cognitive linguistics phd programs

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PhD Program in Cognitive Science of Language

Join our world-class Languages & Linguistics Department to continue your study of language structure, language processing and the neural basis of language in the Cognitive Science of Language PhD Program.

Our courses are so hands-on and application based that you end up developing a unique and valuable skillset, which ends up leading into a variety of career paths that would otherwise have been difficult to grow accustomed to.

Meliha Horzum '20

Honours Cognitive Science of Language

About the Program

Based in the Department of Linguistics and Languages, the PhD program in Cognitive Science of Language is interdisciplinary and includes faculty from Humanities, Science, and Health Sciences. The program has a strong research orientation with expertise in cognitive science, corpus linguistics, neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and theoretical linguistics. The program introduces students to the issues in those fields that form the nexus of linguistics, cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience, and trains students in the research methods employed to study them.

Admission Requirements

A MSc in the Cognitive Science of Language or an equivalent Master’s degree is required for entrance into the PhD program. Some applicants may require additional courses in core areas (e.g. linguistics or cognitive science) in order to be eligible for admission. Each application will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Language Requirement

In order to ensure language diversity and breadth, the Department has a second-language requirement for the PhD degree, in addition to the general Graduate School requirement of English proficiency. Candidates should have, as a minimum, intermediate knowledge of a language other than English, defined as having passed the equivalent of two (2) full year courses. Candidates admitted without this requirement will be expected to pass the equivalent of two (2) full year courses or to pass a Qualifying Exam. The Department will evaluate each student’s language preparation at the Admission stage.

Application Process

The official electronic transcripts should be sent from the issuing institution directly to our department’s email: [email protected]

The online application portal for our graduate program in Cognitive Science of Language unlocks November 1st each year for September admission only. 

THOSE WHO SUBMIT  THEIR  COMPLETED APPLICATIONS (BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL) BY THE JANUARY 31ST DEADLINE WILL HAVE FIRST CONSIDERATION.

• Complete the online application -> McMaster University Application  
• Statement of Interest (identify the faculty member you wish to work with)
• Writing Sample (any type of academic writing i.e. term paper, thesis chapter)
• Two academic references (McMaster University uses an Electronic Referencing System. By entering the email address of your referee through the online application, the system will automatically send an e-Reference request on your behalf)
• English Language Proficiency (if English is not your native language)
• Official transcripts of all post-secondary academic work completed to date (transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution to our Department, please include English translation if applicable)
• Official copy of your TOEFL or IELTS scores or any other evidence of English proficiency (TOEFL: minimum score of 92 (internet based), 237 (computer based) or 580 (paper based), minimum of 20 per band; for the Faculty of Engineering a minimum score of 88 (internet based) or 213 on the (computer based) or 550 (paper based)  IELTS (Academic): minimum overall score of 6.5, with at least 5.5 in each section)
• **NOTE** Applicants from outside of Canada should begin the application process as early as possible to allow time to obtain all necessary documents.

Program Timelines

Students entering with a MSc in the Cognitive Science of Language are required to complete three half courses plus one pass/fail module. If the following courses were not completed in the MSc program, they must be included in the PhD program of study:

• COGSCIL 730 / Language Analysis Methods: Phonology and Morphology
• COGSCIL 731 / Language Analysis Methods: Syntax and Semantics
• COGSCIL 726 / The Cognitive Science of Language Ph.D. Lecture Series must be completed in Year 1 of the PhD program
• Plus additional courses approved by the student’s supervisory committee to total three half courses

Students entering with a Master’s degree but not an MSc in the Cognitive Science of Language are required to complete seven half courses plus one pass/fail lecture series module as listed below. The Lecture series must be completed in year one of the program.  

Required courses:

• COGSCIL 721 / Fundamentals of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• COGSCIL 722 / Contemporary Issues in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• COGSCIL 726 / The Cognitive Science of Language Ph.D. Lecture Series  
• Plus additional courses approved by the student’s supervisory committee to total seven half courses

The Comprehensive Examination is intended to ensure that the student develops competence in a subfield of Cognitive Science of Language beyond the focus of the thesis. In consultation with the supervisory committee, the student will identify a topic for the Comprehensive that is distinct from the thesis topic.

In most cases, the Director of the Comprehensive will not be the thesis supervisor. The student and the Comprehensive Director agree in writing on the nature of the deliverable for the Comprehensive and on interim and final deadlines. At a minimum, the Comprehensive consists of a written paper and oral examination of the topic of the paper. The paper may consist of a literature review, proposal for a research project, report of a research project or report of a teaching project. The scope of the project should be such that it can reasonably be completed within one semester. The paper will usually be 20-30 pages long.

The Comprehensive Director identifies at least one other faculty member; together, the Director and these other faculty members constitute the Comprehensive Exam Committee. (Comprehensive Directors are encouraged to recruit Comprehensive Examiners from beyond the Department of Linguistics & Languages.) The Comprehensive Director advises the student on the preparation of the paper. The Comprehensive Exam Committee determines whether the paper is ready for an oral defense, and conducts the oral examination. The oral examination consists of a brief presentation by the student regarding the content of the paper followed by questions from the Committee. The Comprehensive Exam must be successfully completed within 20 months of entering the PhD program.

All students are expected to attend the talks in the Cognitive Science of Language Lecture Series, where scholars from around the world in the fields of Linguistics, Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience discuss their research.

Tuition & Program Fees

Visit Graduate Studies to learn more about tuition, supplementary fees and everything you need to know about being paid as a Teaching or Research Assistant. Tuition fees are assessed on a term by term basis, depending on the number of courses a student takes or if they are paying by term.

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Supplemental information.

Graduate Courses in Linguistics and Languages

Course outlines 2023-2024

• Cogscil 6LB3 – Advanced Phonetics and Phonology
• Cogscil 6XX3 – Topics in Linguistic Theory
• Cogscil 712 – Reading Course (Linguistics)
• Cogscil 713 – Reading Course (Cognitive Science)
• Cogscil 722 – Contemporary Issues in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• Cogscil 726A – The Cognitive Science of Language Ph.D. Lecture Series

Winter 2024

• Cogscil 6G03- Language, Sex and Gender
• Cogscil 6NN3 – Cognitive Neurolinguistics Lab
• Cogscil 713 –  Reading Course (Cognitive Science)
• Cogscil 721 – Fundamentals of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• Cogscil 726B– The Cognitive Science of Language Ph.D. Lecture Series
• Cogscil 731 – Language Analysis Methods: Syntax and Semantics
• Cogscil 734 – Issues in Syntax

Course outlines 2022-2023

• Cogscil 6D03 – Computers and Linguistic Analysis
• Cogscil 730 – Language Analysis Methods: Phonology and Morphology

Winter 2023

• Cogscil 6AS3 – Topics in Advanced Semantics
• Cogscil 6EL3 – Experimental Lab in Cognitive Science of Language
• Cogscil 6LC3 – Advanced Morphology and Syntax
• Cogscil 726B – The Cognitive Science of Language Ph.D. Lecture Series
• Cogscil 749 – Lab Visual Language

Domestic MSc students usually receive a funding package consisting of a teaching assistantship and scholarship. The total value of the funding package ranges from $16,000 to $19,000 per year.

Currently all domestic PhD students receive a funding package of $23,500 per year, usually including a teaching assistantship of 260 hours plus a scholarship.

