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Language Sciences at UW–Madison is an interdisciplinary hub for research and collaboration that houses the Linguistics major.

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It investigates the common principles underlying all languages, as well as the organization of particular languages. It is expected that undergraduates with a major in linguistics will be able to:

  • demonstrate a sound knowledge of the fields of phonetics (articulatory and acoustic properties of speech), phonology (the organization of the sound system of languages), morphology (the structure of words), syntax (the structure of sentences), and semantics (the interpretation of structures);
  • demonstrate that they are able to analyze data in all these areas of linguistics;
  • apply their linguistic training without prejudice, as expected in any science; and
  • apply their analytical abilities beyond the study of linguistics.

Our undergraduate major emphasizes strong foundational training in the core areas of theoretical linguistics. Students also have access to breadth courses in a wide variety of interdisciplinary areas, including first and second language acquisition, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, language and data science, historical linguistics, neurolinguistics, and indigenous language documentation and revitalization. Coursework is also available in the linguistics of specific languages or language families, such as American Sign Language, Germanic, Spanish and Romance, Chinese, Japanese, and Native American linguistics.

How to Get in

Undergraduate students wishing to major in Linguistics should make an appointment with the Linguistics Undergraduate Advisor. Current advisor contact information can be found on the Language Sciences Advising Page.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

General Education
  • Breadth—Humanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
  • Breadth—Natural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
  • Breadth—Social Studies: 3 credits
  • Communication Part A Part B *
  • Ethnic Studies *
  • Quantitative Reasoning Part A Part B *

* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements.

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (BS)

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

Mathematics Complete two courses of 3+ credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level in MATH, COMP SCI, or STAT subjects. A maximum of one course in each of COMP SCI and STAT subjects counts toward this requirement.
Language Complete the third unit of a language other than English.
LS Breadth Complete:
• 12 credits of Humanities, which must include at least 6 credits of Literature; and
• 12 credits of Social Science; and
• 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include 6 credits of Biological Science and 6 credits of Physical Science.
Liberal Arts and Science Coursework Complete at least 108 credits.
Depth of Intermediate/Advanced Coursework Complete at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level.
Major Declare and complete at least one major.
Total Credits Complete at least 120 credits.
UW-Madison Experience Complete both:
• 30 credits in residence, overall, and
• 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
Quality of Work • 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison
• 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UW–Madison

Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major

Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.

Requirements for the Major

Language

Complete the fourth unit or higher in a foreign language, by course or by examination0-16
Total Credits0-16

Students pursuing the linguistics major must complete 30 credits as follows:

Required Foundational Courses (4 courses)

LINGUIS 101 Human Language3
LINGUIS 310 Phonology3
LINGUIS 322 Morphology3
LINGUIS 330 Syntax3
Total Credits12

Advanced Linguistics Coursework (2 courses)

One 500-level LINGUIS course (choose one of the following):3
Phonological Theories
Advanced Morphology
Syntactic Theories
Structure of a Language
Capstone course
LINGUIS 690 Capstone in Linguistics3
Total Credits6

Electives in the Major (4 courses)

Complete 4 of the following:12
any LINGUIS course 1
Introduction to African Linguistic Practices
Language and Society in Africa
Indians of North America
Survey of North American Indian Languages
Language and Culture
Language in Japanese Society
Introduction to Chinese Linguistics
Introduction to Japanese Linguistics
History of the Chinese Language
Studies in Chinese Linguistics
Chinese Applied Linguistics
Introduction to Communicative Disorders
Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production
Hearing Science
Neural Basis of Communication
Language Development in Children and Adolescents
Speech Acoustics and Perception
Phonetics and Phonological Development
Child Language Disorders, Assessment and Intervention
Neural Mechanisms of Speech, Hearing and Language
Language and Social Inequality
Language Politics and Education
Structure of English
English Language Variation in the U.S.
Second Language Acquisition
Language, Race, and Identity
Linguistic Theory and Child Language
Bad Grammar and Metalinguistic Awareness
English Words: Grammar, Culture, Mind
Global Spread of English
Introduction to TESOL Methods
English in Society
History of the English Language
Topics in English Language and Linguistics
English Syntax
English Grammar in Use
Field Methods and the Public Presentation of Folklore
Structures of Italian
Introduction to German Linguistics
Topics in German Linguistics
History of the German Language
Introduction to Text Mining
Topics in Library and Information Studies (Tribal Libraries, Archives, Museums topic only)
Global Language Issues
Topics in Sociolinguistics
Language in Wisconsin
Historical Linguistics
General Phonetics
Grammatical Variability of Language
Semantics
Survey of North American Indian Languages
Topics in Linguistics
Field Methods I
Field Methods II
Language and Culture
Topics in Phonological Theory
Language and Meaning
Psychology of Perception
Language, Mind, and Brain
Cognitive Psychology
Child Development
How We Read: The Science of Reading and Its Educational Implications
The Structure of Human Thought: Concepts, Language and Culture
Talk and Social Interaction
Spanish Phonetics
The Structure of Modern Spanish
Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
Spanish Applied Linguistics
Introduction to the Romance Languages
Spanish in the United States
Topics in Spanish Linguistics
Topics in Hispanic Linguistics
Total Credits12
1

Except LINGUIS 351, LINGUIS 352, LINGUIS 481, LINGUIS 482, LINGUIS 583, LINGUIS 681, LINGUIS 682.

1

Except LINGUIS 351, LINGUIS 352, LINGUIS 481LINGUIS 482LINGUIS 583, LINGUIS 681LINGUIS 682.

