MA Requirements

The Department of Linguistics offers the M.A. degree in Linguistics under Plan I (24 semester hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis) or Plan II (32 hours of coursework without a thesis) according to the general regulations set forth in the UNM Catalog, with the additional requirement that a minimum of 12 hours of 500-level courses is required under either plan.

As soon as you are admitted to the M.A. program, you should start thinking about whether writing a thesis (Plan I) or completing additional coursework (Plan II) would be most suited to your interests and long-range career goals. There are benefits to both approaches. The intensive research and writing involved in preparing a thesis can be valuable preparation for further studies at the Ph.D. level or for employment in a specific area related to linguistics. On the other hand, the M.A. program may be seen as the opportunity to pursue broad experience in linguistics. The coursework option ensures a strong foundation in linguistics with an appropriate depth and breadth of knowledge to pursue further studies or professional employment.

Prerequisites

Incoming MA students should have at least 12 hours of basic linguistics courses, including the following courses (or their equivalents):

  1. Introductory linguistic analysis (Ling 301)
  2. Phonetics (Ling 303)
  3. Phonological analysis (Ling 504)
  4. Grammatical analysis (Ling 522)

It is possible to make up deficiencies in these prerequisites after admission to the M.A. program, but these prerequisite courses must be completed as soon as possible and may not be counted toward the minimum coursework requirements of the degree.

Required Courses

Please note: the requirements have recently changed. Students have the option of using the catalogue year during which they began the program, or the current catalogue year.

  1. a graduate course in phonological theory (502 or 503)
  2. a graduate course in morphosyntax (512)
  3. a graduate course in language change (546)
  4. a graduate course in psycholinguistics (e.g., 560, 565, 566, 567, 568, 569)
  5. a graduate course in sociolinguistics (e.g., 533, 534, or a relevant seminar)
  6. two graduate courses, covering two of the three following research areas: (1) discourse/syntax (529, 535, or a seminar on a relevant topic); (2) cognitive linguistics (519, 525, 568, or a seminar on a relevant topic); (3) typology/field linguistics (511, 513, 517, 548, or a seminar on a relevant topic)

MA in Linguistics with a Concentration in Native Languages of the Southwest

Students also have the option of pursuing the MA in Linguistics with a concentration in Native American Languages of the Southwest.

The program is designed to take advantage of the resources in the Departments of Linguistics, Native American Studies, and Anthropology, as well as the College of Education. The concentration on Native American Languages will be supported by the department’s interest in functional grammar and sociolinguistics.

Candidates for the MA with a Concentration in Native American Languages of the Southwest must take the 21 hours of required core courses listed above. Additionally, the candidate should choose one of three focus areas: 1) field research on Native American languages, 2) issues in bilingual education, or 3) Navajo studies. The candidate must take four courses in the chosen focus area, and one course from either of the other two focus areas. The following courses satisfy the focus requirements; related courses approved by the Director of Graduate Studies may also be used to satisfy the requirements.

Field research
LING 511 Language Documentation
LING 513 Linguistic Field Methods
LING 515 Native American Languages
LING 559 Language and Culture
NATV 545 Politics of Identity
NATV 502 Education, Power and Indigenous Communities

Bilingualism and bilingual/multicultural education
LING 590 Childhood Bilingualism
LING 568 Seminar in Psycholinguistics: Bilingualism
LLSS 554 Teaching the Native American Child
LLSS 560 Language and Education in Southwest Native American Communities
LLSS 580 Seminar in the Education of the Bilingual Student

Navajo
NVJO 511 Navajo Verb System I
NVJO 512 Navajo Verb System II
NVJO 515 Advanced Navajo
NVJO 501 Navajo Linguistics

Information about the Navajo Language Program can be found here: https://navajo.unm.edu/

More complete information about the MA degree can be found in the Graduate Student Manual.