Admission to the department is based on general admission to the University. See Admissions Requirements for more information.
Requirements
In addition to meeting the general University requirements for the B.A. degree, majors must complete an adviser-approved program to include the following:
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Required Courses
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36 credits
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Adviser Approved Electives
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16 credits
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Typologically Different Language from English/Language Structure Requirement
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8 credits
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Total credits for Applied Linguistics BA major
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60 credits
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REQUIRED COURSES 36 credits
300-level courses
| Ling 390 | Introduction to Linguistics | 4 |
| Ling 391 | Introduction to Applied Linguistics | 4 |
| Ling 392 | Structure of the English Language | 4 |
400-level courses
NOTE: Students should consult with the departmental undergraduate adviser to determine which of the paired options above is the more appropriate choice for their program of study.
1) Students interested in Focus (2) Structural/Analytical Linguistics Focus should take LING 420 Historical Comparative Linguistics and LING 437 First Language Acquisition.
2) Students interested in Focus (3) Understanding Classroom Language Focus should take LING 438 Second Language Acquisition and LING 490 History of English.
ADVISER APPROVED ELECTIVES 16 Credits
To create a coherent program from the options listed below, students are encouraged to choose electives within a single focus. They should meet with the departmental undergraduate adviser to determine which options are most appropriate for them. At least 8 of the 16 elective credits are required to be from PSU Linguistics courses. For a course not taken in PSU Linguistics to count toward the major, students must get approval from the chair or the departmental undergraduate adviser.
Here, we list the three focus options
Focus 1) Applied Linguistics General Focus
Intended for most majors, including students planning graduate study in applied linguistics.
Students planning graduate study in applied linguistics should consult with a faculty member about the best courses to take for the program they are interested in.
Required
Choose the remaining 12 credits from:
(Take the option not taken as a required course)
Ling 410 requires prior adviser approval.
Focus 2) Structural--Analytical Linguistics Focus
Intended for students planning graduate study in theoretical linguistics or with a particular interest in theory and analysis.
Students planning graduate study in theoretical linguistics should consult with a faculty member about the best courses to take for the program they are interested in. A formal logic course is strongly recommended.
Required
(Take the option not taken as a required course)
Choose the remaining 12 credits from:
Ling 410 requires prior adviser approval.
Focus 3) Understanding Language in the Classroom Focus
Intended for students interested in teaching, the TESL certificate or graduate work in education, including TESOL.
Students planning on completing the TESL certificate concurrently with the BA or planning to take the MA TESOL program after the BA should work with an adviser to carefully plan their program.
Choose 16 credits from:
LING 410 requires prior adviser approval.
TYPOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FROM LANGUAGE STRUCTURE REQUIREMENT 8 credits
All students must complete one of the three following requirements:
- Take 2 terms of a single language that is typologically different from English (choose from: Arabic, ASL, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Swahili, or Turkish).
- Take 2 classes that focus on language structure across languages:
Ling 410 requires prior adviser approval
3. Take one term of a typologically different language and one language structure class.
All courses used to satisfy the department major requirements must be graded C or above. Courses taken pass/no pass are not acceptable toward fulfilling department major requirements. By the end of the first quarter of admission to the program, students must consult with the adviser to select the appropriate courses and areas of concentration. On completion the entire program must also be approved by the undergraduate adviser.