Department of Linguistics (GRAD)

The Department of Linguistics offers graduate work leading to the degree of master of arts in linguistics, and a concentration in Hispanic linguistics as part of a dual-degree program in Hispanic linguistics with a Ph.D. in Romance studies. The Department of Linguistics also co-sponsors a graduate certificate in computational linguistics, jointly administered by the Department of Computer Science and the School of Information and Library Science.

M.A. in Linguistics

Degree candidates for the regular M.A. in linguistics must demonstrate both a basic knowledge of the field of linguistics as a whole and the ability to do independent study in a chosen specialty. Basic knowledge of linguistics is acquired by taking certain required courses; knowledge of a specialty is gained through elective courses as well as by writing a thesis.

The elective courses are expected to form a coherent program in a subfield of linguistics (e.g., phonology, syntax, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, language acquisition) or in the application of linguistics to a closely related discipline (e.g., anthropology, the study of a particular language or language family). To this end, each student, after consultation with the director of graduate studies, will by the end of the second semester of residence choose a permanent advisor, who will supervise the student's program of study.

Information on applying to the linguistics M.A. program, as well as a detailed description of program requirements, can be found on the Linguistics Department Web site.

M.A. in Linguistics with Concentration in Hispanic Linguistics

This dual degree program prepares students with knowledge of Spanish to pursue advanced graduate study in the linguistic analysis of Spanish and related languages, e.g. Portuguese or indigenous languages spoken in proximity to Spanish (e.g. Maya, Guarani, Basque). Students in this program complete an M.A. in linguistics before proceeding to the Ph.D. program in Romance studies, both with concentration in Hispanic linguistics. More information can be found on the program Web site.

Graduate Certificate in Computational Linguistics

This certificate provides training in linguistic analysis, machine learning, text/data mining, natural language processing and generation, and related areas to prepare students for careers in the tech industry or academia. The program is open to currently enrolled graduate students in linguistics, computer science, information and library science, and related fields such as communication, education, speech and hearing sciences, and others. The program is also open to non-degree-seeking students. More information can be found on the program Web site.

Degree programs must satisfy the general requirements of The Graduate School. In addition, the student must fulfill the following curriculum requirements for the master of arts degree:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Course Requirements
LING 520	Linguistic Phonetics	3
LING 523	Phonological Theory I	3
LING 530	Syntactic Theory I	3
One course from among:		3
LING 525	Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics
LING 528	Language Acquisition I
LING 537	Semantic Theory I
Five elective courses in linguistics or related areas, as approved by the student’s academic advisor		15
Thesis credit		3
Total Hours		30

Note: Students are expected to complete their nonelective courses during their first year. This schedule qualifies students to be considered for a linguistics teaching assistantship by their third semester. Deviations from it are therefore strongly discouraged.

Foreign Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of one foreign language. This requirement may be met in one of three ways:

1. By passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test, given each November and April by The Graduate School. For information and registration, go directly to the website.
2. Where available, by passing the reading courses for graduate students numbered 601 and 602 (these courses do not earn graduate credit). Note: Students with some prior experience may find it feasible to meet the requirement by enrolling directly in and passing 602, bypassing 601.
3. Where neither option 1 nor option 2 is available, students may arrange to have their competence certified by a qualified faculty member, usually through an informal examination.

Comprehensive Examination

During the semester following completion of the nonelective courses (which should be the fall term of the second year), students will form an examining committee of three faculty members in the department. It is expected that this committee will also serve as the M.A. thesis committee. The student will submit a prospectus of the M.A. thesis, as described below. The oral examination will assess the student's mastery of topics from the first-year sequence of course work and gauge the merits of the prospectus.

Writing Requirement

Each student must demonstrate the ability to write a professional-quality scholarly, scientific, or technical document.  There are two options available for satisfying this requirement.

Thesis Option

The master's thesis (normally 50 to 100 pages in length) must be approved by a committee consisting of the thesis director and two other faculty members at the oral comprehensive exam. Students form their thesis committee with the advice of their academic advisor, who may (but need not) be the thesis director. At the comprehensive oral exam for the M.A., the department requires that students who have elected this option submit a prospectus of the thesis. The prospectus should state clearly what problem is to be investigated, how the investigation is to be carried out (written research, field work, experiment, etc.), and a preliminary bibliography. The prospectus should first be discussed with the thesis director. Students should then submit a "clean" version to all three committee members and set up a meeting at which the prospectus can be informally discussed and approved (perhaps with modifications). Students are also expected to consult their thesis director regularly during the actual writing of the thesis. Formal requirements regarding the format and submission of the M.A. thesis are found in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.