McMaster Graduate Studies Scholarship Information

The School of Graduate Studies provides funding to our graduate students so they can devote their time and energy to the successful completion of their studies.

External Graduate Scholarships

All eligible students are also strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Canada Graduate Scholarships.

Ontario Graduate Scholarship

Note that applications must be submitted directly to the institution(s) where you plan to pursue graduate studies. The deadline is normally in the fall, before the application deadline for graduate school. 

Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program

Graduate Scholarship – As with OGS, applications for the Canada Graduate Scholarship must be submitted through an eligible institution. The deadline is usually December 1, before the application deadline for graduate school.

All applicants and current students will be considered for funding support from McMaster, including TAships.

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The Department of Linguistics & Languages welcomes scholars from around the world to participate in the Cognitive Science of Language Lecture Series. The lecture series is a forum where all are welcome to attend talks by established researchers on recent innovations and current trends in Language and Cognition.

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Linguistics and Cognitive Sciences: Ph.D., M.A., 4+1, Certificate

The Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science offers programs leading to the M.A. degree in linguistics and cognitive science and the Ph.D. in linguistics. In addition, the department offers the option of a combined B.S./M.A. in cognitive science/linguistics and cognitive science (this is not an option for speech pathology) and a combined B.A./M.A. in linguistics/linguistics and cognitive science. The M.A. in linguistics and cognitive science is a flexible degree, allowing students to design programs of study in areas of theoretical linguistics, cognitive science and applied linguistics, including teaching English as a second language. Areas for Ph.D. specialization include theoretical linguistics (syntax, semantics, phonology, morphology), psycholinguistics (first and second language acquisition, language processing, neurolinguistics), endangered and under-described languages (linguistic field methods, language typology, language documentation) and applied linguistics. A certificate in cognitive science is also available.

Current UD undergraduate students can be considered for admission to the 4+1 B.A. in linguistics/M.A. in linguistics and cognitive science or the 4+1 B.S. in cognitive science/M.A. in linguistics and cognitive science.

Application Deadlines

*international applicants are not eligible to obtain a u.s student visa solely with an acceptance to a ud graduate certificate program. certificates may be added by full-time matriculated graduate students..

The  2023-2024  UD graduate student tuition rate per credit hour is $1028 .

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Department of Cognitive Science

• Linguistics at JHU

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At Johns Hopkins University, linguistics is fully integrated into the Department of Cognitive Science. Our research focuses on integrating formal linguistics within a broader cognitive science perspective by addressing questions about the nature of linguistic representations themselves, their processing, the architecture and learnability of the grammar, the implementation of linguistic theories in terms of neural computations, and language acquisition in the broader context of cognitive development.

The department offers basic and advanced undergraduate and graduate training covering all core areas including:

• Phonetics and phonology
• Semantics and pragmatics
• Psycholinguistics
• Acquisition

Linguistics Faculty

• Barbara Landau : language acquisition, language and thought, cognitive neuropsychology of language
• Geraldine Legendre : syntax, acquisition of L1 (morpho)-syntax, architecture of the grammar
• Kyle Rawlins : semantics/pragmatics, mathematical and computational linguistics
• Paul Smolensky : phonology, grammar in neural networks, formal foundations of cognitive science
• Colin Wilson : phonology, phonetics, statistical language learning, L2 speech perception and production
• Julia Yarmolinskaya : perception and acquisition of second language phonology

Faculty With Language-related Interests

• Mike McCloskey : representation and processing of written and spoken words, cognitive neuropsychology of language
• Brenda Rapp : representation and processing of written and spoken words, cognitive neuropsychology of language

Non-Departmental Faculty

Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences

• Susan Courtney : working memory
• Marina Bedny : brain development and plasticity, cognitive neuroscience, concepts
• Lisa Feigenson : cognitive development in infancy, working memory, knowledge of number
• Justin Halberda : logical reasoning in children, visuo-spatial representation, knowledge of number

Center for Language & Speech Processing

• Mark Drezde : natural language processing (NLP)
• Jason Eisner : computational linguistics, NLP
• Hynek Hermansky : automatic speech recognition, speech production and perception
• Sanjeev Khudanpur : automatic speech recognition, NLP, machine translation)
• Benjamin Van Durme : computational semantics
• David Yarowsky : NLP, machine translation, machine learning

Undergraduate Training in Linguistics

Undergraduate students may select linguistics as one of two foci for their  BA in cognitive science , or add a  minor in linguistics  to another degree. A significant number of BA recipients have gone on to pursue graduate studies in formal linguistics in top departments around the country.

Graduate Training in Linguistics

Doctoral graduate training includes a rotation in two labs/groups covering multiple methodologies in cognitive science (e.g., theory and experiments, experiments and computation), and typically multiple empirical domains, coursework in formal methods, and coursework in a sub-discipline (e.g., linguistics, cognitive psychology).

All graduate student research on linguistic problems benefits from solid training in linguistic theory and analysis combined with a broad background in cognitive science. Among the language-focused faculty are linguists as well as cognitive psychologists and computer scientists who share a broad intellectual vision of the study of the mind.

Historical Perspective on Generative Linguistics

Since Noam Chomsky’s proposal in the 1950s that the object of study in linguistics is a uniquely human mental capacity, linguistics has been one of the core disciplines of cognitive science.

Generative/formal linguistics has focused on uncovering the nature of representations and general principles underlying linguistic behavior at distinct levels of structure (e.g., phonology, syntax, semantics), and has attempted to understand what type of knowledge and predispositions children are born with in order to successfully learn their first language.

Formal linguistics has been quite successful at discovering the nature of linguistic representations and accounting for the complexity of linguistic knowledge. Viewing language in the broader context of cognitive science brings to light many important questions that traditional types of data and methods do not fully address: Does linguistic cognition share key computational properties with other cognitive domains? What is the nature of the algorithm that makes real-time language comprehension and production possible? How is linguistic computation implemented in the brain?

We are now at the beginning of an exciting era in which the traditional analysis of linguistic representation and computation is being integrated with other research areas and methods in an effort to answer such questions. Formal linguistics remains an active and fruitful research area, one that will realize its full potential by contributing to the broader goals of cognitive science.

Graduate Programs

Cognitive science.

Brown University's graduate program in Cognitive Science is designed to prepare students for careers as scientists and teachers who will make contributions to society in academic or applied settings.

Brown University's Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) is dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of mind, brain, behavior and language. It offers  two Ph.D. programs: in Cognitive Science  and Psychology. Ph.D. students are accepted by the department and formally choose one of the  two programs during the first year. The department does not accept students interested in obtaining terminal master's degrees.

The Cognitive Science Ph.D. program is designed to prepare students for careers as scientists and teachers who will make contributions to society in academic or applied settings. Students will gain broad competence in the scientific issues and experimental, theoretical, and/or computational methods relevant across fields of cognitive science and will develop expertise in one or more research specializations. Programs of study are highly individualized; decisions about research and coursework are made in close collaboration with a research advisor and graduate committee chosen by each student. Students may change areas, programs, and/or advisors as their interests develop. Students are also encouraged to collaborate with faculty members who are not their primary advisors.

Students accepted into the Cognitive Science Ph.D. program are guaranteed five years of financial support contingent on satisfactory progress toward the degree. In addition to the Graduate School's  doctoral support , the department also typically provides a summer stipend for a fourth summer if the student continues to work on research over that period. Support normally comes in the form of teaching or research assistantships, and students are encouraged to apply for their own fellowships (e.g., NSF) before or after being admitted to the program.

