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Linguistics
239 & 241 Stevenson College
(831) 459-2905
(831) 459-4988
http://ling.ucsc.edu
Program Description
| Faculty | Course
Descriptions
Among the humanities, linguistics is an unusually exact and
structured discipline. As the study of human language, it has connections
to many other fields in the humanities (philosophy, literature), the
social sciences (psychology, anthropology, sociology), and the natural
sciences (neurobiology, acoustics, computer science).
The central areas of linguistics proper investigate the knowledge
that speakers of a language acquire about its structure. Syntax
is concerned with the rules used to combine words into larger units
of phrases and sentences. Semantics studies the meanings of linguistic
units and how they are combined to form the meanings of sentences.
Phonetics deals with the sounds of languages. Phonology investigates
the ways in which these speech sounds pattern in the sound systems
of particular languages. Morphology studies the way in which words
are put together out of prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
All faculty in the nationally recognized Linguistics Department
have primary research and teaching interests in one or more of these
areas. Other perspectives on language study represented include
sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, 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,
and a graduate program in theoretical linguistics. The linguistics
major leads to a B.A. degree in linguistics; the language studies
major leads to a B.A. degree in language studies (see the Language
Studies Program Description section). The
graduate program leads to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in linguistics.
All students are required to complete the following 12 courses in
linguistics and related disciplines.
Three lower-division courses:
Introduction to Linguistics,
introductory syntax, and introductory semantics.
Five upper-division courses:
introductory phonology, intermediate phonology, intermediate syntax,
intermediate semantics, and language change.
Four additional upper-division elective
courses in linguistics or related disciplines. Course 80C,
80D, or 80V may be substituted for one of these upper-division courses.
Students may petition the department to have elective courses offered
through other institutions or other UC programs applied toward the
major requirements. Such courses must clearly fit into a coherent
program of study in linguistics.
Foreign language/mathematics competency
requirement: Linguistics majors are required to demonstrate
either foreign language or mathematics competency as follows:
Foreign language competency:
students must successfully complete six quarters of language study
at UCSC (three quarters for Latin or Greek) or demonstrate an
equivalent level of competence through a recognized language test
or evidence of credit from another institution.
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: Mathematics 11A, 19A, or 21; Computer
Science 12A; Computer Engineering 16; Economics 11A; or any course
which has one of these courses as a prerequisite.
Senior exit requirement: In
their senior year, students must pass a comprehensive examination.
With advance approval, especially strong students may instead pursue
a senior thesis or senior project. The proposal for a senior thesis
or project must be submitted for approval to the designated adviser
at least two quarters prior to the quarter of graduation.
The major provides a strong background in the central subdisciplines
of linguistics. Students who wish to pursue linguistic theory further
are encouraged to take other upper-division linguistics courses
and seek permission to enroll in the graduate sequences in phonology,
syntax, or semantics.
Students may wish to take elective courses in other subdisciplines
of linguistics. Psycholinguistics focuses on the psychological mechanisms
of language. Computational linguistics focuses on computational
approaches to linguistic analysis and the linguistic analysis of
computer languages. Applied linguistics focuses on bilingualism,
second-language acquisition, and translation.
Students who wish to pursue these subdisciplines should consult
the Department of Linguistics for lists of elective courses in these
areas. It is also possible to focus on the grammar of one or more
languages by taking the structure course in linguistics (180 series)
and related courses in other disciplines. Linguistics majors with
a language focus are also encouraged to consider academic study
at foreign universities through the UCSC Education Abroad Program.
Students preparing for careers in teaching should contact the Education
Department Office, 212 Crown College, (831) 459-2031, for information
on the requirements for a California teaching credential.
To graduate with a minor in linguistics, students must complete
eight linguistics courses. There is no comprehensive requirement
for the minor.
Three lower-division courses:
Introduction to Linguistics, syntax, and semantics.
Five upper-division courses:
phonology and four upper-division electives.
Courses numbered 80 are lower-division topical courses. They treat
the phenomenon of language from a variety of perspectives:
80C. An exploration of ways in which language structure
and use reflect societal distinctions and cultural practice.
80D. A critical examination of the view of human language
underpinning the research program initiated by Noam Chomsky and
of its implications for theories of the human mind and brain.
80G. An introduction to computing, the Internet, and the
World Wide Web through the language of the Unix operating system.
80V. A systematic study of the elements of English words:
their historical origins and their sound, meaning, spelling, and
function.
These courses have no prerequisites and are intended to serve
both as general education courses and as introductions to the
concepts of linguistics through their relation to another area
of general interest.
Courses 20, 52, and 53 are "disciplinary introductions." These
courses have no linguistics prerequisites and serve as entry courses
to the specialized upper-division sequences. Upper-division courses
generally have at least one of these courses as a prerequisite.
