The M.A. Program in Linguistics 

Linguistics at the University of North Dakota is a cooperative program between the University and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (a program of SIL International), which offers courses on campus every summer. The program operates primarily in the summers; most students spend at least two summers on campus and do not attend UND year-round. SIL directs UND’s program in linguistics under the supervision of UND's School of Graduate Studies. In addition to the M.A. in Linguistics, the program offers a Certificate in Community-Based Literacy as Applied Linguistics.

Table of Contents

• Purpose of the Master’s degree in Linguistics
• Admissions requirements
• Application
• Requirements for the M.A. degree
• Courses
• Faculty
• Financial aid and teaching experience
• Academic output: Work Papers, Theses, Colloquia, and Materials for teaching linguistics
• Contact information: Addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses

Purpose of the Master’s degree in Linguistics

The primary purpose of the M.A. program is to prepare students to do field linguistic research, especially in languages that have received relatively little study previously. Courses taught by SIL all carry this emphasis, covering topics such as phonetics, field methods, analytical skills, orthography development, and theoretical frameworks which are useful in the initial description of lesser-known languages. The thesis (required) is normally based on field data collected by the student. The degree is designed so students can combine graduate study at UND with pursuit of linguistic fieldwork or other activities away from campus.

Students have also found the program useful as preparation for doctoral work in linguistics at other institutions, for teaching linguistics at universities outside the U.S., and for applied linguistic tasks such as teaching English as a second language, bilingual/bicultural education, literacy, interpreting and translation.

(To help you decide if you should pursue a graduate degree in linguistics as well as where and how you might do so, see the paper “Graduate school: Is it for me?”.)

Return to Top

---

Admissions requirements

General requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies include

• completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree from a college or university with regional accreditation
• a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.75 for all undergraduate work and 3.00 for the last two years
• ability to pursue academic work in English (Students whose native language is not English must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or composite 79 (internet-based: 21 Speaking, 19 Listening, 19 Reading, 17 Writing).)

Specific requirements for admission to the M.A. program in linguistics are

• 20 semester credits of work in linguistics or related fields, e.g., foreign language,
• of these, at least 10 must be in linguistics
• which must include the equivalent of LING 452 (Syntax and Morphology I)

(GRE scores are not required.)

Potential applicants who do not meet the program's requirements for admission should plan to take their first summer as non-degree graduate students. Up to 9 credits taken as a non-degree graduate student can be applied to the M.A. Therefore, students who meet some, but not all, of the linguistics prerequisites can use some of the credits gained as non-degree graduate students to meet the prerequisites, and apply some to the M.A.

Because the Linguistics Program is only active on campus during summer sessions, new M.A. students must begin their program during a summer session.

For more information on these and other requirements, see the current Academic Catalog, in the section on Graduate Academic Information, particularly the sections on Admissions and Linguistics. Or write to SIL or the School of Graduate Studies at the addresses below.

All persons have equal opportunity to graduate study at UND, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Return to Top

---

Application

All new students in linguistics must begin in a summer session. Many students interested in the M.A. program enroll for their first summer as a non-degree graduate student. This is generally not a problem since it is possible to apply up to 9 graduate credits taken as a non-degree graduate student to the M.A. Such students postpone applying to the M.A. program until after the end of the first summer. This gives them an opportunity to determine whether the program fits their particular needs before making a long-term commitment. Students who want to begin as a non-degree graduate student, or do not want a degree from UND, should consult the separate information about how to apply to take SIL courses.

Students who decide they want an M.A. in Linguistics from UND need to apply to the UND School of Graduate Studies (for entering the degree program) as well as completing the forms that SIL requires to take summer classes. While it is possible to begin the application process by applying to the School  of Graduate Studies first, it is better to start with SIL's pre-application form, so that the Director of Graduate Studies can guide applicants through the process.  See the separate information about the SIL application process.

In order to be admitted to the M.A. program in a given summer, all materials required by the School of Graduate Studies must be received by UND by April 15. These include an application form with statement of purpose, the application fee, transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work, and three letters of recommendation. Additional requirements may apply to students from other countries, such as translations in English of all materials (e.g., transcripts) not in English and TOEFL scores.

Applications to the M.A. program in linguistics are accepted year-round, and are acted upon whenever the application is complete. Students who apply to the program but miss the April 15 deadline may have to attend their first summer as a non-degree graduate student. This may entail a second application to the School of Graduate Studies later (with a separate application fee). Students who know they will miss the deadline should apply to take SIL classes as non-degree graduate students, and wait to apply to the M.A. program later.

If you have further questions, consult with the Director of Graduate Studies (M.A. advisor) before applying (see contact information below).

Return to Top

---

Requirements for the M.A. degree

The following are summarized from the Graduate section of the Academic Catalog, including both general requirements for the M.A., and the specific requirements for the M.A. in Linguistics.

• 32 graduate credits are required for the degree, including 4 credits for thesis.
• At least 19 credits must be in courses offered by the Linguistics program ( see Courses below). Of these, 3 credits must be in the area of phonetics/phonology, 3 must be in syntax/semantics, 3 must be in applied linguistics, and 1 must be in Ling 580 Academic Writing. Up to four credits of independent study (Ling 590 Directed Studies and Ling 594 Research) may be included.
• Courses with linguistics content offered by other departments, such as English (see Courses below), may be counted as linguistics courses for the major.
• The degree may include a minor (at least 9 credits in a single related graduate field) or a cognate (9 credits in related fields at the 300 level or higher).
• A maximum of 8 graduate credits may be transferred from another North American institution with regional accreditation. Transfer credits must be at the graduate level (500 level or equivalent). Transfer credits may not have been used for another degree, and must not be more than than 7 years old at the time of graduation.
• A minimum of two summers, or one regular semester, must be spent in residence (full-time study in Grand Forks). Students are normally expected to spend at least two summers in residence.
• Coursework must not be more than 7 years old at time of graduation. (Older courses taken at UND can sometimes be revalidated by demonstrating continuing competence in the subject matter of the course.)

