Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Core Courses
In the first semester, students take the following two courses:
Investigation of the principles that underlie current phonological theory, concentrating on the representation of sounds and the regular patterns of sound in natural language. Topics include distinctive feature theory, syllable theory, the core skeleton, rule formulation and rule interactions. Graduate-level requirements include a greater number of problems.
An introduction to syntactic theory with an emphasis on data analysis, critical thinking, and theory development. Taught within the generative Principles and Parameters approach to syntax. Graduate-level requirements include a greater number of problems.
In addition to LING 503 and LING 510, students must take five courses of the following areas.
Computation Linguistics
Students are introduced to computer programming as it pertains to collecting and analyzing linguistic data. The particular programming language is chosen at the discretion of the instructor. Graduate-level requirements include more challenging exams; 50% greater contribution to their respective group projects; 9 instead of 6 assignment; additional readings from the primary literature.
Fundamentals of formal language theory; syntactic and semantic processing; the place of world knowledge in natural language processing. Graduate-level requirements include a greater number of assignments and a higher level of performance.
This course introduces the key concepts underlying statistical natural language processing. Students will learn a variety of techniques for the computational modeling of natural language, including: n-gram models, smoothing, Hidden Markov models, Bayesian Inference, Expectation Maximization, Viterbi, Inside-Outside Algorithm for Probabilistic Context-Free Grammars, and higher-order language models. Graduate-level requirements include assignments of greater scope than undergraduate assignments. In addition to being more in-depth, graduate assignments are typically longer and additional readings are required.
Topics include speech synthesis, speech recognition, and other speech technologies. This course gives students background for a career in the speech technology industry. Graduate students will do extra readings, extra assignments, and have an extra presentation. Their final project must constitute original work in a speech technology.
Language Revitalization
This course examines potential ways to avert the massive language endangerment and death the world is experiencing. A variety of approaches and methods are considered, including linguistic documentation, teaching language courses, immersion (pre)schools, and the master-apprentice program. The course also covers ethical issues, goals of communities, and the balance between linguists and communities. Graduate-level requirements include 2 additional writing assignments, additional readings, and a longer (25 page) research paper.
In-depth linguistic analysis of selected phonological, syntactic, and semantic problems in a non-Western language, concentrating on native languages of the Southwest area. Graduate-level requirements include a higher level of performance.
This course introduces students to the basic techniques for documentation, analysis and description of a language in the field. Topics will include (but are not limited to): ethical issues in language documentation, basic recording and transcription techniques, phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic elicitation, narrative and (if possible) discourse documentation. Students will work with a native speaker consultant of an unfamiliar language, both in a group setting and one-on-one.
Workshop includes methods and techniques on how to describe a language in the four basis sub-areas of linguistics: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics; terminology and general processes associated with the four sub-areas.
Phonology
Investigation of the evidence and arguments for non-linear representations (autosegmental and metrical) and of the organization of the phonological component of grammar, including evidence for its interaction with morphological structures and rules.
Study of the acoustic and articulatory properties of sounds and patterns of sounds that occur in human language. Focus on the significance of the properties of sounds for phonological theory, in particular, distinctive feature theory. Role of psycho-acoustic studies as a source of evidence for phonological theory. Graduate-level requirements include an additional project or research paper.
This course covers the historical development of major ideas in phonological theory thus examining the motivations for current theoretical tools and assumptions.
Psycholinguistics
Introduction to language processing. The psychological processes involved in the comprehension and production of sounds, words, and sentences. Other topics may include language breakdown and acquisition, brain and language, and bilingual processing. Graduate-level requirements include more extensive readings and writing.
This course focuses on the major theories of language development, including nativism and various forms of learning. Students read and discuss primary source material written by linguists, psychologists, and other cognitive scientists who work in the field of language acquisition.
Current theory and data on first language acquisition with special focus on research that relates linguistic theory and learnability theory to empirical studies of children's linguistic abilities. Requirements include a written paper on a subject pertinent to topic area.
This course focuses on lexical processing, and will review the principal models and mechanisms from psycholinguistic theory aimed at explaining how word recognition works in both the auditory and the visual modalities.
Foundational
A survey of the aims of linguistic research and introduction to the basic mathematics of formal linguistics; logic, sets, algebra, graphs, feature structures, formal language theory.