The final oral examination, administered by the thesis committee, focuses on a defense of the thesis, but the faculty reserves the right to question students on other relevant topics. Students should avoid scheduling a thesis defense during the summer, since faculty members often are not available. If it is absolutely unavoidable, students should consult committee members well in advance.

Research Paper Option

The research paper is a report of original research that is of sufficient quality that it can be published or presented in a public scholarly forum. The research paper is to be written with the guidance of a faculty supervisor. The student should find two faculty sponsors, at least one of whom must be a member of the Linguistics Department, and at least one of whom must be the faculty supervisor, who agree to read the research paper for content and style. The student will submit a proposal for the research paper at the M.A. comprehensive oral exam. The research paper is then to be written during one semester, while the student is registered for LING 992 (thesis substitute), with the faculty supervisor. The research that the paper describes must also be presented by the student in a public scholarly forum in order to fulfill the final oral examination requirement.

The faculty sponsors should communicate to the director of graduate studies their approval of the paper. The requirement is satisfied when both faculty members have accepted the same version of the paper and have certified that the research has been presented in a public scholarly forum. The faculty sponsors should communicate this to the director of graduate studies, along with a printed version of the paper. The DGS will communicate the outcome to The Graduate School using the Report of Approved Substitute form.

Important Degree Deadlines

Each year The Graduate School sets deadlines for graduation in a given term (fall, spring, summer). There are two sets of dates to be mindful of:

1. Students wishing to graduate must submit an application to graduate, as stipulated in the Graduate Student Handbook. These documents must be submitted in advance: typically July for August graduation, February for May graduation, and October for December graduation, but official dates will be posted on the University Registrar's calendar. There is no penalty for failure to complete requirements for a requested graduation date, but a student cannot graduate without having submitted the application to graduate. Therefore students should submit it in time for any semester in which they think they may graduate.
2. The final electronic version of the thesis must be submitted to The Graduate School before the student can graduate. The deadline for submission is shortly before graduation; please see the University Registrar's calendar for current dates.

Note: The previous Ph.D. program in linguistics (1967–2011) no longer admits new students. Legacy students should consult the Department of Linguistics Web site for degree requirements.

Hispanic Linguistics Dual Graduate Track: M.A. in Linguistics and Ph.D. in Romance Studies, Both with Concentration in Hispanic Linguistics

Hispanic​ ​linguistics​ ​is​ ​a​ ​discipline​ ​that​ ​focuses​ ​in​ ​particular​ ​on​ ​the​ ​structure,​ ​history,​ ​dialectal variation,​ ​acquisition,​ ​and​ ​use​ ​of​ ​Spanish,​ ​Portuguese,​ ​and​ ​other​ ​languages​ ​in​ ​contact​ ​with Spanish,​ ​using​ ​the​ ​analytic​ ​tools​ ​of​ ​modern​ ​linguistic​ ​theory.​ ​Specialists​ ​in​ ​Hispanic​ ​linguistics have​ ​a​ ​general,​ ​theoretical​ ​background​ ​in​ ​linguistics and​ ​specialize​ ​in​ ​phenomena​ ​directly relevant​ ​to​ ​the​ ​linguistic​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​these​ ​particular​ ​languages. A​ ​Hispanic​ ​linguist​ ​has​ ​explicit, conscious​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​how​ ​these​ ​languages​ ​work,​ ​can​ ​communicate​ ​that​ ​knowledge​ ​to​ ​others, and​ ​can​ ​extend​ ​the​ ​world's​ ​stock​ ​of​ ​knowledge​ ​about​ ​those​ ​languages​ ​through​ ​original​ ​research.

