Catalog Home College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Linguistics

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of human languages, which are highly complex systems. Areas of study include word structure (morphology), speech sounds (phonetics) and their patterns of combination and contrast (phonology), sentence structure (syntax), and meaning relations (semantics).

Linguists study well-known and familiar languages, such as English, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. They also study less well-known languages and even those languages about which little has been discovered. While human languages are different from one another in many ways, there are broad similarities among them, supporting the idea that the capacity for language is part of human cognitive functions.

The description of formal patterns of human language has a number of applications. Linguistics is connected to psychology and to speech and hearing, in studying how children learn language, how speakers process and interpret language, and how injuries and disorders affect both production and perception of speech. It is linked with anthropology and other social sciences in studying how language use relates to culture, region, class, and gender. Linguists and computer scientists collaborate to construct computational representations of syntax and semantics for processing natural languages.

Linguistics has important ties with instruction in foreign languages and in English as a second language (ESL). Studies of how languages are learned are based in part on analysis of the languages in question. They also are grounded strongly in theories of second language acquisition, which in turn are related to theories of how linguistic knowledge is represented in the mind.

People with linguistic training teach ESL and help clinicians retrain people with linguistic disabilities. Some help design school programs for minority groups or intelligence and achievement tests. Linguists also work in occupations related to law, the computer industry, and foreign languages.

High scores on verbal, analytic, and quantitative aptitude tests are indicators of success in linguistics. Although few aspects of the field deal with numbers, students must be able to reason logically and explicitly and deal with formulas and abstract symbols.

Undergraduate Programs

• Major in linguistics (Bachelor of Arts)
• Minor in linguistics

Depending on their vocational goals, students planning to major in linguistics should consider pursuing their studies either through the M.A. in linguistics with a professional focus or through the Ph.D., or they should complete a second major. Appropriate companion fields include anthropology, computer science, English, another language, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, speech pathology, and elementary and secondary education.

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in linguistics requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including 30 s.h. of work for the major. The program prepares students to do basic language analysis in syntax-semantics (sentence patterns and their relation to meanings) and phonology (sound patterns). Elective courses in a variety of subspecialties enable students to tailor the program to their own interests.

The major requires the following course work. 

Students must complete no fewer than 15 s.h. of requirements for the major at The University of Iowa, including 103:110 Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics, 103:111 Syntactic Analysis, and 103:112 Phonological Analysis.

English Grammar (103:028) does not count toward the linguistics major.

Students must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program.

TESL Emphasis

As part of the major in linguistics, students may complete an emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). The TESL emphasis can prepare students to teach English to nonnative speakers abroad. It also is excellent preparation for graduate work in second language acquisition. TESL emphasis students complete the requirements for the linguistics major listed above, using the following course work to partially satisfy the electives requirement.

Both of these: 

One of these: 

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the University's Four-Year Graduation Plan. (Courses in the major are those required to complete the major; they may be offered by departments other than the major department.)

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: Introduction to Linguistics (103:100), one additional linguistics course, and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: three more courses in the major and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: two more courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Honors

Members of the University of Iowa Honors Program may graduate with honors in linguistics by completing the major course work plus an honors thesis, which must be prepared in consultation with the student's academic advisor. Membership in the Honors Program requires that students maintain a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.33 (contact the University of Iowa Honors Program for more information).

Minor

The minor in linguistics requires a minimum of 15 s.h. in linguistics courses, including at least 12 s.h. in University of Iowa courses numbered 103:100 Introduction to Linguistics and above. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in the minor. Course work in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass. Courses for the minor must include 103:100 Introduction to Linguistics, 103:110 Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics, 103:111 Syntactic Analysis, and 103:112 Phonological Analysis.

Joint B.A./M.A. with TESL Focus

Undergraduate linguistics majors who plan to earn a master's degree in linguistics with a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) focus have the opportunity to earn a joint Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts. Students in the joint program take selected graduate-level courses while still undergraduates and may count 12 s.h. of advanced course work toward both degrees. Once students complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree, they are granted the B.A., and they usually complete the M.A. one year later.

As part of the undergraduate major with TESL focus, B.A./M.A. students take 103:141 The Structure of English, a course in language history, 103:100 Introduction to Linguistics, and 103:110 Articulatory and Acoustic Phonetics.

They substitute some graduate-level course work for normal undergraduate requirements. Instead of taking 103:111 Syntactic Analysis to fulfill the B.A. syntax requirement, they take 103:201 Introduction to Syntax, the first course in the mandatory two-course syntax sequence for M.A. students. Instead of taking 103:112 Phonological Analysis to fulfill the B.A. phonology requirement, they take 103:203 Introduction to Phonology, the first in the graduate two-course phonology sequence.