Students will learn to use the statistical methods common in linguistics and related fields in order to apply them in the design and analysis of their own research. Methods covered will include ANOVA, ANCOVA, correlation, regression, and non-parametric tests, as well as some specialized analyses such as Multidimensional Scaling Analysis. The course will focus primarily on methods and problems of psycholinguistic, phonetic, and sociolinguistic research. Discussion of the statistical analyses in published articles in these areas will form a substantial part of the course, and application of the methods covered in the course to the students' own research will also be discussed. The course will include instruction in use of statistical software packages.
This course focuses on the methodological issues involved in doing linguistic analysis of syntactic, morphological and phonological phenomena and in constructing valid and convincing argumentation about the nature of linguistic theory. Emphasis will be placed on the methodology of testing empirical claims, on the critical evaluation of theoretical explanations, and on developing logically and rhetorically convincing professional analysis.
This course introduces students to the basic techniques for documentation, analysis and description of a language in the field. Topics will include (but are not limited to): ethical issues in language documentation, basic recording and transcription techniques, phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic elicitation, narrative and (if possible) discourse documentation. Students will work with a native speaker consultant of an unfamiliar language, both in a group setting and one-on-one.
Syntax/Semantic
A continuation of LING 503, Foundations of Syntactic Theory I, taught within the Minimalist approach to syntactic theory, with a focus on principles of theory construction and empirical issues in binding, control, movement, structure, and the interfaces with semantics and morphology.
A continuation of 503, this class compares alternative non-Chomskyan theoretical approaches to syntactic theory. Including Relational Grammar, Head Driven Phrase Structure Grammar, Categorical Grammar and Lexical Functional Grammar.
This course surveys the major landmark works in syntactic theory and examines the development of the discipline from its earliest forms to recent influential works. The papers chosen will either mark particular turning points in syntactic theorizing, or will be representative of the kind of analysis at a particular stage in the development of Syntactic theory.
Study of word and sentence meaning, relationship between the lexicon and the grammar, idioms, metaphor, etymology, and change of meaning.
Introduction to model-theoretic investigations of natural language interpretation, including coordination, quantification, referential relations, tense, aspect and modality.
Study of language use, its relationship to language structure and context; topics such as speech acts, presupposition, implication, performatives, conversations. Courses for which students receive the grade of P (Pass) do not satisfy requirements for the M.A. or Ph.D. or minor in philosophy. Graduate-level requirements include a greater number of assignments and a higher level of performance.
Typology/Morphology
Morphology is the internal structure of words and the relationship between words and the syntactic, phonological, and semantic properties of the units that include them. Course work includes the development of morphological theory.
An examination of the syntactic diversity presented by natural human languages and an exploration of the issues that such diversity presents for syntactic analysis. Topics include AUX, word order, constituency, and subjects.
In-depth linguistic analysis of selected phonological, syntactic, and semantic problems in a non-Western language, concentrating on native languages of the Southwest area. Graduate-level requirements include a higher level of performance.
This course examines the grammatical structure, linguistic usage, and sociolinguistic status of a particular language from the Near East. The language covered changes each year, but may include varieties of Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, and other languages of the region. Graduate-level requirements include a longer, more in depth paper and presentation.
Areas of Specialization
Students will also major in a specialization from the following areas, completing 36 total units. The requirements for these specializations will overlap with the core requirements. However, major and minor course specializations must not overlap:
- Computational linguistics
- Language Revitalization
- Phonological Theory
- Psycholinguistics (developmental or adult)
For more information, please visit the Graduate Student Handbook.
Other requirements
Two iterations of the required colloquium course, LING595A, are to be taken in the 1st and 2nd semesters, one unit each. These are important parts of graduate education. All other students may also enroll in the colloquium for additional semesters.
A minimum of two seminars is required. However, students are encouraged to attend all seminars that meet their curricular goals throughout their graduate career, and should consult with their advisor on the number and type of additional seminars to consider
There is a required one-credit course on professionalism, LING689, Professionalism in Linguistics, (separate from the comprehensive exam course) to be taken by the 6th semester.
Students are required to complete written and oral exams to demonstrate their expertise in their selected fields.
Students are required to complete 9 units in a minor. Minor specializations can be internal to Linguistics or from an external department.
Students must complete 18 units of dissertation coursework, conducting and defending original research.