Application Information

Application requirements, gre subject:.

Not required

GRE General:

Writing sample:, personal statement:.

In their statement of purpose, applicants should describe their background and interests as they relate to the preferred Ph.D. program (e.g., Cognitive Science) and to the research conducted by specific faculty who might serve as research advisors. To this end, we strongly recommend that applicants read the departmental website before applying, giving particular attention to the faculty research descriptions.

Dates/Deadlines

Application deadline, completion requirements.

First–year research project; three core courses, two quantitative courses, methodological proficiency, and three specialization courses; four semesters of teaching assistantships; preliminary exam paper; dissertation proposal; dissertation and oral presentation.

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Contact and Location

Department of cognitive, linguistic, and psychological sciences, location address, mailing address.

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Cognitive Science (Joint PhD)

Cutting across the information and life sciences, cognitive science is a paradigmatic multi- and inter-disciplinary research program with enormous future societal benefits, especially as intelligent artificial agents are becoming part of our lives.

Program Objectives

Tufts has built up a world-renowned faculty in Cognitive Science, some of whom have been prominent since the beginnings of the field. The joint PhD program has particular interdisciplinary strength in the area of human language, including theoretical linguistics, psycho- and neurolinguistics, reading and dyslexia, and computational linguistics, and it offers considerable expertise as well in other traditional subareas of cognitive science including animal cognition, human memory, behavioral/cognitive/affective neuroscience, cognitive modeling, robotics, and human computer interaction.

Application Requirements

• Application Fee
• Personal Statement
• Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores, if applicable
• Transcripts
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• GRE General Test scores: Not required for applicants applying to Psychology: Cognitive Science, Child Study and Human Development: Cognitive Science, and Education: Cognitive Science. If you are applying to the Computer Science: Cognitive Science program, GREs are waived for those who will have received a degree from an institution located in the U.S. or Canada by time of enrollment.

There is no separate admissions process for the cognitive science PhD program. Simply indicate on your application to a home department that they would like to be admitted to the cognitive science PhD program. The program director will work with faculty responsible for admission in the home department to determine your eligibility. Note that this process will not conflict with the admissions process (or criteria) in your home department; only students that satisfy the admissions criteria of the home department can be considered for admission into the cognitive science PhD program.

• PhD in Psychology: Cognitive Science - Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.
• PhD in Child Study and Human Development: Enroll in Cognitive Sciences program after matriculation.
• PhD in Computer Science: Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.
• PhD in Education: Cognitive Science: Indicate "Cognitive Science" on application.

Tuition and Financial Aid

See Tuition and Financial Aid information .

Home Departments

There are four departments are associated with this exciting interdisciplinary program: Psychology , Computer Science , Child Study and Human Development and Education . Students apply to and enroll in the joint Cognitive Science PhD program through one of these departments (referred to as the 'home departments'), either as a prospective graduate student or as a current graduate student after they have been accepted by one of the departments (e.g., after they have already started their PhD).

J.P. de Ruiter

Research/Areas of Interest: Cognition and Psycholinguistics

Stephanie Badde

Research/Areas of Interest: Perception

Christoph Borgers

Research/Areas of Interest: Anomalous diffusion, mathematical neuroscience

Bárbara M. Brizuela

Eileen Crehan

Research/Areas of Interest: Neurodevelopmental disorders; autism spectrum disorder; sexuality education; social perception; eye tracking; dimensional measurement of psychological symptoms

Calvin Gidney

Research/Areas of Interest: Linguistics; literacy, sociolinguistic development; dyslexia in African-American children; language of children's cartoons; children's name-calling

Ariel Goldberg

Research/Areas of Interest: Psychology of Language, Linguistics

Brian Epstein

Research/Areas of Interest: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Social Science, Philosophy of Language

David Hammer

Research/Areas of Interest: Neural basis of vocal communication

Gina Kuperberg

Research/Areas of Interest: Cognitive Neuroscience, Language (semantics), Clinical cognitive neuroscience

Tama Leventhal

Research/Areas of Interest: Neighborhood and community context; housing context; family context; poverty and socioeconomic status; social policy; adolescence; immigrant young children

Paul Muentener

Research/Areas of Interest: Conceptual Development, Causal Reasoning, Language & Thought

Aniruddh Patel

Research/Areas of Interest: Music Cognition

Elizabeth Race

Research/Areas of Interest: Cognitive Neuroscience

Holly Taylor

Research/Areas of Interest: Spatial Cognition, Language, Memory

Ayanna Thomas

Research/Areas of Interest: Memory and Aging

Heather Urry

Research/Areas of Interest: Emotion and Emotion Regulation

Nathan Ward

Research/Areas of Interest: Applied Cognition

Related Programs

Child study and human development, stem education, computer science (online post-bacc certificate).

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The Graduate Group in Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania is an interdisciplinary team of faculty from the Department of Linguistics and related departments. Our program has strong concentrations in several areas and a tradition of collaboration among its faculty. Founded by Zellig Harris in 1947, the Penn Linguistics Department is the oldest modern linguistics department in the United States. We have outstanding programs in the core disciplines of syntax and phonology, as well as in semantics, discourse, historical linguistics, phonetics, sociolinguistics, and several other areas of cognitive science; we are rapidly developing a state-of-the-art program in psycholinguistics. Penn is also the home of the Linguistic Data Consortium (LDC) , a compiler and distributor of linguistic materials for language engineering research.

This page provides details about graduate studies in Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Program Overview

Special areas of concentration, the faculty, the graduate students, degree requirements, applications.

If any questions remain unanswered after reading this document, please contact [email protected] .

The broad range of its faculty allows the graduate program at Penn to offer students a wide range of opportunities for study. The core of our program is the formal generative tradition, but we encourage the cross-fertilization that results from the confrontation of empirical and theoretical perspectives on language structure. By our close collaboration with other programs (such as computer science and psychology) we promote an awareness of the broad view of language that interdisciplinary study induces. In addition to broad training, students are offered and expected to master the methods and results of their chosen areas of concentration in linguistics as a prerequisite to fruitful engagement in dialogue with others, both within and outside the program.

Although the interests of our faculty and students cover virtually the entire field of linguistics, the graduate group functions as a unit. A number of our faculty work together on joint projects of shared interest, and students often develop their own research in conjunction with these projects. For example, a student may pursue an interest in the interaction of syntactic and semantic constraints on sentence form or in the discourse functions of a particular syntactic construction; or a student might study quantitatively the impact of sociolinguistic factors on language change or the interplay of grammar and drift in historical syntax. Since intellectual collaboration among us is the norm and the program is small in size, the active participation of a student in research with close attention from the faculty is possible from early on in his or her career.

A student in the linguistics program can concentrate in any area of linguistics taught by our faculty, and a number of especially strong areas of research within the graduate group invite specialization. Please see the detailed pages on our research areas .

The Graduate Group in Linguistics consists of all members of the Department of Linguistics together with numerous faculty in other departments with allied interests. Our program also hosts visiting scholars every year, most notably through the Institute Research in Cognitive Science.

See the list of faculty .

In any given year there are some 35 graduate students enrolled in the department; a typical entering class contains 4 to 6. Our students are selected for admission on the basis of intellectual talent, a strong interest in linguistics, and a potential to become outstanding colleagues dedicated to linguistic study and research. Their academic and geographical backgrounds are very diverse; about one-third are citizens of countries other than the US.

