 378)
8. LIN 451 Supervised Student Teaching in TESOL (grades P-6)
9. LIN 452 Supervised Student Teaching in TESOL (grades 7-12)
10. LIN 454 Managing Instruction, Assessment and Resources

Five-Year Combined B.A./M.A. Program with Teacher Certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

In addition to the regular B.A. program in Linguistics with teacher certification and the regular M.A. in TESOL, the Linguistics department offers a five-year combined B.A./M.A. degree program. Upon completion of the five-year program, graduates will hold a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, New York State teaching certification in TESOL, and a Master's degree in TESOL. The combined program will allow students the opportunity to complete these requirements one semester sooner than students who complete the programs sequentially. The combined program is restricted to students with an outstanding undergraduate record who are expected to excel in the graduate program.
During the first four semesters as an undergraduate, students in the combined program will pursue a normal course of study for the B.A. in Linguistics with New York State certification in TESOL. Students must apply to the five-year combined program in the second semester of the sophomore year. During the third year of study students will take two pedagogy courses and the field components associated with them at the graduate level, and will student-teach in the second semester of the fourth year. They will then enter the graduate program prepared to complete the M.A. degree in one year of full-time study.
The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the combined program:
1.  A minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.3 in linguistics courses;
2. The PEP admissions essay;
3. Recommendations from two linguistics faculty members;
4. Interviews with the Undergrad­uate Director in Linguistics and the Director of the TESOL program.