Linguistics is an exact and structured discipline that examines human language. It has connections to many other fields in the humanities (philosophy, literature), the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology), the natural sciences (biology, neuroscience, acoustics), computer science, computer engineering, and artificial intelligence.
The central areas of linguistics investigate the knowledge that speakers of a language acquire about its structure. Syntax is concerned with the rules that combine words into larger units of phrases and sentences. Semantics is the study of the meanings of linguistic units and how they are combined to form the meanings of sentences. Phonetics deals with the physical properties of language sounds. Phonology investigates the sound systems of particular languages. Morphology investigates the ways in which words are formed from prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Pragmatics is the study of language use. Psycholinguistics is concerned with the cognitive mechanisms by which we produce and perceive language.
The faculty in Linguistics have primary research and teaching interests in one or more of these areas. Other perspectives on language study represented include sociolinguistics, the study of poetic language, and the study of language change.
The programs offered by the Linguistics Department are designed to acquaint students with the central aspects of linguistic structure and the methodologies and perspectives of the field. The department offers two undergraduate majors, linguistics and language studies, as well as a graduate program in theoretical linguistics. The linguistics major leads to a bachelor of arts (BA) degree in linguistics; the language studies major leads to a BA degree in language studies. The graduate program leads to the master of arts (MA) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees in linguistics.
The department also offers a combined BA/MA program which makes it possible for certain well-qualified, highly motivated students to complete the requirements for both degrees in five years rather than the usual six.
The undergraduate linguistics program at UC Santa Cruz is recognized as one of the best in North America. Our graduates are routinely admitted to top graduate programs. Undergraduate alumni from this department are on the faculty at the University of Chicago, Rochester University, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Michigan. A linguistics degree is excellent training for many careers.
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Major Qualifications
The Linguistics Department has adopted a major qualification policy for linguistics and language studies majors that is intended to encourage students to take their performance in the gateway courses seriously and to help them lay a solid foundation for further course work in the major.
To qualify for the major, a student must pass two gateway courses with a grade of C+ or better in each:
- Gateway Course 1: LING 50 Introduction to Linguistics
- Gateway Course 2: One from LING 53, LING 101, LING 112, LING 171
The intention of this major qualification policy is to help students lay a solid foundation for further course work in the major by encouraging them to take their performance in the gateway courses seriously.
Students who are informed that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal the decision within 15 days from the date the notification was mailed. They should do this by submitting a formal letter, addressed to the department Undergraduate Program Director, to the Linguistics Department office (Stevenson 241 and 243), or via email to ling@ucsc.edu. This letter should explain any extenuating circumstances that influenced their performance in the gateway courses. For example, if some event led to weaker performance in both courses in a single quarter, a student has a potential case for appeal. In contrast, academic dishonesty or poor performance spanning multiple quarters will be considered evidence that a student is ill-suited for the major. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student of the decision.
Major Requirements
Successful completion of the linguistics major leads to a BA degree in Linguistics. The linguistics major provides a strong background in the central subdisciplines of linguistics through the named courses, which all majors must complete. For the elective requirement, students who wish to pursue linguistic theory further are encouraged to take morphology and pragmatics, and/or seek permission to enroll in the graduate foundation sequence in phonetics, phonology, psycholinguistics, syntax, or semantics.
The current Coursework Requirements for Linguistics Majors took effect in Fall 2021. Students who entered UCSC prior to that quarter may elect to follow either the current degree requirements or the degree requirements published at the time they entered UCSC. This is guaranteed by their “Catalog Rights”, and more information may be found at the Registrar’s website.
Effective Fall 2021, students in the linguistics major are required to satisfy the following 4 requirements:
- Coursework Requirement, including a Major Qualification Policy
- Foreign Language or Mathematics Competency Requirement
- Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
- Senior Exit requirement.
Coursework Requirements
The Linguistics Major requires a minimum of 12 unique courses, consisting of 2 lower-division courses (LING 50, LING 53) and 10 upper-division courses (LING 100-199).
2 Lower-Division Courses
- LING 50 Introduction to Linguistics
- LING 53 Semantics 1
7 Named Upper-Division Courses
- LING 100 Phonetics 1
- LING 101 Phonology 1
- LING 112 Syntax I, *or* LING 111 Syntactic Structures
- LING 171 Psycholinguistics 1
- Choose 3 from the following level-two courses:
- LING 102 Phonology 2
- LING 113 Syntax 2
- LING 116 Semantics 2
- LING 151 Phonetics 2
- LING 172 Psycholinguistics 2
3 Elective Upper-Division Courses
Choose three 5-unit upper-division courses offered by the Linguistics Department (not already taken as part of the named requirements above.) See Course Substitution Policy in the Information and Policies section of the UCSC General Catalog for information on substituting courses outside the department to meet this requirement. Students should take either LING 111 or LING 112. Only one may be applied to the major course requirements.