See the titles of dissertations completed by our students in recent years for the range of interests represented in the program.

The Graduate Group in Linguistics offers programs of study leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Please see the linked pages for specific regulations. In addition, our procedures page gives important details about policies and requirements.

The academic year begins in the fall semester (usually the end of August). Applications must be received by December 1st the previous year. Decisions for admission are made without regard to the applicant's financial standing or need for support. For detailed information, see our Graduate Program Application page . 

The University of Pennsylvania values an inclusive and diverse learning community and seeks talented students, faculty, and staff from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of experiences. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut Street, Suite 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6106; or (215) 898-6993.

Linguistics

The Stanford University Department of Linguistics is a vibrant center of research and teaching, with a thriving undergraduate major and a top-ranked PhD program.

Our program emphasizes intellectual breadth, both disciplinary—integrating diverse theoretical linguistic perspectives with empirical investigation across languages—and interdisciplinary—drawing on perspectives from the other cognitive, computational, and social sciences, and the humanities.

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Interdisciplinary Ph.D.

The Department has a strong commitment to, and is an active and integral part of, the cognitive science and neuroscience communities at UCSD. Most Linguistics faculty have joint appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the  Cognitive Science Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program , and many faculty and students participate in the all-campus Interdisciplinary Program Seminar (COGS 200) on a regular basis. Graduate students in the Cognitive Science Department frequently participate in Linguistics graduate courses, and Linguistics graduate students regularly attend Cognitive Science courses covering topics such as neuroscience, child language acquisition, aphasia, neural networks, and semantics and cognition.

Linguistics graduate students are eligible to pursue a joint degree in Cognitive Science and Linguistics within the Interdisciplinary Program. Areas of secondary specialization that are especially well represented in the cognitive science community at UCSD and related institutes include child development, connectionist modelling, distributed cognition, language disorders, neuroscience, philosophy, and psycholinguistics. Graduate students usually apply to the joint program in their second year of the regular Ph.D. Linguistics program.

The graduate program combines thorough training in theoretical linguistics and formal analysis with innovative experimental approaches to the study of language.

Inquiries about the Linguistics Graduate Program should be directed to Professor Gabriela Caballero , Director of Graduate Studies.

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Requirements

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Students who enter the Ph.D. program in linguistics with an M.A. in linguistics from Gallaudet University are required to earn an additional 33 credits to complete the Ph.D. in linguistics, followed by dissertation proposal development and dissertation research among other program requirements.

Students who have earned an M.A. degree from another program or university are also eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program in linguistics. These students are required to earn 59 credits to complete the LIN Ph.D., followed by dissertation proposal development and dissertation research among other program requirements. Although these students are not typically awarded an incidental M.A. on the way to the Ph.D. degree, this option is available upon successful completion of the entire MA in linguistics program of study, which includes 5 additional (3-credit) elective courses.

Program of Study

Students who enter the LIN Ph.D. program with a Gallaudet LIN M.A. are required to have a minimum of 36 credits to complete the LIN Ph.D. followed by dissertation research. For these students, the doctoral curriculum consists of a total of 77 credits of coursework plus dissertation research. This means that those who have taken the 41 credits required by the M.A. curriculum must complete another 36 credits of advanced linguistics courses.

Students who enter the LIN Ph.D. program without a Gallaudet LIN M.A. are required to have a minimum of 62 credits to complete the LIN Ph.D., followed by dissertation research. This includes 22 credits of core courses to be taken in the first year, plus 4 credits to be taken in the second year. These students must also successfully complete the Qualifying Exam and Compendium, in addition to other Ph.D. program requirements.

All students must complete the following advanced courses, totaling 24 credit hours: Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities (LIN 741), Guided Research Project (LIN 880, taken twice), Phonology III (LIN 801), Generative Linguistics III (LIN 802), Cognitive Linguistics III (LIN 827), Concept Paper (LIN 883) and Dissertation Proposal Development (LIN 890). An additional 12 credits of elective courses must also be completed, to be chosen by the student in consultation with the student’s advisor. These courses should focus on aspects of linguistic theory, application, or research related to the student’s professional or academic goals. Some electives may also be taken through the Consortium of Colleges and Universities.

Guided Research Project (LIN 883) and GRP Presentation

Guided Research Project (GRP) LIN 880, 2 semesters. Students design and conduct an independent research project under the guidance of their dissertation advisor. Course requirements include a final paper and the following components, as applicable: development of an appropriate research plan, completion of the IRB human subjects review, and collection and analysis of data. The GRP typically is related to the student’s dissertation topic, but is not required to be. The work done in the GRP is intended to lead to the independence necessary to complete dissertation research. Successful completion of LIN 880 is a prerequisite for LIN 883: Concept Paper. LIN 880 is typically taken during the first and second semesters of the first year.

Students are required to give a presentation on their GRP research. This is a formal presentation, similar to what would be given at a professional conference. It is to be 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for discussion and/or Q/A. Faculty evaluate the presentation in areas of content, presentation, and language use. Students will receive feedback from the faculty. This is one of three presentations required. Successful completion of the GRP presentation is required to continue in the Ph.D. program.

Concept Paper (LIN 883), Field Exam, and Concept Paper Presentation

LIN 883: Concept Paper serves as a transition from students’ preparatory coursework to their dissertation proposal. Students will complete a concept paper on their proposed dissertation topic. This paper will include a statement of the research question(s) and a review of relevant literature, while it will focus primarily on (a) defining the key concepts relevant to the student’s anticipated research plans and (b) making explicit any underlying theoretical assumptions.

LIN 883 is typically taken during the first semester of the second year. The concept paper must be completed in the first 10 weeks of the semester in order to provide time for the Field Exam and Concept Paper Presentation to occur. Students may register for a second semester of LIN 883 at the discretion of the Linguistics faculty (e.g. in cases where the student has selected a particularly complex topic and is making steady progress, or scores an Unsatisfactory on their Field Exam and is required to revisit and strengthen their Concept Paper).

The Field Exam is administered after the first 10 weeks of LIN 883 and prior to the end of the semester. Content of the exam will be determined by the student’s Concept Paper. Three examiners (the LIN dissertation advisor who led the student’s Concept Paper, a second LIN faculty member with expertise in some area relevant to the student’s Concept Paper, and a third LIN faculty member who does not work in the area of the student’s Concept Paper) will conduct in-depth questioning in areas pertinent to the student’s Concept Paper topic. Student responses will be evaluated by all three examiners together as a Pass with Distinction, Pass, Unsatisfactory or Fail. Students who receive an Unsatisfactory score on the Field Exam will be required to retake the exam; students who Fail the Field Exam will be terminated from the program. Students who retake the Field Exam and receive either a score of Unsatisfactory or Fail will be terminated from the program.

After successful completion of the Field Exam the student will give a presentation on their Concept Paper. This is a formal presentation, similar to what would be given at a professional conference. It is to be 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for discussion and/or Q/A. Faculty evaluate the presentation in areas of content, presentation, and language use. Students will receive feedback from the faculty. This is one of three presentations required. Successful completion of the Concept Paper Presentation is required to continue in the Ph.D. program. Students must successfully complete the Field Exam and Concept Paper Presentation before taking in LIN 890 Dissertation Proposal Development.

Dissertation Proposal Development (LIN 890) and Proposal Defense

Each student seeking a Ph.D. will be required to complete a research-based dissertation on a topic acceptable to his or her doctoral committee. Students are expected to complete their dissertation proposal in one semester (LIN 890 Dissertation Proposal Development). However, those who fail to do so will be permitted to register for additional semesters of LIN 890 Dissertation Proposal Development, provided they maintain a passing grade each semester.

LIN 890 is the course in which students will develop their dissertation proposal, producing a research plan for answering the research questions posed in their Concept Paper. Emphasis will be on defining a project of appropriate scope, extending the literature review and selecting an appropriate research design and methodology. Students will meet regularly with their dissertation advisor for guidance and discussion, but are expected to pursue the bulk of the work independently. They may receive input from doctoral committee members. Once the full committee deems the proposal defendable, a defense date is set. The dissertation proposal defense is expected to happen at the end of the semester in which LIN 890 is taken. Students may not register for LIN 900: Dissertation Research until the proposal is successfully defended. All Ph.D. coursework must be completed or be on track to be completed by the semester the proposal defense occurs.

Successful defense of one’s dissertation proposal is the candidacy examination for the LIN PhD program.

Dissertation (LIN 900) and Dissertation Defense

Once students have successfully completed and defended their dissertation proposal, they advance to LIN 900 Dissertation Research. LIN 900 may be taken multiple times, provided students earn a passing grade each semester.

Each Ph.D. student is required to prepare a research-based dissertation in an area acceptable to their Doctoral Committee. The dissertation is based on the proposal accepted by the committee, typically in the spring of the second year of Ph.D. study, and work on the dissertation proper typically begins in the fall of the third year. The dissertation is expected to be a research project designed to provide new understanding of the topic, and must include a thorough and thoughtful review of the relevant literature, description of methodology, analysis, and discussion and conclusion elucidating the significance of the findings. The dissertation process is discussed in detail in the Gallaudet University Dissertation and Thesis Handbook (on the intranet GU website and the LIN website). Students will also receive this handbook when they take LIN 890 Dissertation Proposal Development. The maximum time allowed for completion of the dissertation is seven years from the start of the LIN M.A. degree or six years from entrance into the Ph.D. program for those without a LIN M.A. degree. Any extension beyond this deadline will require the approval of the doctoral committee, the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Courses & Requirements

Summary of Requirements

For students who completed the Gallaudet M.A. in Linguistics

An examination of the theories and principles of sociolinguistics with specific reference to sign languages and Deaf communities around the world. Topics include multilingualism, bilingualism, and language contact, variation, discourse analysis, language policy and planning and language attitudes.

All first year Linguistics MA courses or by permission of instructor.

This course is an advanced seminar focusing on phonological theory, building on foundational material presented in Phonology I and Phonology II. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in phonological theory, focusing on both spoken and signed languages.

This course is an advanced seminar focusing on generative approaches to syntactic theory, building on foundational material presented in Generative Syntax I and Generative Syntax II. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in syntactic theory, focusing on both spoken and signed languages.

This seminar is the third course in the Cognitive Linguistic sequence of courses in the graduate linguistics program (the first two being LIN 721 and LIN 732). Possible major topics include cognitive grammar, cognitive semantics, conceptual blending, constructional grammar, embodiment, depiction, mental spaces, metaphor, metonymy, and the usage-based approach to language.

This course is required to be taken twice, typically beginning in the fall semester of students' first year in the Ph.D. program and continuing into the following spring semester. Students will design and conduct a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Course requirements include a final paper by the end of the second semester with the following components, as applicable: development of an appropriate research plan, completion of the IRB human subjects review, and collection and analysis of data. LIN 880 may be repeated a third semester at the discretion of the instructor if requirements cannot be successfully completed in the usual two semesters.

Acceptance to LIN Ph.D. program and successful completion of the LIN Qualifying Exam.

This course serves as a transition from students' preparatory coursework to their dissertation proposal. Under supervision of a faculty member, students will complete a Concept Paper that identifies their research question(s) and defines key concepts that underlie those research questions. The Concept Paper also specifies the theoretical framework(s) to be adopted for research and discusses previous literature assumed as background information. Upon approval of a student's completed Concept Paper by the instructor, the student will then give a Concept Paper Presentation to the full faculty and take the field exam, both of which are developed on the basis of the student's completed Concept Paper. LIN 883 may be repeated one time.

Successful completion of LIN 880 Guided Research Project and LIN Faculty approval of the GRP presentation.

In this course, students will develop their dissertation proposal, producing a research plan for answering the research questions posed in their Concept Paper. Emphasis will be on defining a project of appropriate scope for a dissertation, extending the literature review and selecting an appropriate research design and methodology. Students will meet regularly with their dissertation advisor for guidance and discussion, but are expected to pursue the bulk of the work independently. LIN 890 may be repeated one time.

LIN 883, Field Exam, Concept Paper Presentation, and approval of the GRP paper as having achieved publication quality, as evaluated by an outside reader from the LIN faculty.

Elective Courses in Linguistics (selected sample)

Core Courses in Statistics: Ph.D.

Core Courses in Statistics: These courses are required for students whose Ph.D. specialization requires statistical work. If taken, they replace two elective courses.

This introductory course sequence develops the primary statistical concepts and techniques needed to conduct research. This course presumes no previous statistical background other than college-level algebra or its equivalent. The course goal is to develop many of the basic conceptual theories underlying statistical applications, while also developing a critical perspective toward statistics. Students will develop skills in descriptive statistical analysis, simple correlation procedures, and hypothesis testing. Computer-assisted analysis will complement course work.

College-level algebra

The purpose of this second course in statistics is to develop specific concepts and techniques to conduct basic inferential statistical analysis. The course emphasizes application skills, i.e., the ability to fit the appropriate analysis to a particular data set. Students will learn to conduct and interpret the most often used inferential tests for research and evaluation projects. Computer software will be used to complement course work and analysis.

EDU 720 or equivalent and EDU 801 or equivalent

This course introduces students to the acquisition of a native language by young children (L1 acquisition) and acquisition of a second language after childhood (L2 acquisition), with a focus on sign languages. The first part of the course covers the important milestones of normal L1 development in phonology, morphology, syntax and pragmatics for both spoken and signed languages. The course also explores how delays in exposure affect the acquisition process, related to the main topics of the second part of the course: critical period effects and L2 acquisition. Readings and discussion throughout the course will reflect the perspective that acquisition studies on a broad variety of languages, both signed and spoken, are crucial for developing accurate theories of language structure and use. Application of concepts from lectures and discussion is developed through student analysis of L1 and L2 data.

For UG students: LIN 301, 302; for MASLED GRAD students: B or above in ASL 724 or permission of the instructor and MASLED program coordinator; for other GRAD students, permission of the instructor.

Students are introduced to a descriptive framework with which to identify and analyze iconicity and depiction in ASL and other signed languages and spoken languages as well. The course focuses on depiction typology, examining the structure of role-shifting, constructed action and dialogue, classifier constructions/depicting verbs, aspectual constructions, abstract/metaphorical depictions, and other imagistic uses of space, including different types of gesture.

LIN 101, graduate student status, or permission of the instructor.

This course explores bilingualism, with a special emphasis on bilingualism in the Gallaudet community. We will examine the place of bilingualism and multilingualism in the world, both historically and currently; the linguistic structure and features of bilingualism; social constructions of bilingualism; the acquisition of bilinguality, from the perspectives of both first- and second language acquisition; and we will explore the functions and meanings of bilingualism in communities. For each topic, we will examine the current state of the field, first from the perspective of spoken language bilingualism and then from the perspective of signed language (mixed modality) bilingualism, with special emphasis on the situation at Gallaudet University.

For UG students: LIN 101, 263, 301, 302; for Grad students: Permission of Instructor

This course introduces students to the theories and methods of analyzing prosody in signed and spoken languages. These prosodic features play a critical role in human communication and have a wide range of functions, including expression at linguistic, attitudinal, affective and personal levels.

This course explores the relationships between language and culture from an anthropological and sociolinguistic point of view. Students are introduced to various approaches to qualitative analysis as research tools for understanding the interplay between language and culture in the Deaf community in which they participate.

This course examines general issues in first language acquisition, focusing on the period from birth to five years. It includes critical review of literature on phonological, lexical, morphological and syntactic development for both signed and spoken first languages, from both nativist and usage-based theoretical perspectives.

All first year Linguistics MA courses plus LIN 741, or permission of instructor.

This course will review current theory and research in second language acquisition (SLA) from linguistic and psychological perspectives, focusing on the influences of various theoretical models. Students will be introduced to the principal areas of SLA research and the major methodologies available for their study. Course material will focus on acquisition of a spoken second language, but also discuss recent studies and analyze data related to second language acquisition of a sign language.

The focus of this course is a comparison among six dominant approaches to the analysis of discourse: pragmatics, speech act theory, conversational analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, ethnography of communication, and variation analysis, with close examination of different kinds of sign language discourse.

All first year Linguistics MA courses, or permission of instructor

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to theories and methods of discourse analysis. This is a companion course, not a sequel, to Discourse Analysis: Narrative. Whereas Discourse Analysis: Narrative is concerned with discourse produced primarily by one speaker. Discourse Analysis: Conversation is concerned with dialogic or multi-party discourse.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to theories and methods of discourse analysis. Narrative is chosen for study because it is primarily monologic (at least in U.S. culture) as distinct from dialogic or multi-party discourse which is covered in Discourse Analysis: Conversation. This course will focus on the analysis of ASL narratives.

All first year Linguistics MA courses plus LIN 741, or permission of the instructor

An examination of analytical methods used in the study of variation and change in language structure and use, with a focus on sign language variation. Practice in the exploratory analysis and interpretation of sociolinguistics and discourse data, and introduction to quantitative tools, including the Varbrul program.

For students who did not complete the Gallaudet M.A. in Linguistics

This course will provide students with experience in gathering and analyzing data from a sign language other than ASL. The particular language selected will vary from year to year, with preference given to under-investigated sign languages. Students will study the lexicon, phonology, morphology, and syntax of this language; each student will focus on one topic for an in-depth research project.

Pre- or co-requisites: For UG students: LIN 301, 302; or Permission of Instructor; for Grad students: Permission of Instructor.

An introduction to the principles of linguistic study, with a concentrated focus on phonology and phonological theory as applied to English and ASL. Topics will include: phonetics, phonemics, phonological processes, syllables and syllabification, distinctive features, phonological rules, and an overview of current phonological theory.

This course provides an introduction to generative linguistics and principles of syntactic argumentation within the generative tradition. Topics include Parts of Speech, Phrase Structure rules, X-bar rules, the role of the Lexicon, and various types of syntactic movement related to verbal morphology, questions and passive constructions. The course focuses initially on English and other spoken languages, but also includes application to ASL towards the end of the course.

This course will introduce students to the profession of linguistics, its history and subfields, as well as the research specializations of department faculty. Students will also receive general training in a variety of skills relevant to graduate studies in linguistics, such as technical writing, using library resources to locate literature, using computer and editing techniques needed for carrying out sign linguistics projects, and applying for research grants and IRB approval for student research projects.

This is the first of a three-course sequence focusing on a cognitive linguistics approach to ASL. Examination of semiotic diversity in ASL from the perspective of Cognitive Grammar, with an emphasis on analysis of data. The primary focus of the course is on depiction, establishing a typology of depiction that includes many imagistic phenomena in ASL and other spoken and signed languages, such as enactments, manual depictive forms, and ideophones. Notions in Cognitive Grammar benefiting depiction analysis, such as constructions and construal, are also introduced.

This course builds on foundational material presented in Phonology I. Students will investigate the phonological structure of signs in American Sign Language. Part one (I) presents a comparison of notation systems for signs and provides extensive training in sign notation. Part two (II) deals with phonological contrast. Part three (III) is concerned with the phonotactic properties of lexical signs. Part four (IV) deals with phonological processes and historical change.

LIN 701 or permission of instructor.

This course is a continuation of LIN 721, with discussion of the tenets of cognitive linguistics, particularly the view that lexicon and grammar are a continuum of form-meaning pairings with varying degrees of abstraction and complexity. This discussion provides the theoretical background with which to investigate grammatical structures in ASL, English, and other languages, including metaphor, grammatical classes (e.g., noun and verb categories), and complex expressions (e.g., morphology, compounding, grammatical relations, and grammatical constructions).

LIN 721 or permission of instructor

This course builds on foundational material presented in Generative Linguistics I and extends them to the study of ASL and other sign languages. Lectures include continued opportunity for hands-on practice in deriving various syntactic structures, and also develop students' abilities to independently read and understand articles in generative linguistics.

LIN 702 or permission of instructor

Year III - Fall

Year III - Spring

Present Guided Research Project:Pre-requisite to LIN 883

Complete Qualifying Paper and Present Qualifying Paper:may occur earlier or later; pre-requisite to LIN 890

Year IV - Fall

Field Exam andConcept Paper Presentation:pre-requisite to LIN 890

Year IV - Spring

Year V - Fall

This course is for ABD students conducting any aspect of their dissertation research and writing.

Successful completion of LIN 890 and dissertation proposal defense, LIN 741, LIN 801, LIN 802, and LIN 827, and all four electives required for the doctoral program.

Year V - Spring (and onward)

Year I - Fall

Year I - Spring

Year II - Fall

Year II - Spring

Present Guided Research Project: Pre-requisite to LIN 883

Complete Qualifying Paper and Present Qualifying Paper: may occur earlier or later; pre-requisite to LIN 890

Field Exam and Concept Paper Presentation: pre-requisite to LIN 890

Year IV - Spring (and onward)

Information

Ph.d. in linguistics requirements.

Completed application form. See Application Instructions to learn how. A non-refundable application fee of $75. Official transcripts of all graduate study. See Application Guidelines and FAQ for more information. All international applicants from non-English speaking countries must demonstrate English language competence via the Degrees of...

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Ph.D. Programs

The Department of Linguistics offers four concentrations leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Linguistics (see list below). No matter the concentration, our faculty work closely with students, guiding their research and supporting their passions.

• Applied Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Theoretical Linguistics

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to identify prospective research advisors, at least one of whom should be in the concentration to which they apply.

After entering the program, Ph.D. students may elect to add a minor in a second one of these concentrations [new policy effective Spring 2023].

An interdisciplinary (second) concentration in Cognitive Science is also available to Ph.D. students.

Master’s in Passing

If, in their course of the Ph.D. program, a doctoral student meets all of the requirements of a M.S. degree in Linguistics, he or she may apply to receive a “Master’s in Passing.” Please consult section IV.D.3 of the Graduate School Bulletin for full details about the “in passing” or “terminal” Master’s degree.

• BA Linguistics
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• Diploma in Linguistics
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PhD Program

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The PhD program is for those interested in advanced research training and developing expertise in an area of their choice.

Program Overview

Our department covers a broad range of research topics, with substantial coverage of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. We approach these topics from several different research traditions and backgrounds, with particular strengths in formal-theoretical linguistics, experimental and field linguistics, acquisition, and computational approaches to the study of communicative behaviour.

Program Requirements

Students in the PhD Linguistics program must complete coursework under the following requirements:

• LING 508: Phonetic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 510: Phonological Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 520: Syntactic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 525: Semantic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• First-year breadth courses may be waived if equivalent courses have been taken elsewhere.
• LING 505A: Issues in Morphological Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
• LING 511 : Topics in Phonology (3 credits)
• LING 513: Topics in Phonetics (3 credits)
• LING 521: Topics in Syntax (3 credits)
• LING 527: Topics in Semantics (3 credits)
• More than one section of LING 530 can be counted towards this requirement, with each three-credit section counting as one course.
• LING 531: Field Methods in Linguistics I (3 credits)
• The remaining six credits can be completed with either LING 532, LING 518, and/or an appropriate methods-related course within in Linguistics or in a different department

The first-year breadth courses and methods courses (except Field Methods) are waived if equivalent courses have been taken elsewhere, subject to an evaluation of the relevant syllabus.

First-year graduate students who do not have sufficient background for the first-year graduate courses (this is most typically an issue for LING 525 and LING 508) are expected to take the appropriate undergraduate courses (e.g., LING 325, LING 313) prior to registration in the graduate course.

Here are three sample course sequences that students usually take:

Sequence 1: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510, LING 520; Depth: LING 503

Term 2: Breadth: LING 508, LING 525; Depth: LING 511

Term 3: Depth: LING 513; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth: LING 530; Depth/Methods: LING 532

Sequence 2: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510, LING 520; Depth: LING 530

Term 2: Breadth: LING 525; Depth: LING 505A, LING 521

Term 3: Depth LING 527; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth/Methods LING 532

Sequence 3: 

Term 1: Breadth: LING 510; Depth: LING 503; Methods: 3 credits in statistics

Term 3: Depth LING 513; Methods: LING 518, LING 531

Term 4: Depth LING 530; LING 530

Qualifying papers

The QP process is an opportunity to develop, strengthen, and broaden research skills. Whether a student chooses the one-QP or two-QP option and the specific topic(s) are decisions students discuss and make in discussion with their committee. Discussions of what constitutes appropriate scope should take place within the committee.

Two-QP option (default): Students who select to write two QPs are acknowledging that they would benefit from the experience of engaging in two separate research topics under the guidance of a committee. Each committee must have three members, but each QP will have two readers. (The third member may be the Graduate Advisor.) The length of these QPs is to be the scope of a discipline-specific conference proceedings paper.

One-QP option: Students who select to write one QP are eager to engage more deeply with a single topic and set of research methods. Under this option, QPs will have three readers. The scope of this QP is to be appropriate for a journal manuscript, which is discipline specific. 

While QPs may feed into dissertation projects, there is no established expectation that they will or will not.

No defences, but QP presentations. Under neither of these options will students be required to defend their QPs. But, developing presentation skills is important to a scholar’s development. Students are required to present each QP. Such a presentation is a presentation and not a defence. The evaluation of a presentation is thus formative, and not summative. A QP does not need to be presented upon completion, but rather it is up to the committee to decide the presentation timing that is appropriate for a student. To facilitate this, there will be a Graduate Student Research Day at the end of every term, and all students will be invited to present.

As part of the Qualifying Paper process, and before beginning work on the paper, a student must have a short proposal for each paper approved by the supervisory committee. The proposal must establish the specific area and problem(s) to be addressed and cite a few key references from the literature which will be surveyed. The committee will normally respond to the proposal within 2 weeks of its submission. The Qualifying Paper proposal should follow the formatting guidelines of an abstract for the Annual Conference of the Canadian Linguistic Association, with the following addition: without exceeding the one-page length limit, the proposal should include a short budget (if there will be costs associated with completing the Qualifying Paper), budget justification and funding source (faculty member’s grant, outside grant, private funds, etc.). Also note that the content for a proposal will normally be more speculative than a conference abstract. Once approved, the Qualifying Paper proposal should be electronically filed with the Grad Admin and circulated electronically to the Department.

The final paper will be submitted to UBC Working Papers in Linguistics and must follow the UBCWPL style guidelines for length and formatting.

Dissertation

The dissertation marks the culmination of the PhD program. A dissertation should be an original and independent research project which makes some contribution to knowledge in the special area elected by the student.The dissertation marks the culmination of the PhD program. A dissertation should be an original and independent research project which makes some contribution to knowledge in the special area elected by the student.

By the end of a student’s third year, the student must submit to the Graduate Advisor a dissertation prospectus, along with the appropriate approval form signed by the members of the dissertation committee, and circulate the prospectus electronically to the Department. The content of a dissertation prospectus should be along the lines of an NSERC Discovery Grant or a SSHRC Insight Grant; it should have the following components:

• Summary (1 page maximum)
• Detailed description (6 pages maximum)
• Bibliography
• Budget (if there will be costs associated with completing the dissertation research)
• Budget justification (as appropriate)

Dissertations should be prepared in accordance with the thesis formatting regulations required by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Dissertations which do not meet the standards specified may be rejected. Documentation should follow the style guide of the Canadian Journal of Linguistics, Language, or the American Psychological Association.

The completed dissertation will be read by a specialist from outside the University, arranged by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at least three months before the candidate expects to take the final oral examination. The student’s research supervisor and the Graduate Advisor will forward a list of names of specialists who might serve as External Examiner using the Doctoral Dissertation Form. When the dissertation has been approved for submission to the External Examiner, the candidate will take the final oral defence. This is a formal, public examination, chaired by an appointee of the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and attended by the members of the examining committee and other interested persons.

Students nearing the final stages of thesis writing should familiarize themselves with the timeline to the oral dissertation defense . During the weeks prior to the oral examination, students are strongly encouraged to give a practice oral presentation, ideally during a departmental research seminar slot. Practice orals should follow the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies format, allowing 30 minutes for a presentation, and a longer period for questions. While examining committee members are not prohibited from attending, practice orals should not be viewed as an opportunity to prepare students for specific questions that students will be asked by committee members at the official defence.

The candidate submits an electronic copy of the final dissertation to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The electronic copy will be deposited in the cIRcle on-line repository, and linked from the department website. The final oral exam may be held at any time of the year (except from mid-December to mid-January) provided that the examining committee can be assembled.

Language requirement

In order to graduate, students must have a sound knowledge of one language other than English. They must fulfill this language requirement by the time of their thesis prospectus submission.

The language to fulfill this requirement is expected to be chosen on the basis of its relevance for the student’s research program, in consultation and by approval of the student’s supervisory committee. Relevance can be determined by a variety of factors such as the following:

• The language is the object of the student’s research, or is closely related to the language of research; for example, where a student’s research focuses on Yoruba, knowledge of Yoruba could fulfill the requirement, or where the student’s research is on St’at’imcets, knowledge of Halkomelem could fulfill the requirement.
• There is a significant and relevant linguistic literature in the language; for example, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Russian could fulfill the requirement.
• The language serves as a medium for conducting linguistic research relevant to the student’s program of research; for example, Hausa could fulfill the language requirement for a student conducting research on a language of northern Nigeria.

Students may fulfill the language requirements in various ways:

• Certain departments at UBC periodically schedule reading knowledge examinations. This exam evaluates a student’s language competence based on the translation of a text (approximately 1000 words) relating to the student’s field of study. A minimum second class standing (B- or better) must be obtained on this exam in order to satisfy the Foreign Language Requirement. For further information on such examinations, contact the appropriate departments.
• If you speak a language natively, your native proficiency can be accepted by the supervisory committee.
• If you have completed a program of post-secondary language study (a minimum of 12 credits or equivalent). A minimum second class standing (B- or better) must be obtained for these credits in order to satisfy the Foreign Language Requirement.
• For other languages, it may be necessary to establish an ad hoc mechanism for conducting an evaluation of the student’s knowledge. In such cases, the student should make a written request to their supervisory committee, including a proposal for how such an examination can take place, and including a proposal for a qualified examiner. Students considering this option should be aware that the requirements (including the required level of competence in the language and how to demonstrate it) may vary extensively from case to case, depending on the norms of the language community involved.

Continuous enrolment

Until their MA thesis prospectus has been approved, all MA students are expected to maintain a regular, active, physical presence in the Department. This can include participation in lab/project/reading groups, attending colloquia, research seminars or other ad hoc departmental events, meetings with their supervisor, committee members or other researchers in relevant areas. Certain circumstances may necessitate a student’s absence during some of this period (e.g. for field work); such absences should be discussed with the supervisory committee.

At all stages of the program, a student and their supervisor should be in regular contact and communication. At the thesis/dissertation stage, such contact should happen at least once a month (again, barring extenuating circumstances), either through in-person meetings, videoconferencing, or communication/reporting over email.

Supervision

A Research Supervisor is appointed for a student before the beginning of their first year in the program. The Graduate Advisor and the Research Supervisor, in consultation with the incoming student, will establish a three-member Temporary Supervisory Committee no later than the end of the first week of the first term.

Prior to registration for the second year, the Temporary Supervisory Committee shall be dissolved and a new Supervisory Committee shall be established. A MA Supervisory Committee consists minimally of the Research Supervisor and two additional members. Normally the members of the supervisory committee are from the Department of Linguistics; if the students committee includes members from outside the Department of Linguistics, a majority must be departmental members. Establishing a Research Supervisor is the joint responsibility of the student and the Graduate Advisor.

Both new and continuing MA students will have a meeting with their Supervisory Committee during the last week of August or in early September. At this meeting students can discuss their course work and other aspects of their program. Incoming students are requested to bring with them copies of the calendars of course offerings from the institutions they previously attended (other than UBC). At the end of April or the beginning of May, all students will meet with their Supervisory Committee to discuss the year’s progress and to plan further work. Any changes in a graduate student’s program must be approved by the Supervisory Committee.

The Graduate Advisor, in advising students, makes every effort to ensure that they have satisfied all the requirements for the degree — language requirements, course work, etc. However, it is ultimately every student’s responsibility to ensure that at the time he/she applies for the degree he/she has met all the requirements. Separate records of a student’s program and progress are kept by the Faculty of Graduate Studies; these records are obtained from information provided by the Graduate Advisor and are used to determine a student’s ultimate eligibility for graduation.

Annual evaluation

The Faculty will meet in April or May each year to discuss the progress of each student in the PhD program. The student’s supervisor will inform them of the results of the evaluation. If a student is not making satisfactory progress, they will either be required to withdraw from the program immediately or will be placed on probation and told what conditions must be fulfilled to obtain a satisfactory standing. If a student on probation has not fulfilled these conditions by the end of the following semester, they will then normally be required to withdraw from the program.

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Cognitive Linguistics

About the Program

Dive into the inner workings of the human mind with a Master of Arts in Cognitive Linguistics from Case Western Reserve University. With modules on subjects such as phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics and morphology, our program is sure to support your career goals. Our alumni have gone on to top PhD programs in cognitive science, linguistics and communication sciences, and to careers in fields including computer science, marketing and research. 

The study of linguistics can be applied to any language, and grants you the opportunity to travel the world exploring the different syntax and semantics of speech. When you earn your graduate degree from our Department of Cognitive Science, you benefit from our unique focus on human higher-order cognition and capacity for creativity, innovation, communication and social cognition. We pride ourselves on our use of the traditional methods of linguistics along with new, integrated methods that have been invented within cognitive science over the last several years.

Student Resources

Whether you’re looking for information about education abroad opportunities, have questions about visas, or are interested in international opportunities on campus, these quicklinks will help you quickly navigate some of the key resources our website offers for students.

What to Expect

Cognitive linguistics focuses on the intersection of language and cognition. This field of study makes it possible to evaluate very disparate topics such as how joint attention is involved in reading novels, which metaphors are most effective in getting people to change their minds, or how teaching can be improved through the use of gestures. 

Our degree program requires 30 credit hours and a written thesis. You will receive guidance and supervision from our faculty to ensure your success throughout your thesis process. Most complete the program within four semesters, although periods of study longer or shorter can be arranged, and part-time enrollment is possible. The required courses include a two-semester theory sequence, a concurrent two-semester workshop sequence, electives, and 12 credit hours of thesis work.

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Beyond the classroom.

Looking to get involved beyond your coursework? The Cognitive Science Student Organization (CSSO) is a social and academic club for all students engaged in our field of study.

The CSSO exists to serve the academic and social interests of students (majors and minors, but also students from other departments with shared interests) through various events and activities. We hold study groups, social events with different departments, student-professor lunches and dinners, graduate student panels, colloquia and an undergraduate invited speaker event. 

For more information, check out the CSSO facebook page or email [email protected] .

By the Numbers

years to complete the program

credit hours of thesis work

credit hours

Admission Requirements

Our top priority is ensuring students that we admit into the program are a good fit. We only admit five students per year and do not require a specific GPA or GRE score to be considered. If you are interested in a Master of Arts in Cognitive Linguistics, visit our admissions page for more information.

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Eric Tolliver Department Assistant College of Arts and Sciences Telephone 216.368.4753 Email [email protected]

30 Best universities for Mechanical Engineering in Moscow, Russia

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Moscow ranked based on their research performance in Mechanical Engineering. A graph of 269K citations received by 45.8K academic papers made by 30 universities in Moscow was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Moscow State University

For Mechanical Engineering

2. Bauman Moscow State Technical University

3. National Research University Higher School of Economics

4. Moscow Aviation Institute

5. N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute

6. National Research Nuclear University MEPI

7. National University of Science and Technology "MISIS"

8. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

9. Moscow State Technological University "Stankin"

10. RUDN University

11. Moscow Polytech

12. Moscow State University of Railway Engineering

13. Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation

14. Moscow Medical Academy

15. Russian State University of Oil and Gas

16. mendeleev university of chemical technology of russia.

17. Russian National Research Medical University

18. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

19. National Research University of Electronic Technology

20. Moscow State Pedagogical University

21. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

22. State University of Management

23. Moscow State Institute of International Relations

24. Russian State Geological Prospecting University

25. russian state agricultural university.

26. New Economic School

27. Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation

28. Russian State University for the Humanities

29. Russian State Social University

30. Moscow State Linguistic University

Universities for Mechanical Engineering near Moscow

Engineering subfields in moscow.

Victor Mukhin

• Scientific Program

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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