2

Intermediate and Advanced level LINGUIS courses, LINGUIS 340LINGUIS 373 and some elective courses from other subjects are upper-level in the major (see list).

Residence and Quality of Work

  • 2.000 GPA in all LINGUIS and all major courses
  • 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence2
  • 15 credits in LINGUIS, taken on the UW–Madison campus
2

Intermediate and Advanced level LINGUIS courses, LINGUIS 340, LINGUIS 373 and some elective courses from other subjects are upper-level in the major (see list).

Electives from other subjects that are Upper-Level in the Major

AFRICAN 500 Language and Society in Africa3-4
ASIAN 358 Language in Japanese Society3
ASIAN 432 Introduction to Chinese Linguistics3
ASIAN 434 Introduction to Japanese Linguistics3
ASIAN 631 History of the Chinese Language3
CS&D 201 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production3
CS&D 210 Neural Basis of Communication3
CS&D 303 Speech Acoustics and Perception3
CS&D 503 Neural Mechanisms of Speech, Hearing and Language3
ENGL 314 Structure of English3
ENGL 316 English Language Variation in the U.S.3
ENGL 318 Second Language Acquisition3
ENGL 414 Global Spread of English3
ENGL 416 English in Society3
ENGL 417 History of the English Language3
ENGL 516 English Grammar in Use3
ENGL 514 English Syntax3
GERMAN 351 Introduction to German Linguistics3-4
GERMAN 352 Topics in German Linguistics3-4
GERMAN 650 History of the German Language3
PHILOS 516 Language and Meaning3
SOC 535 Talk and Social Interaction3
SPANISH/​FRENCH/​ITALIAN/​PORTUG  429 Introduction to the Romance Languages3
SPANISH 630 Topics in Hispanic Linguistics3

Honors in the Major

Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Linguistics Undergraduate Advisor.

Honors in the Linguistics Major: Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:

  • Earn a 3.300 University GPA
  • Earn a 3.500 GPA for all LINGUIS courses, and all courses accepted in the major
  • Complete two LINGUIS courses, taken for Honors, with concurrent 1-credit enrollment in LINGUIS 481 Junior Honors TutorialLINGUIS 482 Junior Honors Tutorial, or  LINGUIS 583 Senior Honors Tutorial, for a total of 2 additional credits. A grade of B or better must be earned in each course taken for honors.
  • Complete a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in LINGUIS 681 Honors Seminar-Senior Thesis and LINGUIS 682 Honors Seminar-Senior Thesis, leading to submission of an acceptable paper, for a total of 6 credits. A grade of B or better must be earned in the thesis project.

Note that Honors tutorial credits and the Senior Honors Thesis do not count toward the 30 credits required for the major in linguistics. 

University Degree Requirements

Total Degree To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
Residency Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs.
Quality of Work Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Familiarity with data from a wide range of languages from different language families.
  2. Ability to respond to biased views of language in their communities.
  3. Knowledge in all core areas of linguistics: Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
  4. Sound grasp of linguistic concepts.
  5. Sound grasp of linguistic methodology.

Four-Year Plan

This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Communication A3Ethnic Studies3
Quantitative Reasoning A34th semester of Foreign Language (if needed)23
3rd semester of Foreign Language (if needed)3LINGUIS 1013
L&S Breadth13I/A Math, Comp Sci, or Stat (if needed for BS)3
L&S Breadth3L&S Breadth3
 15 15
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Quantitative Reasoning B3Communication B3
LINGUIS 3103LINGUIS 3223
LINGUIS 3303Linguistics major elective #13
L&S Breadth3I/A Math, Comp Sci, or Stat (if needed for BS)3
Elective3L&S Breadth3
 15 15
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Linguistics 500-level course (take any time in years 3-4)3Linguistics major elective #33
Linguistics major elective #23L&S Breadth3
L&S Breadth3Electives9
Electives6 
 15 15
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits
Linguistics major elective #43LINGUIS 6903
Electives12Electives12
 15 15
Total Credits 120
1

Linguistics majors will have varying needs for L&S Breadth courses outside the major, depending on which Linguistics major electives they choose. Many Linguistics major electives are Humanities courses, but some are Social Science or Natural Sciences. Consult with your advisor to determine your individual needs.

2

Linguistics majors are required to complete the 4th unit or higher of a foreign language, whether they are doing the BA or the BS degree.

Advising and Careers

Undergraduate Advising

Rebecca Shields, Undergraduate Advisor

1166 Van Hise Hall
rashields@wisc.edu

Contact the undergraduate advisor via email or using the Starfish app to set up an appointment. The advisor is happy to meet with students who want to learn more about the major, careers in linguistics, linguistics course selection, and opportunities for participation in research in language sciences. A meeting with the advisor is required to declare the major.

Letters & Science Career Services

Language Sciences encourages our majors to begin working on their career exploration and preparation soon after declaring their major. Our career advisor also partners with SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science. L&S graduates are in high demand by employers and graduate programs. It is important to us that our students are career ready at the time of graduation, and we are committed to your success.

L&S Career Resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

People

Please visit the Language Sciences website for a complete list of our faculty and their areas of interest and expertise.

Resources and Scholarships

Linguistics Opportunity Award

The Linguistics Opportunity Award provides several scholarships to Linguistics majors each year. Awardees are recognized for excellence in linguistics research and academic achievement, outreach and volunteering activities related to language science, and/or relevance of linguistics to their future plans.

The scholarship is funded through generous donations to the Linguistics Fund from alumni and other supporters of our program.

Deadline: December 31, apply through the WiSH portal.