Return to Top

---

Courses

Courses that can be used for prerequisites to the M.A. in linguistics

Many courses listed under English, Languages, Linguistics and other headings in the undergraduate section of the Academic Catalog can be used to satisfy the prerequisites for the degree (which require at least 10 previous credits in linguistics) but cannot be used as part of the degree program itself. (This, of course, is also true of many courses available at other institutions.) Such courses taught at UND include the following:

Ling 450	Articulatory Phonetics	2 credits
Ling 451	Phonology I	3 credits
Ling 452	Syntax and Morphology I	3 credits
Ling 470	Introduction to Sociolinguistics	2 credits
Ling 480	Learner-Directed Second Language Acquisition	3 credits
Anth 370	Language and Culture	3 credits
Engl 209	Introduction to Linguistics	3 credits
Engl 309	Modern Grammar	3 credits
Engl 370	Language and Culture	3 credits
Engl 489	Senior Honors thesis (when the topic is in linguistics)	1-8 credits
IS 350	Native American Languages	3 credits
Lang 461	Seminar in Spanish Linguistics	3 credits
CSD 223	Phonetics	3 credits

In addition to linguistics courses such as those above, courses in foreign languages or other related fields (taught at UND or elsewhere) can be used to satisfy up to half of the prerequisites.

Return to Top

---

Courses that can be used as part of the M.A. in linguistics

Students complete their degree using regular courses from Linguistics supplemented by independent study (Directed Studies and Research), courses from English, transfer courses, or courses in related fields.

The courses listed in the Graduate section of the Academic Catalog under Linguistics form the core of the program. They are taught primarily in the summers by SIL. (Besides the official listings in the Graduate Bulletin, there is further information about them in the SIL-UND catalog.) Courses that are used to satisfy prerequisites for the degree may not be used for the degree itself.

As indicated above, courses listed in the Graduate section of the Academic Catalog under English Language and Literature which have linguistic content may be used to supplement the courses offered by the Linguistics Program. These are mostly taught during the fall and spring and include the following courses:

Engl 417	Special Topics in Language (when the topic is in linguistics; may be repeated for different topics)	3 credits
Engl 418	Second Language Acquisition	3 credits
Engl 419	Teaching English as a Second Language I and II	3 credits per semester
Engl 442	History of the English Language	3 credits
Engl 590	Readings in Language (when the topic is in linguistics)	1-4 credits

Return to Top

---

Faculty

Most of the faculty members for the UND linguistics program are SIL faculty who have been appointed as adjunct faculty members in the UND School of Graduate Studies. SIL faculty members have substantial fieldwork experience, and spend most of the year in various places around the world doing linguistic research, promoting vernacular literacy, and performing related humanitarian service. Although they are on campus only during the summers, special arrangements can be made for them to offer certain courses (esp. Directed Studies, Research and Thesis) at other times and places or by distance education. Typically 4-6 SIL graduate faculty members are on campus during any summer.

Return to Top

---

Financial aid and teaching experience

SIL offers two financial aid programs to all its students, including those in the M.A. program:

• Scholarships are available to cover tuition and fees in SIL courses. Details are provided on the page about scholarships and financial aid at SIL-UND.
• A limited number of teaching assistantships are available each summer in courses offered by SIL. Most of these require students to have completed Package B, and are not guaranteed. Full-time TAs may take up to 3 credits of SIL classes at no charge; part-time TAs may take up to 6 credits and pay reduced tuition and fees.

In addition, there is a tuition waiver available only to M.A. students who have completed at least 25 credits of their approved program of study. This waiver covers the cost of tuition for thesis (4 credits) and 3 other credits of the student’s choice.

Return to Top

---

Academic output: Work Papers, Theses, Colloquia, and Textbooks

In support of the M.A. program, SIL-UND publishes a volume of work papers containing linguistics research by faculty, students, and guest scholars. Beginning with the 1997 volume, these papers are available on the internet.

Some recent M.A. theses in linguistics are now posted on the Web.

Each summer, SIL sponsors a colloquium series, consisting of presentations about recent research by faculty, students, and guest scholars.

SIL-UND and its faculty have also developed textbooks in linguistics and other instructional materials.

Return to Top

---

Contact information

For application materials for the M.A. degree or general information about graduate study at UND

Internet: visit My GradSpace
email: questions at gradschool dot und dot edu
phone: (701) 777-2945

The School of Graduate Studies 
P.O. Box 8178
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks ND 58202-8178

For specific questions about the M.A. in Linguistics

email: through SIL-UND’s web-based form
toll-free: (800) 292-1621
phone: (701) 777-0575 (this number is available only during the summer while SIL is in session)

August-May
Dr. John Clifton
18619 NE 12th Ct.
Citra FL 32113

June-July
Dr. John Clifton
SIL
2901 University Avenue Stop 8217
Grand Forks ND 58202-8217

For information on the SIL program and courses it offers at UND

SIL-UND home page

See also the pages of contact information for SIL-UND and the online application forms. (Application to take SIL courses is different from application to the M.A. program. If you’re not sure which you want to do, see the discussion above.)

Return to Top

---

For information on courses taught by the Department of English Language and Literature

English Department home page
phone: (701) 777-3321

Department of English Language and Literature
P.O. Box 8237
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks ND 58202-8237