Foreign Language/Mathematics Competency Requirement
Linguistics majors are required to demonstrate competency in either a foreign language or mathematics, as follows:
Foreign Language Competency
Students must successfully complete five quarters of language study at UCSC or demonstrate an equivalent level of competence through either a recognized language test or evidence of credit from another institution. In cases where five quarters of instruction for a language are not offered at UCSC, students may opt to complete (or demonstrate an equivalent level of competence for) three quarters of one language and three quarters of a second language. For Latin or Greek, three quarters of the designated courses will be equivalent to all five quarters.
Foreign language for transfer students. While it is not required for selection, junior-level transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete as much preparation as possible in the foreign language of their choosing. Transfer students admitted to UC Santa Cruz for the winter term who do not place into Level 2 or higher in a language placement test when they enter UCSC may not be able to complete the major in a timely manner. Visit the Languages and Applied Linguistics Department website to find out about language placement, articulation, and course offerings.Mathematics Competency
Alternatively, students with a strong formal background can choose to satisfy the mathematics competency requirement by demonstrating sufficient preparation in mathematics for advanced formal work in linguistics. This requirement is satisfied by passing two courses chosen from the following list: Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) 5C, 5J, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 20 or 140; Mathematics 100, 160, or 161; Philosophy 9; Statistics (STAT) 5, 7 or 131; or any course which has one of these courses as a prerequisite. For more information, please navigate to the Linguistics B.A. section of the UCSC General Catalog, and click on the Requirements and Planners tab.
List of Approved MATH/CSE Courses in the Upcoming Quarter
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students must satisfy the major’s upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in Linguistics is satisfied by completing LING 101 and either LING 111 or LING 112.
Senior Exit Requirement
In their senior year, linguistics majors must satisfy the senior exit requirement in any one of three ways:
Option 1: Capstone Course
Successful completion of a capstone course. In order to satisfy the senior exit requirement, students must have senior standing and must have completed Linguistics 53, Semantics 1; Linguistics 101, Phonology 1; and either Linguistics 111, Syntactic Structures or Linguistics 112, Syntax 1. Students then complete a 2-unit senior research course, LING 190. Each instance of LING 190 is taught concurrently with one of the upper-division electives offered in that quarter. Students must enroll in both an instance of LING 190 and its associated upper-division elective. This elective can also serve as one of the three linguistics electives required for the major.
Option 2: Senior Thesis
Senior thesis supervised by a faculty member. The proposal for a senior thesis must be submitted for approval by the department faculty at least three quarters prior to the quarter of graduation.
Students who pursue this option may enroll in LING 195, Senior Thesis. Up to two quarters of LING 195 may be used as electives toward the major requirements.
Option 3: Graduate-level class (by exception)
Students in their senior year may enroll in a graduate-level class, by permission of the instructor. This option is for students who have performed exceptionally in the available undergraduate courses in a particular sub-discipline of the field. Under these conditions, a graduate-level course may serve as the student’s capstone course.
Sample Academic Plans for the Linguistics Major
The following is a recommended academic plan for four-year students who wish to pursue the linguistics major.
| Year | Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (frosh) | College 1 | WRIT 2 | |
| LING 50 | |||
| 2nd (soph) | LING 53 | LING 100 | LING 101 |
| Foreign language level 1 | Foreign language level 2 | Foreign language level 3 | |
| 3rd (junior) | LING 112 | LING 116 or LING 1XX elective | LING 113 or LING 1XX elective |
| Foreign language level 4 | Foreign language level 5 | LING 171 | |
| 4th (senior) | LING 102 or LING 1XX elective | LING 1XX upper div elective | LING 190* |
| LING 1XX upper-div elective | LING 1XX capstone course | ||
*This is a 2-credit course.
In addition to the specific courses shown in these planners, a student must complete courses satisfying the general education requirements. The courses in the four-year planner cover at least the following GE requirements: C, MF, SI, SR.
