Degrees
The B.A. in Linguistics
The B.A. major in linguistics consists of ten courses selected from the list of courses. The student should take at least one course in each of the following areas:
- phonology
- syntax
- language history
- language and thought
As courses are distributed among various departments, the student must consult with the Program Adviser in selecting courses to fulfill this distribution requirement. No language courses taken to fulfill the college proficiency requirement may be counted toward the major.
The B.S. in Linguistics
The B.S. major in Linguistics includes six credits of mathematics. Linguistics majors who take less math or use Symbolic Logic as their fulfillment of the math proficiency requirement would continue to receive the B.A.
Accelerated Master of Arts Program / 4+1 MA Program
The Masters Program in Linguistics is a thirty credit MA. The MA is a professional degree in Linguistics, therefore our students are held to national academic standards. In order to complete the thirty credits with only one additional academic year of study, students should take two graduate level courses (6000 level or above) while still having undergraduate status. To be clear, this means a student wishing to do the 4 + 1 program must complete the ten courses for the undergraduate degree PLUS two graduate courses before graduating with the BA or BS degree.
In the +1 year, the student will complete the last 24 credits (8 courses) of the MA program. Students wishing to apply to the Linguistics 4 + 1 program should consult with the Program Director, during their junior year, in order to plan effectively for completion of the undergraduate major and the initial coursework to go towards the MA. The application form is available online and may be submitted electronically to the Program Director for signature and forwarding to the Graduate Programs Office.
M.A. in Computational Linguistics
Students studying computational linguistics will focus on the scientific study of language from a computational perspective, in which opportunities abound in many growing fields in today’s job market. Our computational linguistics program is unique because Tulane has access to a world-class computational linguistics facility, the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC Ocala, Florida). To receive the MA Computational Linguistics field designation, students must complete 30 units of approved courses and a 6-8 week internship. Our goal for this program is an incoming target class composed of applicants with a background in linguistics, computer science, mathematics, or the study of language. For more information, download the MA in Computational Linguistics Flyer or contact Dr. Nike Orie & Dr. Brent Venable (Computer Science/Institute of Human Machine Cognition).
The Ph.D in Linguistics
The doctoral program in Linguistics at Tulane offers a wide-ranging approach to the study of human language. The program has particular strengths in Mesoamerican indigenous languages, African languages such as Yoruba and Swahili, East and Southeast Asian languages, Louisiana French, pidgins and creoles, sociolinguistic variation, language death and revitalization, language acquisition, bilingual education, philosophy of language, neurolinguistics, embodied cognition, and robotics. Students work closely with their faculty mentors and engage in empirical research early in their doctoral career.