Graduate Program
The University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Linguistics provide a strong foundation of coursework in core areas of theoretical and descriptive linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics/pragmatics). This foundation provides the basis for specialization in one or more of these areas as well as investigation of topics at the interface of different linguistic subfields and specialties, including interdisciplinary fields such as language processing (by humans and by machines) and language acquisition. The program emphasizes interrelationships between linguistics and other disciplines (e.g. computer science, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, speech and hearing sciences, anthropology, and the cognitive sciences in general) and encourages research that bridges the gap between linguistics as a pure science and practical applications in such areas as, for example, maintenance and revitalization of endangered languages and computational linguistics.
Research in the program strives to contribute to a theory that reveals the principles governing all human languages through analysis and description of particular languages. Specific language specializations of current faculty in the program include Algonquian languages, Chinese languages and dialects, Finnish, Norwegian, Irish,Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. The program is rapidly developing a focus in Native American Languages, especially languages of the Midwest. Research projects funded by the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies, including collaborative projects with other units (e.g. the Center for Cognitive Sciences, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Institute of Child Development, and the Department of American Indian Studies) form an important focus for faculty and student research.
As the program is relatively small, mentoring relationships and interactions between students and faculty are very strong. Many students work on research projects and co-author conference presentations and journal articles with faculty at some time during their graduate career . The goal of the PhD Program is to train researchers and teachers of the highest calibre and prepare them for careers in academia, government or industry. The goal of the MA Program is to provide a level of training suitable for entry into a PhD Program in Linguistics or for linguistics-related work in government or industry. The opportunity to work as both teaching and research assistants is considered an important part of the training of all students.
