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The Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics

Admissions to the Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics is currently suspended. Please contact the English Department to learn the current status of the program.

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units

See Bachelor's Degree Requirements in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. You can view MAPs on the Major Academic Plans page or you can request a plan from your major advisor.

Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.

General Education Pathway Requirements: 48 units

See General Education in the University Catalog and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Pathway Requirements and course offerings.

Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units

See Diversity Requirements in the University Catalog. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education .

Upper-Division Writing Requirement:

Writing Across the Curriculum (Executive Memorandum 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements in the University Catalog for more details on the four courses.  The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.

Consult with major advisor.

The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (Executive Order 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Course Requirements for the Major: 30 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree.

In addition to the courses required for the BA in Linguistics, a minimum of one year of college-level courses in a foreign language is strongly recommended, with a second year strongly encouraged.

Major Core Program: 30 units

5 courses required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 371 Principles of Language   3.0 FS  
An introduction to linguistics. Topics include language acquisition, language structure, language variation, and languages of the world. This course is required for CLAD and BCLAD credentials as well as credential programs beginning in the fall of 2003 under SB 2042 standards. 3 hours lecture. (003450)
ENGL 375 Introduction to English Grammar   3.0 FS  
An introduction to the descriptive grammar of English. Students learn to use basic syntactic terms to analyze spoken and written English, distinguishing between descriptive and prescriptive grammar. Required of English majors by the end of the junior year in preparation for upper-division course work in English. 3 hours lecture. (003452)
ENGL 470 Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition   3.0 FS  
Prerequisites: ENGL 371.
Introduction to major issues in second language acquisition and teaching. 3 hours seminar. (003540)
ENGL 474 Syntactic and Morphological Analysis   3.0 SP  
Prerequisites: ENGL 371, ENGL 375.
Study of syntax and morphology, focusing on similarities and differences among languages from the viewpoint of both form and function. 3 hours seminar. (003531)
ENGL 476W Phonological Analysis (W)   3.0 SP  GW  W
Prerequisites: GE Written Communication (A2) requirement, ENGL 371.
Study of world's sound systems as well as the relevant phonetics and morphology with an emphasis on English and second language acquisition. 3 hours seminar. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (003533)

5 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 472 Pedagogical Grammar   3.0 FA  
This course emphasizes both the grammatical content needed to teach non-native speakers and various integrated approaches to teaching grammar. 3 hours lecture. (003527)
ENGL 475 History of the English Language   3.0 SP  
The development of the English language from its earliest origins to the present. Fundamental rules of language change in syntax, morphology, and phonology, with application to examples from Old, Middle, Early Modern, and contemporary English. 3 hours lecture. (003532)
ENGL 477 Semantics: Language and Meaning   3.0 FA  
A comprehensive exploration of semantics, including theories of meaning, relationship between semantics and conceptual structure, semantics and cognition in language acquisition, and the relationship between meaning and use. 3 hours lecture. (003534)
ENGL 478 Approaches to Reading   3.0 FA  
An examination of recent theory and research in the field of reading as a language process, with practical experience in reading instruction. 3 hours seminar. (003535)
ENGL 479 Gender and Language in Cross-Cultural Perspectives   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: ENGL 371 or WMST 300.
This course explores recent theories and applications associated with the relationships among language, gender, and sexuality. The course includes a focus on the intersection of linguistic gender with class and ethnicity by drawing on research in linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics. There will be an examination of gendered speech, writing, and sign from a variety of the world's languages. 3 hours lecture. (003536)
ENGL 570 Contemporary Linguistic Topics   3.0 INQ  
Prerequisites: ENGL 371, ENGL 375.
An exploration of special topics in contemporary linguistics, including, but not limited to, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, discourse analysis, stylistics, phonology, and morphology. 3 hours seminar. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (003589)

Electives Requirement:

To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major:

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:

  • You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
  • You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
  • Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  • Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
  • Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
  • Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.

Catalog Cycle:21