Language is everywhere in our lives. Linguistics is the scientific study of language that asks how language is represented in the human mind, how it is used by humans in daily interactions, and how it is acquired by children and adults. 

The Department of Linguistics offers programs that lead to the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics. Doctoral students can participate in the certificate program in the Cognitive Science of Language, which provides multidisciplinary training in cognitive science. In addition to core courses in phonology (sound systems), syntax (sentence structure), and language acquisition, our department provides a broad array of courses that can expand your knowledge in the language sciences. These courses cover topics such as experimental methods in linguistics, language rights, linguistic prejudice, and multilingualism. 

Currently, our research interests and curriculum are expanding to include the study of constructed languages (conlangs). We are developing the expertise to offer courses in language creation that combine both theoretical and experiential learning components.

Our department recognizes that students come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse career trajectories. We offer courses geared for a career in linguistics but also those that can lead to different career paths such as teaching English as a second language (TESL), data science, UX (user experience) design, translation, and writing.