Application and Admission

It​ ​is the​ ​policy​ ​of​ ​The​ ​Graduate​ ​School​ ​that​ ​“[s]tudents​ ​must​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​and​ ​be​ ​accepted​ ​by​ ​both programs​ ​individually​ ​before​ ​beginning​ ​in​ ​the​ ​dual​ ​degree​ ​program. ​In​ ​a​ ​practical​ ​sense,​ ​this means​ ​that​ ​students​ ​should​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​both​ ​academic​ ​programs​ ​at​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​or​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​the second​ ​program​ ​no​ ​later​ ​than​ ​during​ ​their​ ​first​ ​year​ ​of​ ​the​ ​first​ ​program.​Dual​ ​degrees​ ​will​ ​not be​ ​awarded​ ​after​ ​the​ ​curricular​ ​requirements​ ​have​ ​already​ ​been​ ​met​ ​without​ ​initial​ ​application." The​ ​applications​ ​will​ ​be considered​ ​separately​ ​by​ ​the​ ​admissions​ ​committees​ ​of​ ​the​ ​two​ ​departments. Those​ ​committees will​ ​make​ ​the​ ​final​ ​decision​ ​about​ ​admission​ ​to​ ​each​ ​department. A student who is not admitted concurrently by both departments is not admitted to the dual track for the relevant term, although he or she may still be admitted to the linguistics M.A. singly by a vote of that department's admissions committee. Based on the prerequisites set forth by the Department of Romance Studies, said student is ineligible for admission to the Romance studies Ph.D. for that term, though he or she may reapply to that degree for a later term.​​ ​(A prospective​ ​student​ ​who​ ​already​ ​has​ ​an​ ​M.A.​ ​in​ ​linguistics​ ​cannot​ ​receive​ ​a​ ​second​ ​M.A.​ ​in​ ​the same​ ​field,​ ​hence​ ​is​ ​not​ ​eligible​ ​for​ ​the​ ​dual​ ​track,​ ​and​ ​should​ ​apply​ ​directly​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Romance studies​ ​Ph.D.)​ 

​A​ ​prospective​ ​student​ ​whose​ ​degree​ ​intent​ ​is​ ​a​ ​terminal​ ​M.A.​ ​in​ ​linguistics​ ​with concentration​ ​in​ ​Hispanic​ ​linguistics​ ​need​ ​only​ ​apply​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Linguistics​ ​Department. If the student later wants to be admitted to the dual track before completing the M.A., he or she must apply only to the Ph.D. in Romance studies during the first year of the M.A. If the student completes, or is in the second year and expects to complete, the M.A. and wants to be admitted to the Ph.D. in Romance studies, he or she must apply to the Department of Romance Studies.

Click here for information​ ​and​ ​guidelines​ ​on​ ​the​ ​The Graduate​ ​School​'s ​admissions​ ​application​. Prospective​ ​students​ ​will​ ​submit​ ​their​ ​applications​ ​electronically​ ​to​ ​The​ ​Graduate​ ​School. Applications​ ​are​ ​only​ ​accepted​ ​for​ ​study​ ​beginning​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fall​ ​semester​ ​of​ ​each​ ​year. Recommenders​ ​must​ ​submit​ ​their​ ​letters​ ​electronically​ ​through​ ​the​ ​online​ ​application​ ​system. We​ ​do​ ​not​ ​accept​ ​any​ ​recommendations​ ​on​ ​paper​ ​or​ ​via​ ​e-mail. To​ ​be​ ​considered​ ​for​ ​competitive Graduate​ ​School​ ​fellowships,​ ​an​ ​applicant​ ​must​ ​submit ​all​ ​materials​ ​by​ ​the​ ​second​ ​week​ ​of December.​ ​(Actual​ ​date​ ​changes​ ​with​ ​the​ ​semester.)​ ​This​ ​includes​ ​GRE​ ​scores,​ ​transcripts,​ ​letters of​ ​recommendation,​ ​statement​ ​of​ ​purpose,​ ​writing​ ​sample,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​audio​ ​file​ ​referred​ ​to​ ​below. (All​ ​are​ ​to​ ​be​ ​submitted​ ​electronically.)​ ​Prospective​ ​students​ ​do​ ​not​ ​send​ ​hard​ ​copies​ ​of transcripts​ ​when​ ​applying. They​ ​are​ ​only​ ​uploaded​ ​into​ ​their​ ​application. If​ ​the students are admitted​ ​they​ ​will then​ ​have​ ​to​ ​submit​ ​hard​ ​copies​ ​of​ ​their​ ​FINAL​ ​transcript​ ​to​ ​The​ ​Graduate​ ​School​ ​only. Departmental​ ​funding​ ​(usually​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​a​ ​teaching​ ​assistantship)​ ​may​ ​still​ ​be​ ​available​ ​to those​ ​who​ ​apply​ ​no​ ​later​ ​than​ ​the​ ​second​ ​week​ ​of​ ​January​ ​(the​ ​actual​ ​date​ ​changes​ ​with​ ​the semester)​ ​for​ ​Fall​ ​admission.​ ​Although​ ​applications​ ​received​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​latter​ ​date​ ​will​ ​be considered,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​strongly​ ​recommended​ ​that​ ​materials​ ​be​ ​submitted​ ​by​ ​December​ ​15th.