Courses 101, 102, 113, and 116 are the core upper-level courses
in linguistic structure and are offered each year. The two phonology
courses (101 and 102) provide an introduction to the study of
the sound system of language. These courses use a problem-solving
approach to developing understanding of phonological theory and
phonological regularities in various languages. The intermediate
syntax course (113) continues the development of syntactic theory
begun in course 52, extending the range to more complex constructions
and rules and introducing alternative theoretical approaches.
The semantics course (116), which has as prerequisites course
53, Semantics I, and either course 52, Syntax I,
or course 55, Syntactic Structures, addresses advanced
problems in the analysis of meaning.
Several upper-division elective courses are offered each year.
For a list of these courses, contact the Linguistics Department.
To enroll in the graduate (200-level) courses, undergraduates
require special permission from the instructor. Permission is
usually granted only to especially motivated undergraduates who
have completed all the core course requirements for the major
with excellent performance.
Each year a number of UCSC students with B.A. degrees
in linguistics or language studies are admitted into the graduate
program to pursue the M.A. in theoretical linguistics. Interested
students should discuss the possibility with one or more faculty
members and formally apply online to the graduate program during
the winter quarter of the senior year. For up-to-date information
on the application process, consult our web site (http://ling.ucsc.edu/);
and see the Linguistics Department manager.
The graduate program in linguistics at UCSC is a small, focused
five-year program in linguistic theory leading to the degree of
doctor of philosophy. The research interests of faculty and students
draw on the framework of generative grammar, with a primary focus
on theoretical syntax, semantics, and phonology; research and
course strengths also include the structure of various languages,
morphology (theoretical and computational), mathematical foundations,
natural language processing, and the philosophy of linguistics.
The department admits approximately five new students to the doctoral
program each year; more enter to receive a master's degree associated
with the doctoral program. The master's degree can be completed
in one or two years, depending on previous background in linguistics.
While committed to training in theoretical depth, the program
makes possible an unusual breadth of theoretical understanding.
Research in syntax focuses on ways in which generative theory
and language-particular analysis inform one another. Faculty expertise
covers a range of current theories: principles and parameters
theory, other versions of the extended standard theory, phrase
structure grammar, optimality syntax, relational grammar, and
a range of particular languages (Turkish, Tzotzil, Irish, and
Chamorro). Work in phonology covers most aspects of current phonological
theory. It ranges from prosodic morphology and metrical theory
to feature theory, lexical phonology, and optimality theory, encompassing
the interface with other parts of grammar (morphology, syntax,
and phonetics). Research in semantics applies formal, model-theoretic
techniques to illuminate the interface between syntactic structure
and interpretation and the role of semantic competence in the
pragmatics of utterance interpretation.
From the beginning of their studies, students are engaged in
original research and critical evaluation, since the aim of the
program is to provide sophisticated training as a foundation for
a career in academic research and teaching. The program begins
with a sequence of foundation and core courses in linguistic theory.
Subsequent course work emphasizes theoretical depth; it is increasingly
centered around the doctoral student's own research, culminating
in the presentation of a dissertation on some aspect of linguistic
theory and analysis.
Undergraduate Preparation
Applications are invited from students who have completed an undergraduate
linguistics major or who have demonstrated excellence in some
related discipline (psychology, mathematics, computer science,
anthropology) and have the equivalent of a minor in linguistics.
A student applying for admission to this program should, in any
case, have a good foundation in at least one of the central fields
of linguistic structure: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics.
Students entering the program with a deficiency in one or more
areas will make up the deficiency by taking appropriate undergraduate
courses at UCSC during the first year of graduate study.
Requirements for the M.A.
Courses. A minimum of 45 credits
of graduate-level work. This must include the core courses in
phonology, syntax, and semantics. Electives are chosen from upper-division
or graduate courses offered by linguistics and related disciplines,
in addition to independent study with linguistics faculty.
Languages. Reading competence
in one foreign language, to be demonstrated by examination.
Research paper. Submission
of a research paper in a core area of theoretical linguistics
and approval of a committee of two faculty.
Requirements for the Ph.D.
Courses. A minimum of 60 credits
of graduate-level work. This includes foundation sequences in
phonology, syntax, and semantics, and a course in mathematical
foundations.
Languages. Reading competence
in one foreign language, to be demonstrated by examination.
Qualifying papers and examination.
By the end of the third year, two research papers, one in phonology/morphology
and one in syntax/semantics, are to be presented as part of the
requirements for admission to candidacy. At this time, the prospective
candidate is examined by the faculty on topics related to the
student's major area of research.
Dissertation. The final requirement
for the Ph.D. degree is the presentation of a dissertation representing
a significant contribution in some central area of linguistic
research.
Application and Admission
To apply, please consult our web site: http://ling.ucsc.edu/graduate/index.html.
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