Linguistics (undergraduate)
Linguistics — the scientific study of language — is inherently interdisciplinary. With respect to the administrative and curricular divisions of Harpur College at Binghamton University, the field of linguistics is in fact fully interdivisional. The subject matter of linguistics includes topics from all three divisions: Humanities, Social Sciences and Science and Mathematics.
The major and minor programs in linguistics provide a foundation in the principles of linguistic theory and method, as well as a wide variety of cross-disciplinary and sub-disciplinary offerings.
Linguistics as Preparation for Graduate and Professional Studies
Undergraduate study in linguistics serves as an excellent preparation for graduate and professional study in many fields, including law, anthropology, education and counseling, and language pathology, as well as linguistics itself. Students planning to pursue graduate or professional study in any of these areas are strongly advised to keep these plans in mind as they select courses. Students with an interest in graduate work in linguistics, for example, are well advised to study at least two languages other than English, one a language of scholarship and the other a non-Western language. Students considering professional training in applied and clinical areas such as language teaching, speech/language pathology and audiology, deaf education or counseling are urged to consult appropriate pre-professional information sources early in their undergraduate career, preferably not later than the beginning of the sophomore year.
Linguistics Major
The major in linguistics combines the study of linguistic theory and methods with the comparative study of specific languages. Reflecting this perspective, the linguistics major counts as a major within the Humanities Division. This means that when linguistics majors select courses outside the division of their major in order to fulfill Harpur College Distribution requirements, they select courses in science and mathematics and in social sciences. The minimum course requirements for the major are:
• LING 114 and 118 (equivalents are ANTH 114 and 118);
• 24 additional credits in linguistics, at least 12 of which must be at the upper-division level (LING 300 or above);
• Language courses:
— one advanced foreign language course, in composition or phonetics or advanced grammatical analysis, presupposing intermediate fluency (the fluency normally attained after four or more semesters of college-level language instruction);
— four semesters of college-level instruction (or the equivalent, including courses taken at the secondary school level, equating one year of instruction to one semester of college-level instruction) in a language or languages other than the language above. Students may fulfill this requirement with up to four semesters (or equivalent) in a single additional language or one semester each of four different languages, or any combination adding up to the equivalent of four semester of college-level language instruction.
Honors in Linguistics
The award of honors in linguistics is based upon completion of an acceptable honors thesis. To be considered for honors, a student must have at least a B+ average in linguistics courses, must secure the approval of a faculty member who agrees to serve as the honors thesis supervisor and a second faculty member who will serve as a reader, and must submit a written request to the program director for approval no later than the end of the semester preceding the student’s final semester. Up to four credits may be obtained for the thesis by registering for LING 498. LING 498 may not be used, however, toward fulfillment of the minimum course requirements for the major. By the last day of classes in the student’s final semester, each honors thesis super-
visor must submit written confirmation that an acceptable thesis has been completed or is certain to be completed by the end of the semester.
Linguistics Minor
The linguistics minor is also interdivisional. In this case, however, this means that students who declare two minors may count the linguistics minor as not being in the same division as their other minor (which is necessary for students whose major and one minor are in a single division).
Six courses, distributed as follows, are required for the linguistics minor:
• LING 114 and 118 (equivalents are ANTH 114 and 118);
• four other courses in linguistics, at least two of which must be at or above the 300 level.
Counting of Courses Toward Major and Minor Requirements
All courses presented in fulfillment of the minimum requirements for the linguistics major or minor must be taken for a letter grade (no Pass/Fail), and the grade received must be a C– or better in order to count toward these requirements. The overall average in courses presented in fulfillment of minimum requirements must be a C or better. Exceptions to any of the above requirements must be requested in writing from the program director, who may grant such requests in extraordinary circumstances.
Distribution Requirements
As an interdivisional program, the linguistics program offers courses applicable toward all three of the divisions recognized in the various distribution requirements at Binghamton University. The divisional placement of each linguistics course is indicated in the course descriptions that appear below; it is also reflected in the second digit of each course number in accordance with the following scheme:
|
X00-X09 |
Non-divisional courses (do not count toward distribution requirements) |
|
X10-X19 |
Humanities or social sciences |
|
X20-X39 |
Humanities |
|
X40-X59 |
Social sciences |
|
X60-X69 |
Social sciences or science and mathematics |
|
X70-X79 |
Science and mathematics |
|
X80-X99 |
Non-divisional courses (do not count toward distribution requirements) |