The PhD in linguistics trains students in the science of language. Students become specialists in the core areas of linguistics-- phonology, syntax, and semantics --and learn to integrate this core with the study of second language acquisition. The program prepares students for positions in academia, industry, government, and a host of organizations concerned with language and second language acquisition. Graduates may become research and teaching professors, administrators of language-learning programs, and consultants in computational linguistic research.
Admissions
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions.
For specific information, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.
Policies
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see Graduate Policies.
Reduction of Credit
For students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree, the number of required credits may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits, subject to approval of the program faculty and the dean. Requests for reduction of credit are reviewed only after acceptance to the doctoral program.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 72
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Phonology | ||
| LING 690 | Generative Phonology | 3 |
| LING 692 | Phonology II | 3 |
| LING 890 | Advanced Phonology Seminar | 3 |
| Syntax | ||
| LING 786 | Syntax I | 3 |
| LING 787 | Syntax II | 3 |
| LING 886 | Advanced Syntax Seminar | 3 |
| Semantics/Pragmatics | ||
| LING 785 | Semantics and Pragmatics | 3 |
| LING 788 | Semantics and Pragmatics II | 3 |
| Language Acquisition | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Second Language Acquisition II | ||
| Seminar in Language Acquisition | ||
| Research Methodology | ||
| LING 770 | Research Methods | 3 |
| Qualifying Papers | 6 | |
| Advanced Qualifying Seminar (Students register for this course twice) | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Two Seminars
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6 credits from the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Seminar in Language Acquisition | ||
| Advanced Syntax Seminar | ||
| Advanced Phonology Seminar | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| 1 | Students take two seminar courses in two chosen fields. Seminar topics change every time they are offered. They may be repeated for credit. |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select five electives from the following: | 15 | |
| Field Work in Applied Linguistics | ||
| Applied Linguistics: Teaching English as a Second Language | ||
| Modern English Grammar | ||
| English Phonetics | ||
| Practicum in ESL | ||
| First Language Acquisition | ||
| Psycholinguistics | ||
| Introduction to Sociolinguistics | ||
| Theories of Language | ||
| Directed Reading and Research | ||
| Historical Studies of the English Language | ||
| Grammatical Analysis | ||
| Theory of Translation | ||
| Statistical Reasoning | ||
| History of the Spanish Language | ||
| Applied Spanish Grammar | ||
| Hispanic Sociolinguistics | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Quantitative Foundations for Computational Sciences | ||
| Introduction to Computational Social Science | ||
| Ethics in Scientific Research | ||
| Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research | ||
| Teaching English in the Secondary School | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Advancement to Candidacy
To advance to candidacy, students must complete all coursework required on their approved program of study. Students must also successfully pass a written qualifying exam and an oral qualifying exam. In addition, students must have a dissertation committee appointed by the Dean’s Office as well as an approved proposal. Evidence of the approved proposal must be on file in the Dean’s Office before a student can advance to candidacy.
Dissertation
Once enrolled in LING 999 Doctoral Dissertation, students must follow the university's continuous registration policy as specified in AP.6.10.6 Dissertation Research. Students who defend in the summer must be registered for at least 1 credit of LING 999 Doctoral Dissertation.
Students apply to this degree a minimum of 12 dissertation credits (LING 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and LING 999 Doctoral Dissertation combined) with at least 3 credits of LING 999 Doctoral Dissertation. Because of the continuous registration policy, students may be required to register for additional credits of these courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertation Research | 12 | |
| Doctoral Dissertation Proposal | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |