Linguistics Major
One of only a few Linguistics BA programs in the state, and the only Linguistics BA at a Pennsylvania state-owned university! A 36-credit (12-course) program that will allow you to develop a strong foundation in several basic areas of linguistics, and to specialize in other prominent sub-fields (sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, historical linguistics, anthropological linguistics, language and communication, computational linguistics, and more). Double-dipping and double majoring in CSD, ENG, SPA, FRE, GER, COM, and ANT courses possible!
The WCU Linguistics Major involves 36 credits, including the following:
Major Requirements
Core Course Requirements (12 credits = 4 classes)
- LIN 230 - Introduction to Linguistics
- ENG 331 - Structure of Modern English
- LIN 332 - Phonetics and Phonology
- LIN 350 - Semantics and Pragmatics
Major Elective Courses (18 credits = 6 courses)
Select 6 courses from the list below:
- ENG 240 - Language, Gender, and Sexuality
- ENG 250 - Stylistics: The Language of Literature
- ENG 339 - Dialects of American English
- ENG 340 - Sociolinguistic Aspects of English
- FRE 302 - Phonetics and Advance Oral French
- GER 325 - Introduction to German Linguistics
- LIN 211 - Language Communities in the US and Canada
- LIN 300 - Language and the Internet
- LIN 333 - Conversation Analysis
- LIN 355 - Computational Linguistics
- LIN 373 - Language Change
- LIN/ANT380 - Language & Culture
- LIN 388 - Corpus Linguistics
- SPA 340 - Study of Bilingualism: An Introduction
- SPA 353 - Introduction to the Study of Language: Spanish
- SPA 365 - Spanish Phonetics
- SPA 370 - History of the Spanish Language
Advanced Requirements (6 credits = 2 courses)
- LIN 411 - Seminar in Linguistics (topical)
- LIN 412 - Linguistics Capstone
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT (0-12 credits)
Proficiency in a language other than English at the 202 (4th semester level). How many courses/credits will be completed depends on whether the student can show proficiency at the required level or on previous language background (i.e. not all students may require 4 courses). If a student is a double major and the second major requires a language, that language also satisfies the Linguistics BA requirement.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
(1) WCU general education requirement (up to 48 credits)
(2) Electives
Complete 9-27 credits of free electives, in consultation with your advisor. The total number of electives for each student will depend on which courses have been selected to complete General Education requirements or whether the student is a double major. Electives will be completed to ensure that the student has at least 120 credits to graduate)
For more details, click the Program Courses link below!