Interdisciplinary Major - Linguistics

Universal Curriculum Requirements

To be awarded a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, students are required to complete universal curriculum requirements in addition to the program requirements provided below. The school universal curriculum requirements can be found on the school Degree Programs page .

Major in Linguistics

A major in linguistics permits a student to explore both the independent and interdisciplinary aspects of human language. Courses focus on both historical and synchronic analysis, and cover several modern approaches to data. Students wishing to declare the major should have already completed or be currently enrolled in at least one course counting toward the program.

Requirements for Major

The major program consists of 30 credits. The following courses, yielding 12 credits, are required of all majors:

• LNGS 3250 - Introduction to Linguistic Theory and Analysis Credits: 3
• Course in historical linguistics such as LNGS 3260 or ANTH 3480
• Course in the structure of a language, which must be a linguistics course (e.g., SPAN 3200, LING 3400)
• Course in theoretical linguistics, (e.g., ANTH 3490, ANTH 4420).

The remaining credit hours are comprised of linguistics electives. A maximum of three credits of study of an ancient (e.g., Sanskrit, Old Icelandic) or a non-Indo-European (e.g., Japanese, American Sign Language) language may be counted toward the major. The program is chosen in consultation with the program director or a linguistics advisor in a related department. Linguistics majors may double-count two courses with another program.

Those who declared earlier than Fall 2013 may double-count three courses with another program.

Distinguished Majors Program in Linguistics

Students with superior academic performance may apply to the Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) in which they write a thesis demonstrating original research. Requirements for admission to the DMP are:

1. an overall GPA of at least 3.400, and a GPA of at least 3.400 in the major. This GPA must be maintained throughout the fourth year in order for distinction to be awarded;
2. a thesis proposal, signed and approved by the faculty member in Linguistics who has primary responsibility for supervising the thesis, and by a second faculty member who is the second reader. The proposal must be submitted to the Program Director by April 15 if the student plans to graduate in May of the following year, and by December 15 if they plan to graduate in December of the following year.

After admission, students must take the following course:

• LING 4998 - Distinguished Major Thesis Credits: 0
• LING 4999 - Distinguished Major Thesis Credits: 6

• The thesis may be based on empirical research conducted by the student or a critical review or theoretical analysis of existing findings in linguistics or a related field. Students must submit the first draft to their advisors by March 1, and the final draft by April 15.

Additional Information

For more information, contact Eve Danziger, Director, Program in Linguistics, Department of Anthropology, P.O. Box 400120, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4120, ed8c@virginia.edu; More information can be found at the program website: www.virginia.edu/linguistics.