Please​ ​note​ ​that​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​the​ ​application​ ​materials​ ​that​ ​The​ ​Graduate​ ​School​ ​requests​ ​(such as​ ​the​ ​GRE),​ ​the​ ​dual​ ​track​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​receive​ ​the​ ​following​ ​three​ ​items:

* A​ ​one-page​ ​statement​ ​(written​ ​in​ ​English)​ ​in​ ​which​ ​the​ ​student​ ​explains​ ​his/her reasons​ ​for​ ​pursuing​ ​a​ ​graduate​ ​degree​ ​in​ ​Hispanic​ ​linguistics.​ ​S/he​ ​should​ ​also​ ​detail the​ ​areas​ ​of​ the ​proposed​ ​field.

* A​ ​writing​ ​sample​ ​in​ ​Spanish,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​a​ ​term​ ​paper​ ​that​ ​s/he​ ​has​ ​written​ ​for​ ​a​ ​course​ ​or a​ ​published​ ​article.

* An​ ​audio​ ​file​ ​of​ ​a​ ​few​ ​minutes’​ ​duration,​ ​on​ ​which​ ​s/he​ ​identifies​ ​herself​ ​by​ ​name​ ​in English;​ ​then​ ​speaks​ ​in​ ​Spanish​ ​about​ ​her​ ​professional​ ​goals​ ​and​ ​reads​ ​(also​ ​in Spanish)​ ​a​ ​short​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​his/her​ ​choice. The​ ​audio​ ​file​ ​is​ ​to​ ​be​ ​submitted​ ​to romlgrad@unc.edu. This​ ​last​ ​item​ ​is​ ​particularly​ ​important​ ​if​ ​the​ ​student​ ​is​ ​applying for​ ​a​ ​teaching​ ​assistantship.

The​ ​prerequisite​ ​for​ ​admission​ ​to​ ​the​ ​M.A.​ ​track​ ​with​ ​concentration​ ​in​ ​Hispanic​ ​linguistics​ ​is completion​ ​of​ ​a​ ​bachelor's​ ​degree​ ​and​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​Spanish.

Advising

The​ ​dual​ ​track​ ​will​ ​be​ ​served​ ​by​ ​the​ ​graduate​ ​advisors​ ​in​ ​each​ ​department. ​M.A.​ ​advising​ ​will be​ ​the​ ​responsibility​ ​of​ ​the​ ​linguistics​ ​graduate​ ​advisor,​ ​while​ ​Ph.D.​ ​advising​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the responsibility​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Romance​ ​studies​ ​graduate​ ​advisor.

A​ ​student​ ​who​ ​is​ ​admitted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​dual​ ​track​ ​is​ ​admitted​ ​simultaneously​ ​to​ ​the​ ​linguistics​ ​M.A. program​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Romance​ ​studies​ ​Ph.D.​ ​program,​ ​and​ ​must​ ​accept​ ​both​ ​admission​ ​offers before enrolling in classes. In​ ​any​ ​given​ ​semester,​ ​the​ ​student​ ​must​ ​be​ ​term-activated​ ​in​ ​one program​ ​or​ ​the​ ​other.​ ​Incoming​ ​students​ ​will​ ​normally​ ​be​ ​term-activated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​linguistics ​M.A. for​ approximately​ ​the​ ​first​ ​two​ ​years​ ​before​ ​switching​ ​their​ ​term​ ​activation​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Romance studies​ ​Ph.D. Regardless​ ​of​ ​which​ ​program​ ​the​ ​student​ ​is​ ​term-activated​ ​in,​ ​however,​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she may,​ ​in​ ​any​ ​semester,​ ​make​ ​progress​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​requirements​ ​of​ ​either​ ​program,​ ​or​ ​of​ ​both. Dual​ ​track​ ​students​ ​should​ ​ensure​ ​they​ ​have​ ​successfully​ ​submitted​ ​an​ ​application​ ​to​ ​graduate for​ ​each​ ​of​ ​their​ ​intended​ ​degree​ ​programs.