Linguistics Transfer Students
The following planner is a recommended academic plan for junior transfer students who wish to pursue the linguistics major.
| Year | Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd (junior) | LING 50 | LING 112 | LING 101 |
| LING 53 | LING 100 | LING 171 | |
| Foreign language level 1 | Foreign language level 2 | Foreign language level 3 | |
| 4th (senior) | LING 102 or LING 1XX elective | LING 116 or LING 1XX elective | LING 113 or LING 1XX elective |
| LING 1XX upper-div elective | LING 1XX upper-div elective | LING 1XX capstone course | |
| Foreign language level 4 | Foreign language level 5 | LING 190* |
*This is a 2-credit course.
This planner assumes that a student has completed any required general education courses—including UC Santa Cruz or community college general education requirements—before coming to UCSC. This can be accomplished by completing the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).
Pre-Fall 2021 Major Catalog
The current Coursework Requirements for Linguistics Majors will take effect in Fall 2021. Students who entered UCSC prior to that quarter may elect to follow either the current degree requirements or the degree requirements published at the time they entered UCSC. This is guaranteed by their “Catalog Rights”, and more information may be found at the Registrar’s website.
The Linguistics Major prior to Fall 2021 required 12 five-unit courses (2 lower-division, 10 upper-division) – just as the current major does – but the named coursework requirements were different. All other requirements remain the same (Foreign Language/Mathematics Competency, Disciplinary Communication, and Senior Exit requirement).
Pre-Fall 2021 Coursework Requirements
Two lower-division courses
- LING 50 Introduction to Linguistics
- LING 53 Semantics 1
Five named upper-division courses
- LING 101, Phonology 1
- LING 102, Phonology 2
- LING 112, Syntax 1 or LING 111, Syntactic Structures
- LING 113, Syntax 2
- LING 116, Semantics 2
Five elective upper-division courses in linguistics
Choose five 5-unit upper-division courses offered by the Linguistics Department (not already taken as part of the named requirements above). LING 111 and LING 112 may not be used as electives. Students may petition the department to have elective courses offered through other institutions or other UC programs applied toward the major requirements. At most three such courses can be applied toward the major. These courses must be upper-division and clearly fit into a coherent program of study in linguistics. The master list of approved outside courses offered at UCSC is available in the UCSC General Catalog, under Course Substitution Policy.
Minor Requirements
A minor in linguistics may be advantageous to students majoring in psychology, anthropology, computer and information sciences, and other fields, who intend to go on to graduate work or certain specializations.
Linguistics minors must complete seven 5-unit courses. Unlike the major, there is no Foreign Language/Mathematics competency requirement and no senior exit requirement.
Coursework Requirements
The Linguistics Minor requires 7 unique courses, consisting of 2 lower-division courses (LING 50, LING 53) and 5 upper-division courses (LING 100-199).
2 Lower-Division Courses
- LING 50 Introduction to Linguistics
- LING 53 Semantics 1
2 Named Upper-Division Courses
- Choose two from the following level-one course options
- LING 100 Phonetics I
- LING 101 Phonology I
- LING 111 Syntactic Structures or LING 112 Syntax I
- LING 171 Psycholinguistics I
3 Elective Upper-Division Courses
Choose three 5-unit upper-division courses offered by the Linguistics Department (not already taken as part of the named requirements above.) See Course Substitution Policy in the Information and Policies section of the UCSC General Catalog for information on substituting courses outside the department to meet this requirement. A maximum of two outside courses may be used toward the minor requirements.
Upper-division linguistics electives for the minor include any upper-division course offered by the Linguistics Department, with one exception: Students may not apply both LING 111 and LING 112 to the minor.
Honors and Highest Honors
Students who wish to be considered for honors should meet the deadline posted by the Office of the Registrar for declaring the intent to graduate. Determination of honors is based on the student’s grades and narrative evaluations for all courses relevant to the major and other factors relevant to an assessment of academic excellence, such as research papers of professional quality. Generally, honors in the major are awarded only to the top 10 percent of those graduating in the major. Only those students whose performance in coursework is excellent will qualify. Highest honors are rarely awarded, and then only to students whose performance in coursework is outstanding and who have completed an outstanding senior thesis.
Combined BA/MA Pathway
The B.A./M.A. pathway in linguistics is a demanding, selective option that allows students who are well prepared and well motivated to complete the requirements for both degrees in five years rather than the usual six.
Admission to the pathway has two stages. In the first stage, interested students consult with the Undergraduate Advisor to learn about the process and request the application form. They also arrange meetings with one or more linguistics faculty members. An application can be successful only if it has benefitted from this consultation with a linguistics faculty member at least once, and ideally more, to discuss the student’s goals in linguistics. Students are required to do this before submitting their application.
Applications for the B.A./M.A. pathway in linguistics must be submitted by the last business day of the sixth full week of the first quarter of their junior year. Transfer students must apply by the end of their second quarter of enrollment. In order to be accepted at this first stage, students must have demonstrated outstanding performance across linguistics courses, including excellence in at least three courses that are named requirements for the linguistics major.
Students accepted at this initial stage are assigned a faculty mentor who monitors their progress closely.
At the second stage of the admission procedure, students apply in their senior year to be admitted to the MA program through UCSC’s normal graduate admissions process. If accepted, they ideally complete the course requirements for the MA, and complete and defend the MA thesis by the end of their fifth year.
Students in the BA/MA pathway take a number of graduate courses in their senior year, which are selected in close consultation with their faculty mentor. Performance in these courses forms a central part of the ongoing evaluation process. If a student’s performance does not meet the standards set for the program, the student completes the BA at the end of the senior year and does not proceed to the MA.
Graduate courses required for the MA are taken partly in the senior year and partly in the fifth year. The MA thesis is written in the fifth year. Thus, by the end of their fifth year, students in the program will have fulfilled the requirements for both the BA and the MA degrees. Students who need additional time may remain in the program until the MA thesis is completed and defended.
Students admitted into the BA/MA pathway must complete a minimum of 35 units as an MA student, regardless of the number of graduate courses completed as an undergraduate. (This is a requirement imposed by the Division of Graduate Studies.) If a student completes the core MA requirements as an undergraduate, they should speak with the Graduate Program Director (or their faculty advisor) to create an academic course plan consisting of independent study and graduate seminar courses, sufficient to meet the 35-unit threshold.
Outside Courses
Students satisfy most linguistics requirements through regular Linguistics courses offered by the department. It is possible to satisfy requirements by other means, including:
- courses offered by other UCSC departments
- courses offered at other universities
- courses taken while studying abroad
- independent study courses
You should keep in mind the following restrictions, which apply to these outside courses:
- At most three outside courses can count toward the major, and two toward the minor.
- At most one independent study course (Linguistics 199) and two thesis research courses (Linguistics 195) can count toward the major or minor. (Only Linguistics 199 is relevant to the minor.) Keep in mind that independent study courses fall under rule (1) above also.
- Outside courses are normally used to satisfy elective requirements. Proposals to satisfy some named courses (e.g., Linguistics 101, 111, or 112) will be considered only under exceptional circumstances.
- There is a list of pre-approved outside courses available in the Course Substitution Policy section of the Linguistics catalog statement. The approved outside courses for the current quarter can be found here:
Approved Outside Elective Courses in the Upcoming QuarterAny other outside courses, including those taken abroad, are approved on a case-by-case basis. If you want to propose that a course be counted, provide the course information to the Undergraduate Advisor.
Senior Thesis
Students who have an exemplary record in their coursework may pursue the thesis option for the senior exit requirement.
Developing a thesis proposal
Students who wish to pursue a thesis should first consult with a faculty member about appropriate topics, ideally well before the end of their junior year. In consultation with this faculty advisor, they should then develop a thesis proposal, which meets the following guidelines:
- is 2-3 pages
- addresses the subject of the proposed research
- explains the methods that will be used
- predicts the results that are expected to be obtained
The proposal should be as specific as possible, and should be reviewed by the faculty advisor before being submitted.
Submitting a thesis proposal
Students should next contact the Undergraduate Advisor (ling@ucsc.edu) to obtain the Thesis Proposal Form. They should ask their proposed faculty advisor to sign this form. It is due, along with the thesis proposal and unofficial transcript, three quarters in advance of the student’s proposed graduation date. The full application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Advisor by email no later than 5 pm on the Friday of the sixth full week of instruction of that quarter.
The application is then reviewed by the department. If approved, a second faculty reader is selected at that time. The Thesis Proposal Form is signed by the second reader and the Chair, and a copy is given to the Undergraduate Advisor for placement in the student’s file.
Enrolling in an independent study
In quarters in which they are working on their thesis, students usually enroll in an independent study (LING 195: Senior Thesis). They must enroll in at least one quarter of LING 195.
Submitting the completed thesis
The completed thesis must be submitted to their faculty advisor by the end of the sixth week of the student’s final quarter. The faculty advisor and second reader review it and then bring it to the faculty for final discussion. If approved, the faculty advisor completes and signs the Thesis Evaluation Form. Once signed by the second reader and Undergraduate Program Director, it is filed by the Undergraduate Advisor in the student’s file.