Linguistics, BA

The BA-Linguistics program, offered by the Department of Linguistics and Language Development , undertakes the scientific study of the nature, structure and function of language. Linguists study the origins of language, the meaning and history of words, variation in language, what language tells us about the workings of the human mind, and the practical aspects of language, including intercultural communication, language learning and teaching, and language as a conveyor of information in profound human arenas, such as medicine and law. Linguistics is also a central discipline that is involved in communicating with machines using natural language (i.e., artificial intelligence and machine recognition and synthesis of speech). The program offers state-of-the-art equipment for the acoustic and perceptual study of speech. Students in the major acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills and receive excellent preparation for advanced studies in linguistics as well as anthropology, communication, education, law, and speech and hearing. Students with knowledge of more than one language have an excellent background for the study of linguistics.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 28

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 6 (3 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 3

Lower Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 3

Upper Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 2-4

Major Preparation: 0-8

Major Requirements: 36

University Electives: 18-26

Total: 120

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

Complete a course offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts in a discipline other than your major.

4. Major Preparation (0-8 units)

Must Meet One Of The Following Criteria:

For students for whom English is not the native language, one year of college level English study may fulfill this requirement.

One year of college level language other than student’s native language 8 unit(s)
Demonstrated equivalent competence 0 unit(s)
One year of college level American Sign Language 6 unit(s)

5. Major Requirements (36 units)

GE Basic Skills requirements must be completed prior to taking courses in the major.

Core Courses (21 units)

LING 101 - Introduction to Linguistics 3 unit(s)
LING 111 - Introduction to Linguistic Phonetics 3 unit(s)
LING 112 - Introduction to Syntax 3 unit(s)
LING 113 - Introduction to Phonology 3 unit(s)
LING 114 - Introduction to Semantics and Discourse 3 unit(s)
LING 125 - Introduction to Historical and Comparative Linguistics 3 unit(s)
LING 162 - Introduction to Morphology 3 unit(s)

Electives in the Major (15 units)

By a careful selection of five additional electives in the major (below), students can choose coursework toward completion of a Certificate in Computational Linguistics or a Certificate in TESOL . Elective courses (up to 3 units) from other departments such as World Languages and Literatures, English, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Communicative Disorders can also be taken with prior advisor approval.

Complete five courses from:

LING 107 - Patterns of English 3 unit(s)
LING 108 - Introduction to Second Language Development, Teaching, and Assessment 3 unit(s)
LING 115 - Corpus Linguistics 3 unit(s)
LING 122 - English as a World Language 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
LING 124 - Introduction to Speech Technology 3 unit(s)
LING 161 - Psycholinguistics 3 unit(s)
LING 165 - Introduction to Natural Language Processing 3 unit(s)
LING 166 - Sociolinguistics 3 unit(s)
LING 167 - Multilingualism and Language Contact 3 unit(s)

6. University Electives (18-26 units)

Upper Division electives may be required if 40 units are not taken as part of program.

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