Graduate Certificate in Computational Linguistics

Students admitted to the graduate certificate in computational linguistics must complete three courses (nine credit hours), of which one course may be counted towards their home degree. Students with background in linguistics must complete three courses from the following list:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
COMP 455	Models of Languages and Computation	3
COMP 486/INLS 512	Applications of Natural Language Processing	3
COMP 562	Introduction to Machine Learning H	3
COMP 755	Machine Learning	3
INLS 509	Information Retrieval	3
INLS 613	Text Mining	3
INLS 690	Intermediate Selected Topics (Data Mining: Methods and Applications)	1-3

H	Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

Students with background in computer science or information science must complete three courses from the following list:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
LING 401	Language and Computers	3
LING 427	Morphology	3
LING 460	Making Sense of Big Data: Textual Analysis with R	3
LING 520	Linguistic Phonetics	3
LING 523	Phonological Theory I	3
LING 528	Language Acquisition I	3
LING 530	Syntactic Theory I	3
LING 537	Semantic Theory I	3
LING 540	Mathematical Linguistics	3

Students with background in other areas and non-degree-seeking students will be advised individually on a curriculum. In addition, participants in the certificate will participate in a monthly brown bag seminar which will feature speakers from academia and industry related to computational linguistics and will promote networking and mentoring in the field.

Following the faculty member's name is a section number that students should use when registering for independent studies, reading, research, and thesis and dissertation courses with that particular professor.

Professors

Misha Becker (12), Language Acquisition, Psycholinguistics, Language Revitalization
David Mora-Marín (15), Historical Linguistics, Mayan Linguistics, Linguistic Anthropology
Elliott Moreton (8), Phonetics, Phonology, Cognitive Science
Paul Roberge (17), Pidgins and Creoles, Historical Linguistics, Germanic Linguistics
Jennifer L. Smith (7), Phonology, Phonetics, Japanese

Associate Professors

Katya Pertsova (10), Computational Linguistics, Morphology
J. Michael Terry (9), Semantics, African American English

Assistant Professor

Brian Hsu (6), Syntax, Phonology

Teaching Assistant Professor

Caitlin Smith.

Adjunct Faculty

Becky Butler, Phonetics, Phonology, Southeast Asian Linguistics
Benjamin E. Frey (Department of American Studies), Cherokee Linguistics, German and Dutch Linguistics, German Language in America
Masako Hirotani, Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Psycholinguistics, Neurocognition of Language, Auditory Language Processing

In Other Departments

Jennifer Arnold (Department of Psychology), Psychology and Psycholinguistics
Mohit Bansal (Department of Computer Science)
Uffe Bergeton (Department of Asian Studies), Early Chinese Language, History, and Thought
Lucia Binotti (Department of Romance Studies), Spanish Philology, Cultural Thought, Linguistic Historiography
Bruno Estigarribia (Department of Romance Studies), Spanish Linguistics, Language Development and Cognition
Nina Furry (Department of Romance Studies), French Linguistics
Peter C. Gordon (Department of Psychology), Psychology of Language
Lamar Graham (Department of Romance Studies), Romance Linguistics, Syntax
Thomas Hofweber (Department of Philosophy), Philosophy of Language
Wendan Li (Department of Asian Studies), Chinese Linguistics, Discourse
Jim Pryor (Department of Philosophy)
Martha Ruiz-Garcia (Department of Romance Studies)
Gillian Russell (Department of Philosophy), Philosophy of Language
Patricia E. Sawin (Department of American Studies), Ethnography of Communication

Professors Emeriti

Randall Hendrick
H. Craig Melchert
Patrick O'Neill (Department of English and Comparative Literature), Celtic Languages

LING

Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses

Graduate-level Courses

For Irish and Welsh, see English; for Hebrew, see Religious Studies; for Arabic, Chinese and Japanese, see Asian Studies in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

MAYA

Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses