Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)

Linguistics (2022 - 2024)

Major in Linguistics

The major consists of nine 4-point courses (36 points) as follows:

  • Either Language (LING-UA 1) or Language and Mind (LING-UA 3)
  • Introduction to Semantics (LING-UA 4)
  • Sound and Language (LING-UA 11)
  • Phonological Analysis (LING-UA 12)
  • Grammatical Analysis (LING-UA 13)
  • One of the following: Language, Power, and Identity (LING-UA 8); Language Change (LING-UA 14); Language and Society (LING-UA 15); African American Vernacular English (LING-UA 23); Language in Latin America (LING-UA 30); or English Dialects (LING-UA 57)
  • Three courses freely chosen from the offerings of the department (major electives).
    • With permission, students may choose from Introduction to Audiology (CSCD-UE 221), Anatomy and Physiology (CSCD-UE 231), and/or Neuroanatomy and Physiology (CSCD-UE 241) and count them toward the major as electives. These courses are offered by the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders in the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, but do not count against CAS students’ allowance of 16 points taken outside of the College in the other schools of NYU. (However, they do not count toward the 64-point UA residency requirement for internal and external transfers to the College.)

Note that Sound and Language (LING-UA 11) is only taught in the fall; it is a prerequisite for Phonological Analysis (LING-UA 12), which is only offered in the spring.

No grade lower than C (or any course taken Pass/Fail) may be counted toward the major or toward a joint major. In some cases, courses taken for a major in the Department of Linguistics may be applied to the requirements of another major or minor if the departments consider this appropriate. Students must then obtain written approval for the shared course(s) from the directors of undergraduate studies of both departments. No student may double count more than two courses between two majors (or between a major and a minor, or between two minors).

All linguistics majors, joint majors, and combined majors must select and register for linguistics courses with the advice of the director of undergraduate studies in the linguistics department.

Joint Majors with a Foreign Language

The Department of Linguistics offers joint majors with the Departments of French, German, Italian, and Spanish and Portuguese. The major with Spanish requires a total of 40 points (typically ten 4-point courses); the majors with the other languages require a total of 36 points (typically nine 4-point courses). All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.

The linguistics portion of the joint foreign language majors is always satisfied by taking the following five courses (20 points):

  • Either Language (LING-UA 1) or Language and Mind (LING-UA 3)
  • Sound and Language (LING-UA 11)
  • Grammatical Analysis (LING-UA 13)
  • A total of two additional courses from two different fields of linguistics, chosen from the following:
    • Historical linguistics (LING-UA 14)
    • Sociolinguistics (LING-UA 15, LING-UA 18, LING-UA 30, LING-UA 38, LING-UA 57)
    • Phonology (LING-UA 12)
    • Semantics (LING-UA 4)
    • Computational linguistics (LING-UA 6, LING-UA 7)
    • Psycholinguistics (LING-UA 5, LING-UA 43, LING-UA 54, LING-UA 59)
    • Structure of a modern language (LING-UA 10, LING-UA 42, LING-UA 44, LING-UA 9032)

French requires an additional 16 points as follows:

  • One advanced language course chosen from:
    • Spoken Contemporary French (FREN-UA 101)
    • Advanced French Conversation (FREN-UA 102)
    • French Phonetics (FREN-UA 103)
    • French Translation (FREN-UA 107)
    • French: Advanced Techniques of Translation (FREN-UA 108)
    • Acting French (FREN-UA 109)
    • Business French (FREN-UA 110)
    • Creative Writing in French (FREN-UA 111)
    • French for International Relations (FREN-UA 113; formerly FREN-UA 112)
  • One course in advanced written French (usually Written Contemporary French, FREN-UA 105)
  • Eight advanced points in FREN-UA, in any approved combination of 2- and 4-point courses, to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of French.

German requires four additional 4-point courses (16 points) as follows:

  • An advanced conversation or composition course chosen from:
    • German Conversation and Composition (GERM-UA 111)
    • Advanced Composition and Grammar (GERM-UA 114)
  • Introduction to German Literature (GERM-UA 152)
  • Two advanced literature courses taught in German (300- or 400-level)

Italian requires an additional 16 points as follows:

  • Advanced Review of Modern Italian (ITAL-UA 30)
  • One advanced language course chosen from:
    • Conversations in Italian (ITAL-UA 101)
    • Creative Writing in Italian (ITAL-UA 103)
    • Translingual Writing in Italian (ITAL-UA 104)
    • Advanced Composition (ITAL-UA 105)
    • Italian Through Cinema (ITAL-UA 107)
    • Italian Through Opera (ITAL-UA 108)
    • Translation (ITAL-UA 110)
  • Eight points (in any approved combination of 2- and 4-point courses) in advanced Italian literature and/or Italian culture and society, to be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Italian Studies.

Spanish requires an additional 20 points as follows:

  • The prerequisite for entering the major is either Advanced Spanish (SPAN-UA 50; formerly Advanced Grammar and Composition, SPAN-UA 100) or Advanced Spanish for Spanish Speaking Students (SPAN-UA 51, formerly 111). Note that neither course counts toward the major.
  • Students must take at least one SPAN-UA 3## course conducted in Spanish (this replaces the discontinued requirement of Critical Approaches to Textual and Cultural Analysis, SPAN-UA 200). This SPAN-UA 3## course cannot double-count toward the next requirement.
  • Students must take four additional advanced Spanish courses, chosen with the advice of the director of undergraduate studies. These are often at the SPAN-UA 3## level. With permission, students may meet this 16-point requirement with a combination of 2- and 4-point courses.
  • One and only one of these additional four courses may be an advanced language elective (creative writing, conversation, or translation), chosen from the following: Advanced Spanish Conversation (SPAN-UA 60), Advanced Spanish Conversation for the Medical Professions (SPAN-UA 61), Techniques of Translation (SPAN-UA 110), Literary Translation (SPAN-UA 111), Introduction to Creative Writing in Spanish (SPAN-UA 120), Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Workshop in Spanish (SPAN-UA 122), or Advanced Poetry Workshop in Spanish (SPAN-UA 124). 

Joint Major in Anthropology and Linguistics

This joint major emphasizes the complementary nature of anthropological and sociolinguistic approaches to language. Students are required to take 20 points (five 4-point courses) each from the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Linguistics, for ten courses (40 points) total. A grade of at least C is required in every course for it to be counted toward the joint major.

Required courses in anthropology are:

  • Culture, Power, Society (ANTH-UA 1)
  • Language, Culture, and Society (ANTH-UA 17)
  • Language, Power, and Identity (ANTH-UA 16)
  • Two other cultural or linguistic anthropology courses approved by the Department of Anthropology's director of undergraduate studies.

Required courses in linguistics are:

  • Language (LING-UA 1)
  • Language and Society (LING-UA 15)
  • Two courses chosen from among the following:
    • Indigenous Languages of the Americas (LING-UA 9)
    • Language Change (LING-UA 14)
    • Bilingualism (LING-UA 18)
    • Sex, Gender, and Language (LING-UA 21)
    • African American English I: Language and Culture (LING-UA 23)
    • Language and Liberation at Home in the Caribbean and Abroad (LING-UA 26)
    • Language in Latin America (LING-UA 30)
  • A fifth course in linguistics, which may be an additional course from the above list or another course that the department offers, chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Linguistics.

Joint anthropology-linguistics majors should consult with the directors of undergraduate studies in both departments for assistance in developing their plan of study.

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. Ten courses (40 points) are required (four in linguistics, one in philosophy, four in psychology, and one additional course). All must be completed with a grade of C or better. Joint majors must consult with the directors of undergraduate studies of the three participating departments for advisement.

