Major Requirements

The major consists of nine 4-point courses (36 points) in linguistics. These must include the following:

1. One of the following: Language (V61.0001), Introduction to Linguistics (V61.0002), or Language and Mind (V61.0028)
2. Sound and Language (V61.0011)
3. Grammatical Analysis (V61.0013)
4. Phonological Analysis (V61.0012)
5. Introduction to Semantics (V61.0004)
6. One of the following: Language and Society (V61.0015), African American English I: Language and Culture (V61.0023), Language in Latin America (V61.0030), or Pidgin and Creole Languages (V61.0038)
7. Three courses freely chosen from the offerings of the department, except for the courses recommended for nonmajors

It is highly recommended that majors and joint majors take the courses in the first three groups first, since other courses have these as prerequisites or generally presuppose their content. No grade lower than C may be counted toward the major or toward a joint major. All linguistics majors, joint majors, and combined majors must register for linguistics courses through the director of undergraduate studies in the linguistics department. If any course fulfills the major or minor requirements in any other department or program at NYU, it may not be used simultaneously to fulfill the requirements for the linguistics majors.

Joint Majors with a Foreign Language

It is possible for a student to complete a joint major in linguistics and in one of the foreign languages listed below. The linguistics part of this major may be satisfied by taking the following:

1. One of the following: Language (V61.0001), Introduction to Linguistics (V61.0002), or Language and Mind (V61.0028)
2. Sound and Language (V61.0011)
3. Grammatical Analysis (V61.0013)
4. A total of two courses from two different areas, including the following:
• Historical linguistics (V61.0014, V61.0017, V61.0076)
• Sociolinguistics (V61.0015, V61.0018, V61.0030, V61.0038)
• Phonology (V61.0012)
• Syntax, semantics (V61.0004)
• Computational linguistics (V61.0003, V61.0024)
• Psycholinguistics (V61.0005, V61.0043, V61.0054)

The foreign language part of this major may be satisfied as follows.

French and linguistics

Four courses, including the following: Spoken Contemporary French (V45.0101), one course in advanced written French (V45.0105, V45.0107, or V45.0110), and two courses in French literature (in French) to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

German and linguistics:

Four courses beyond the intermediate level, consisting of an advanced conversation or composition course (V51.0111 or V51.0114), an advanced culture course (V51.0132, V51.0133, or V51.0143), Introduction to German Literature (V51.0152), and an additional advanced literature course, in German, to be selected from among departmental offerings.

Italian and linguistics:

Four courses, including the following: V59.0030, one advanced language course (V59.0101, V59.0103, V59.0105, or V59.0107), and two advanced courses in either Italian literature or culture and society, to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

Spanish and linguistics:

Five courses chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

JOINT MAJOR IN ANTHROPOLOGY AND LINGUISTICS

This major emphasizes the complementarity of sociolinguistic and anthropological approaches to language. Students are required to take 20 points (five courses) each from anthropology and linguistics. A grade of at least C is required in every course to be counted toward a joint major. The following anthropology courses are required:

1. Human Society and Culture (V14.0001)
   
2. Anthropology of Language (V14.0017)
   
3. Cultural Symbols (V14.0048)
   
4. Two other cultural or linguistic anthropology courses, approved by the director of undergraduate studies

These are the required courses in linguistics:

1.  Language (V61.0001)
   
2. Language and Society (V61.0015)
   
3. At least two of the following:
   
   • Bilingualism (V61.0018)
   
   • Sex, Gender, and Language (V61.0021)
   
   • African American English I: Language and Culture (V61.0023)
   
   • Language and Liberation: At Home in the Caribbean and Abroad (V61.0026)
   
   • Language in Latin America (V61.0030)
   
4. A fifth course in linguistics, which may be an additional course from the above list or any other course that the department offers (other than the courses recommended for nonmajors)

Joint Major in Language and Mind

This major, intended as an introduction to cognitive science, is administered by the Departments of Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology. Eleven courses are required (four in linguistics, one in philosophy, five in psychology, and one additional course). The linguistics component consists of these four classes:

1. Grammatical Analysis (V61.0013)
   
2. Language and Mind (V61.0028)
   
3. Two more courses, chosen from the following:

• Introduction to Semantics (V61.0004)

• Introduction to Psycho-linguistics (V61.0005)

• Sound and Language (V61.0011)

• Phonological Analysis (V61.0012)

• Computational Principles of Sentence Construction (V61.0024)

• Form, Meaning, and the Mind (V61.0031)

• Propositional Attitudes (V61.0035)

• Neural Bases of Language (V61.0043 or V89.0300)

• Linguistics as Cognitive Science (V61.0048)

• Learning to Speak (V61.0054)

• Introduction to Morphology at an Advanced Level (V61.0055)

The philosophy component is a choice of one of the following three courses: Minds and Machines (V83.0015), Philosophy of Language (V83.0085), or Logic (V83.0070).

The required psychology component consists of five courses:

1. Introduction to Psychology (V89.0001)
   
2. Statistical Reasoning for the Behavioral Sciences (V89.0009)
   
3. Cognition (V89.0029)
   
4. One course chosen from The Psychology of Language (V89.0056) or Neural Bases of Language (V89.0300)
   
5. One course chosen from Seminar in Thinking (V89.0026), Laboratory in Human Cognition (V89.0046), The Psychology of Language (V89.0056), or Neural Bases of Language (V89.0300)

The eleventh course will be one of the above-listed courses that has not already been chosen to satisfy the departmental components. Joint majors should consult with the respective directors of undergraduate studies of the departments involved.

MINOR

Four courses (16 points) in linguistics with a grade of C or better in each. If any course fulfills the major or minor requirements in any other department or program at NYU, it may not be used simultaneously to fulfill the requirements for the linguistics minor.

RECOMMENDED WORK OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT

To meet standards currently set in the linguistics field, as well as graduate school admission requirements, students majoring in linguistics are advised to gain competence in the following areas during their undergraduate studies: (1) one or more foreign languages, (2) psychology, for issues of language and the mind, and anthropology, for issues of language and culture, (3) mathematics or logic, for an understanding of modern algebra and mathematical logic, (4) philosophy of language, and (5) one or more computer languages. Majors and minors should avail themselves of the NYU study abroad programs. Any course substitution or transfer credit toward a required course for the major must be confirmed by a letter from the director of undergraduate studies.

HONORS IN LINGUISTICS

The Department of Linguistics, in accordance with the requirements for departmental honors that was passed by the Faculty of Arts and Science in spring 2005, offers an honors degree in linguistics. The requirement for graduation with honors in linguistics is an honors thesis of 40 to 50 pages, typically the culmination of a year’s work, and two advanced courses chosen with the honors thesis adviser.

Admission to the honors program requires an application in the second semester of junior year. It normally requires a GPA of 3.65 overall, as well as in linguistics, but this requirement can be waived by the College of Arts and Science director of college honors in exceptional circumstances by petition from the director of undergraduate studies.

The application must be made by the first Monday in April to the director of undergraduate studies. It consists of a one- to two-page application by the student, specifying why the student wants to pursue an honors track in linguistics, and specifying in rough form the topic that the student wishes to investigate in the thesis. The student must also identify a faculty member in linguistics who has agreed to work with the student.

The student will be notified by the beginning of registration for the next semester about his or her acceptance into the honors program. If the student is accepted, the faculty member who has agreed to supervise the student’s honors thesis will become the student’s honors adviser, and the two courses for honors will be chosen jointly by the student and the adviser.

JOINT HONORS

The Department of Linguistics offers joint honors in all programs for which it offers joint majors: Language and Mind, Anthropology and Linguistics, French and Linguistics, German and Linguistics, Italian and Linguistics, and Spanish and Linguistics.

For the requirements of joint honors in Anthropology and Linguistics, students should see Professor John Singler. For the requirements of Language and Mind, students should follow the same procedure for honors in linguistics, except that their proposal should identify faculty members from two departments in the Language and Mind major (linguistics, philosophy, and psychology), and these two faculty members will be co-advisers. The thesis topic, needless to say, should reflect contributions to both disciplines.