Certificate / Minor

(The following is updated information, as of July 1, 2023):

The certificate in Linguistics is becoming a minor. As we are transitioning from the certificate to the minor system, the LIN certificate and the LIN minor will cohabitate in the next two years, AY 2023-24 and AY 2024-25, under the following conditions: 

– Up to (and including) the class of 2024, students registered for the LIN certificate will obtain a certificate, and will have to comply with the certificate requirements (see 2 below); 

– From the class of 2025 onward, students will be getting a minor (including the students who have already registered for a certificate), and will have to comply with the requirements for the minor, detailed in 1 below. 

1. LIN Minor requirements (class of ’25 and above) 

To obtain a minor in linguistics, students will have to take a total of five LIN courses in three different categories (core, methods, electives), and do independent work on a linguistics topic. 

Course requirement: Students must satisfactorily complete five linguistics courses. These must include: 

• LIN 201 “Introduction to Language and Linguistics”. Permission may be granted to substitute a different LIN course in place of 201; decisions will be made by the Director of Undergraduate Studies on a case-by-case basis.  
• Students must complete four additional courses, at the 200 level or above, in the following three categories:
  • At least one course from the set of “core” courses:
    • LIN 301 “Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology” 
    • LIN 302 “Syntax” 
    • LIN 303 “Linguistic Semantics” (or PHI/LIN 334 “Semantics”) 
    • LIN 306 “The Structure and Meaning of Words” 
  • At least one course from the set of “methods” courses:
    • LIN 210 “Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics” 
    • LIN 310 “Intonation: Melody in Language” 
    • LIN 355 “Field Methods in Linguistics” 
    • LIN 356 “Experimental Linguistics” 
  • Any two other LIN-designated courses at the 200 level or above (which may be drawn from the sets above). Linguistics-related courses in other departments and programs that do not have the LIN designation may be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies on a case-by-case basis. No more than one of these elective courses may be taken P/D/F. 
• No more than one of the five courses to be completed may double-count with the student’s major.  

Independent work requirement: 

• Some substantial aspect of linguistics should be incorporated into either the student’s junior independent work or into their senior thesis. This requirement is typically met by either writing a junior paper or senior thesis on a linguistics topic or topic related to linguistics (i.e. a topic that satisfies the requirements of both the student’s major and minor) – or by including a chapter on a linguistics topic in a senior thesis whose general topic is not directly related to linguistics.  
• If this is not feasible, students should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for alternative arrangements, which in most cases will involve writing a short piece of independent work on a topic related to linguistics, supervised by a member of the LIN faculty. 

2. LIN Certificate requirements (up to class of ’24, to be retired thereafter) 

To obtain a certificate in linguistics, students must take a total of five LIN courses and do independent work on a linguistics topic. 

Course requirement: 

• Students must satisfactorily complete five linguistics courses. These must include LIN 201 “Introduction to Language and Linguistics”. Permission may be granted to substitute a different LIN course in place of 201; decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Ordinarily, LIN 201 must not be taken P/D/F to count toward the LIN certificate. 
• Students must complete four additional courses, at the 200 level or above. These must include at least three LIN designated courses (or courses cross-listed with LIN). Linguistics-related courses in other departments and programs may be approved on a case-by-case basis. At most one of these courses may be taken P/D/F. 

Independent work requirement: 

• Some substantial aspect of linguistics should be incorporated into either the student’s junior independent work or into their senior thesis. 
• If this is not feasible, students should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for alternative arrangements (e.g. writing a separate paper on a topic related to linguistics). 

Students pursuing the LIN certificate must complete all requirements for the certificate no later than one week before Dean’s Date of their senior year in order to have the certificate conferred to them at graduation. (For the present purposes, LIN courses that a senior is enrolled in during their Spring semester will count as “completed” at the time of this deadline.)

Note: This program of study is for a LIN certificate/minor, and is separate from the program of study for an independent concentration in linguistics. For the latter, see the page about the LIN Independent Concentration. 

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How to Apply

Complete an application online or as a typeable PDF.