The linguistics component consists of these four courses:

  • Language and Mind (LING-UA 3; identical to PSYCH-UA 27) or Language (LING-UA 1)
  • Two courses chosen from the following:
    • Introduction to Semantics (LING-UA 4)
    • Phonological Analysis (LING-UA 12)
    • Grammatical Analysis (LING-UA 13)
  • One course, chosen from the following:
    • Introduction to Semantics (LING-UA 4)
    • Psycholinguistics (LING-UA 5; identical to PSYCH-UA 56)
    • Patterns in Language (LING-UA 6)
    • Formal Languages (LING-UA 7)
    • Sound and Language (LING-UA 11)
    • Phonological Analysis (LING-UA 12)
    • Grammatical Analysis (LING-UA 13)
    • Advanced Semantics (LING-UA 19)
    • Propositional Attitudes (LING-UA 35)
    • The Syntax/Semantics Interface Cross-linguistically (LING-UA 37)
    • Neural Bases of Language (LING-UA 43; identical to PSYCH-UA 300)
    • Linguistics as Cognitive Science (LING-UA 48; identical to PSYCH-UA 48)
    • Machine Learning for Language Understanding (LING-UA 52; identical to DS-UA 203)
    • Learning to Speak (LING-UA 54)
    • Introduction to Morphology at an Advanced Level (LING-UA 55)
    • First Language Acquisition (LING-UA 59; identical to PSYCH-UA 59)

The philosophy component is a choice of one of the following three courses:

  • Minds and Machines (PHIL-UA 5)
  • Logic (PHIL-UA 70)
  • Philosophy of Language (PHIL-UA 85)

The psychology component consists of four courses:

  • Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (PSYCH-UA 10) or Advanced Psychological Statistics (PSYCH-UA 11)
  • Cognition (PSYCH-UA 29)
  • One course chosen from among the following:
    • Psycholinguistics (PSYCH-UA 56; identical to LING-UA 5)
    • Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development (PSYCH-UA 300)
    • Neural Bases of Language (PSYCH-UA 300; identical to LING-UA 43)
    • Speech: A Window into the Developing Mind (PSYCH-UA 300)
  • One course chosen from among the following:
    • Perception (PSYCH-UA 22)
    • Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYCH-UA 25)
    • Laboratory in Cognition and Perception (PSYCH-UA 46)
    • Psycholinguistics (PSYCH-UA 56; identical to LING-UA 5)
    • Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development (PSYCH-UA 300)
    • Neural Bases of Language (PSYCH-UA 300; identical to LING-UA 43)

The tenth course will be an additional course from the lists above that has not already been taken to satisfy the departmental components.

Minor in Linguistics

Four courses (16 points) in linguistics with a grade of C or better in each course. Courses taken Pass/Fail do not count. If any course is used to fulfill 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 field of linguistics it is suggested to gain competence in one or more of the following areas during one’s undergraduate studies: (1) a foreign language,  (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 for computational linguistics. Majors and minors should avail themselves of the NYU study away programs where appropriate. Note that any course substitution or transfer credit toward a required course for the major must be confirmed by the director of undergraduate studies.

Honors in Linguistics

The Department of Linguistics offers an honors track. 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.

Students who are excelling in the linguistics major are highly encouraged to develop an honors project as early as the second semester of their sophomore year. It is expected that students who pursue honors work in the Department of Linguistics have sufficient preparation and background (i.e., high-level coursework) in a field of linguistics, which is not always the case for students in the joint majors with French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Admission to the honors program is by application in the second semester of junior year. To be eligible, a student must have a GPA of 3.65 overall as well as in linguistics. Applications are due to the director of undergraduate studies by April 15 and must include a one- to two-page description of the topic that the student wishes to investigate in the senior thesis. The student must identify a faculty member in the Department of Linguistics who has agreed to supervise the project, and the description of the thesis is written in consultation with this faculty 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 consult Professor Renée Blake.

For the requirements of joint honors in 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) who will be co-advisers. The thesis topic must reflect contributions to both disciplines.

Students interested in pursuing joint honors in linguistics and French, German, Italian, or Spanish should consult with the director of undergraduate studies in linguistics, as well as in the language department, in or before the second semester of their junior year.