The Department of Linguistics offers a Master of Arts degree in applied linguistics with a strong theoretical foundation.  All graduate students take a basic core of linguistics courses and pedagogical courses, including Phonetics and Phonology, Syntax, Sociolinguistics, Semantics and Pragmatics, Second Language Acquisition, Assessing Language Abilities, TESOL Methods and Materials, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Reading and Writing in TESOL, Pedagogical Phonology, and Grammar in Use. Students are also required to do a teaching practicum in either traditional classroom-based TESOL or in an online CALL situation. A thesis is optional.

Admissions Policy:

No specific undergraduate preparation is required, but a background in English, foreign languages, education, speech, psychology, mathematics, or philosophy is particularly relevant.  For nonnative applicants, both teacher training and an undergraduate major in English are recommended, and a TOEFL score at or higher than 600 (paper), 250 (computer), 100 (internet), or IELTS score of 7.0 overall average is required.

Change Policy:

No selective or limited admission requirements.

Transfer Policy:

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Opportunities:

The program prepares students to become professional foreign language teachers as well as to join other professions specializing in the study and interpretation of language. Most graduates go into the field of foreign language education including but not limited to TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Other vocational avenues include publishing, translation, advertising, intelligence and security, educational software design, and so on where language plays an important role. The department has a strong record of preparing students for Ph.D. study elsewhere. Approximately one-fourth to one-third of our M.A. graduates go on to advanced study at some time in their careers, and they are admitted to top-ranked theoretical and applied linguistics programs in universities in America and other countries.