In addition, 103:145 Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language and 103:202 Syntactic Theory count toward both degrees and typically are taken during the senior year.

To be admitted to the program, students must be working toward an undergraduate major in linguistics, must have completed at least 80 s.h. of undergraduate course work (typically by the end of their fifth semester), and must have a g.p.a. of at least 3.50.

Graduate Programs

• Master of Arts in linguistics (with or without thesis)
• Doctor of Philosophy in linguistics

Department of Linguistics graduate programs emphasize theory and research. Students interested in non-university careers also may take courses in applied linguistics and other fields, either in connection with doctoral work or as an option in the M.A. program.

Iowa's linguistics department has particular strengths in second language acquisition (SLA), phonology, and syntax.

The curriculum in second language acquisition includes courses that provide an overview and analysis of current SLA research conducted within the generative framework, with emphasis on explaining the linguistic competence of second language learners in terms of universal grammar (UG), the innate language acquisition device.  Work focuses on experimental research investigating the influence of the first language, theories of UG access, and related topics.

The phonology curriculum emphasizes current theoretical perspectives, including optimality theory, and the collection, description, and interpretation of novel phonological and phonetic data.  Courses feature extensive work in data analysis and problem solving, focusing on construction and evaluation of phonological theories, particularly in light of new empirical data.

The syntax curriculum includes the dual emphases of empirical and theoretical perspectives. It offers a variety of foundational courses that build analytic and argumentation skills, as well as specialized course work on current issues in syntactic theory.  The courses consist of intensive work in problem solving. They combine discovery and description of new linguistic data with exploration of the implications of such facts in testing and constructing syntactic theories.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts in linguistics requires a minimum of 31 s.h. of graduate credit with thesis, or 37 s.h. without thesis.

All students take a required set of core courses in phonology, syntax, and language acquisition. Thesis students also complete at least 9 s.h. of electives and earn up to 6 s.h. for the thesis. Nonthesis students also complete 15 s.h. of Department of Linguistics course work, which may include a 9 s.h. focus (e.g., teaching English as a second language). A student's advisor must approve all courses that count toward the degree.

A student with a linguistics background may waive up to 6 s.h. of course work if the department determines that he or she completed comparable work before enrolling in the program.

Comprehensive examinations cover phonology, syntax, and applied linguistics (for students who choose this option).

The required core courses are as follows. 

One of these: 

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy in linguistics requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit, or 73 s.h. for graduates of the M.A. nonthesis program. The highly selective program provides students with a strong foundation in theoretical linguistics and helps them develop the skills they will need to explore the close relationship between linguistics and related disciplines.

The Ph.D. core includes the following course work (total of 18 s.h.).

Two upper-level syntax courses numbered 103:212 Advanced Syntactic Theory or above
Two upper-level phonology courses numbered 103:214 Advanced Phonological Theory or above
At least two seminars

An approved specialty area of 18 s.h. also is required, and students must achieve proficiency in a foreign language, as specified by department regulations.

To pass the comprehensive examination for the Ph.D., a student must gain approval for two papers of publishable quality. One must be in phonology or syntax. The other should be in an area of the student's choosing and must be distinct from the area of the first paper.

An oral defense of the dissertation and three years in residence at The University of Iowa are required. In addition, all candidates are required to gain supervised experience in teaching and research.

Admission

Applicants to the graduate program in linguistics must complete an application form, submit GRE General Test scores, and have three letters of recommendation sent to the Department of Linguistics. Students whose first language is not English must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Applications for admission should be submitted as early as possible for the following academic year.

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Financial Support

Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships are available to qualified graduate students. Applications are due no later than March 1 for the following academic year; earlier submission is strongly encouraged.

Exceptionally well-qualified applicants may be eligible for a Presidential Graduate Fellowship. Individuals interested in being nominated for a presidential fellowship should submit all application materials by January 15 for the following academic year.

Applications for all awards are considered only for students whose application for admission is complete.

Facilities

The Department of Linguistics has two laboratories. One is equipped with 14 computer workstations for small group instruction, individual work, and student research in speech analysis, second language acquisition, computational linguistics, and other areas. The other has a soundproof booth connected to a computer with software for speech analysis. Remote terminals and personal computers are also available to students.

The departmental reading room, which contains a modest library, provides a common meeting place for faculty and students. Students have considerable influence on departmental affairs and enjoy a high degree of individual instruction.

Courses

Primarily for Undergraduates

For Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Primarily for Graduate Students