Oct 12, 2024  
2021-2022 Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Linguistics, BA


Department of Linguistics, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

60 credits

Introduction

Linguistics, the science of language, is an interdisciplinary field which relates to the diversity of the cultures and languages of the world. It is an integral part of most serious pursuits dealing with aspects of language study and analysis. As the boundaries of the world change, an understanding of individual languages and cultures becomes increasingly important. Communication in this complex society requires knowledge of the workings of languages, as well as their interrelationship with their respective cultures.

Why Consider a Linguistics Major?

All linguistics majors are expected to acquire knowledge of the functions of language at various levels and knowledge of the techniques and methods used in language analysis. A student of linguistics will thereby significantly advance their appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity. Students who major in linguistics acquire valuable intellectual skills, including analytic reasoning and argumentation, and learn how to study language scientifically. This means making insightful observations, formulating and testing clear hypotheses, making arguments and drawing conclusions, and communicating findings to a wider community. Linguistics majors are therefore well equipped for a variety of jobs and graduate-level programs.

 Contact Information

Linguistics Chair
Kristin Denham
Bond Hall 418G
360-650-3217
Kristin.Denham@wwu.edu

 Sample Careers

Higher Education research and teaching: linguistics, philosophy, psychology, speech sciences, anthropology, computer science, English, modern and classical languages | K-12 Teaching (World Languages, ESL, literacy) | Computer Industry (speech recognition, natural language processing, AI) | Translating and Interpreting | Language documentation and fieldwork | Publishing (editing, writing) | Lexicography (dictionary research and editing) | Law (forensic linguistics)

 Major/Career Resources

www.wwu.edu/careers/students_choosingamajor.shtml

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

To declare, a student must have completed the following requirements:

  • LING 201 or ANTH 247 or HNRS 217 with a grade of “B-” or better (or permission of chair).
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.

Students are advised to declare their major early in their academic career. Upper-division courses are restricted to declared majors. Transfer students should declare after completion of one of the core courses listed above. Students wishing to declare as a major or minor should contact the Linguistics Department Chair or Academic Department Manager.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses.

Requirements


Additional Requirement


A minimum of four 300- and 400-level courses from the following, at least two of which must have a LING prefix: