GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Our graduate program in linguistics emphasizes rigorous theoretical work that has at its base a solid empirical foundation in language data. Our program is primarily oriented towards the PhD degree; the department admits few students solely for the Master's Degree.

The PhD program provides students with a broad-based background in linguistics, teaching experience in the classroom and other forums, and opportunities for original and high-quality research. The first year is devoted to course-work, to give students a strong foundation in core areas of linguistics, and to start giving them experience formulating research questions and writing research papers. During the second and third years, the balance shifts from coursework to the further development of research skills; during this time, students complete two qualifying research papers. Students also gain substantial experience as teaching assistants during the second, third, and fourth years. The fourth and fifth years of graduate study are devoted to the student's dissertation work and advanced research.

To ensure that students can achieve the best match between their interests and the many opportunities our program provides, the program combines flexibility in course selection with committed individualized advising. In the first year, the student's courses are determined in consultation with the Graduate Studies Advisor. All students are required to take a quarter-long introduction to research methods in linguistics during the first year, followed by a quarter of work in small research groups or in one-on-one apprenticeships, where students work individually and cooperatively with faculty of their own choosing. In the middle of the first year, students are assigned a committee for their qualifying papers, with one member designated as the principal advisor. Once these papers are complete, each student picks a principal advisor and committee for the dissertation.

Each student serves as a teaching assistant (TA) for 3 or 4 courses, spread over the second, third, and fourth years of study. These courses generally include at least one course in the student's main area of expertise, and students are not usually asked to TA the same course twice, unless they specifically want to. More advanced students also may have the opportunity to teach their own course, if this matches the department's curricular needs.

Our program also stresses the importance of working with reliable and/or original data, and of working on under-represented or unfamiliar languages. There are two language requirements: the reading requirement, satisfied by a language with a significant linguistic literature, and an "in-depth" or "structure" requirement, usually satisfied by a research paper. For students whose native language is English, English cannot be used to satisfy either requirement; for students whose native language is not English, English can be used to satisfy one requirement, usually the reading requirement.

Though not part of the formal doctoral program, there are also numerous opportunities for off-campus research and development work at the Center for the Study of Language and Information and in local companies for those students who would like to take advantage of them.

Please note that the information above elaborates on the formal degree requirements as found in the Linguistics Department section of the Stanford University Bulletin.