Undergraduate Bulletin

Requirements for the Major and Minor in Linguistics

Requirements for the Major in Linguistics

The major in Linguistics leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Requirements for TESOL certification are detailed following the Linguistics minor and honors program listings. 

Completion of the major requires 39 credits in linguistics and two semesters, or the equivalent, of a foreign language in addition to the Uni­versity's language proficiency requirement. All linguistics courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.

1. LIN 101 Human Language
2. LIN 201 Phonetics
3. LIN 301 Phonology
4. LIN 311 Syntax
5. LIN 431 The Structure of an Uncommonly Taught Language
6. Six additional linguistics courses, of which 4 must be upper-division (LIN 355and/or LIN 356may be taken up to two times for this requirement.  LIN 344, 454, 475, 476, 488 and 495 may not be used for elective credit)
7. Two semesters of foreign language, or the equivalent, after completing DEC Entry Skill 3/LANG, or the equivalent. These may be either in the same language with which the entry skill was met, or in one or two other languages.
8. LIN 405 Writing in Linguistics: In the junior or senior year, students must successfully complete  LIN 405, a two-credit course.  LIN 405 satisfies the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) learning objective WRTD.

Notes: 
1. Students may count up to two linguistics-related courses from other departments toward the Linguistics major, with prior permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Requirements for the Minor in Linguistics

The minor in Linguistics requires 20 credits.

1. LIN 101 Human Language
2. LIN 201 Phonetics
3. LIN 311 Syntax
4. Three additional linguistics courses, of which 2 must be upper-division (LIN 355 and/or LIN 356 may be taken up to two times for this requirement. LIN 344, 454, 475, 476, 488 and 495 may not be used for elective credit)

Notes: 
1. One of the courses required for the minor may be taken for Pass/No Credit. All other courses must be passed with C or better.

 
2. Linguistics minors that are closely integrated with students' majors are strongly encouraged. Fields with which linguistics has special affinities include: anthropology, psychology, English, foreign languages, philosophy, and computer science. 

3. With department approval, a maximum of one 3 credit course taken in another department may be applied as a LIN minor elective.

Honors Program

Linguistics majors who have maintained a g.p.a. of 3.50 in the major are eligible to graduate with departmental honors. An additional requirement for honors is the submission and presentation of a senior thesis based on research performed during the senior year. Students must submit a written thesis proposal for approval to a sponsoring faculty member in the semester prior to the start of their senior year. Acceptance into the honors program depends on approval of the proposal by the sponsoring faculty member, the director of undergraduate studies and the department. 

LIN 495 and LIN 496 will be taken as a 2 semester sequence during the senior year, for a total of six credits. Students will receive only one grade upon completion of the sequence. These courses must be taken in addition to the total credits required for the major. The student's thesis must be completed and the student must have a public presentation of their research no later than three weeks prior to the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in LIN 496. The thesis will be read and evaluated by a committee consisting of the student's sponsor, a member of the Department of Linguistics, and one other faculty member, as arranged by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. 

If the thesis is accepted by the committee and the student retains a 3.50 g.p.a. for all linguistics courses taken, the Department will recommend that honors be conferred.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Teacher Education Program

The TESOL Teacher Education Program prepares undergraduates for initial certification as Pre-K-12 teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Prospective applicants must consult with the Director of TESOL Teacher Preparation and Certification TESOL Certification Director and the Undergraduate Director in Linguistics as early as possible in their academic careers to ensure completion of the program requirements in a timely manner. Academic requirements for admission to this program are a major in Linguistics, completion of LIN 101, and LIN 201 and/or LIN 311 with a grade of C or higher, an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA in the major of 3.0. Students wishing to apply should consult the department website for application deadlines and a full list of required application materials. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to remain in the program. 
See also information on Teacher preparation programs, TESOL teacher education program.

Requirements for Initial Certification 

A.  Linguistics courses:

• LIN 101 Human Language
• LIN 201 Phonetics
• LIN 301 Phonology
• LIN 307 Introduction to Sociolinguistics
• LIN 311 Syntax
• LIN 405  Writing in Linguistics
• LIN 431 Structure of an Uncommonly Taught Language
• Three additional 3 credit linguistics courses, one of which must be upper division. (LIN 355 and/or LIN 356 may be taken up to two times for this requirement. LIN 344, 454, 475, 476, 488 and 495 may not be used for elective credit).
• Two years of college-level study of a language or languages other than English. Completion of Skill 3/LANG satisfies the first year of this requirement. The additional year may be in the same, or one or two other languages. 

3. Students must maintain a 3.0 g.p.a. overall and a 3.0 g.p.a in the major in order to remain in the program. Students electing TESOL may not take any courses required for certification for Pass/No Credit.
4. Professional educational requirements:
5. PSY 327 Introduction to Human Development
6. CEF 347 Introduction to Special Education
7. SSE 350 Foundations of Education
8. LIN 344 Language Acquisition and Literacy Development
9. LIN 375 TESOL Pedagogy: Theory and Practice
10. LIN 378 Content-based Language and Literacy Development
11. LIN 449 Field Experience I (1 credit co-requisite of LIN 375)
12. LIN 450 Field Experience II (1 credit co-requisite of LIN 378)
13. LIN 451 Supervised Student Teaching in TESOL (grades P-6)
14. LIN 452 Supervised Student Teaching in TESOL (grades 7-12)
15. LIN 454Managing Instruction, Assessment, and Resources

Five-Year Accelerated B.A./M.A. Program with Teacher Certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

In addition to the regular B.A. program in Linguistics with teacher certification and the regular M.A. in TESOL, the Linguistics department offers a five-year accelerated B.A./M.A. degree program with concentration in TESOL. Upon completion of the five-year program, graduates will hold a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics, New York State teaching certification in TESOL, and a Master's degree in TESOL. The combined program will allow students the opportunity to complete these requirements one semester sooner than students who complete the programs sequentially. The accelerated program is restricted to students with an outstanding undergraduate record who are expected to excel in the graduate program. 

During the first four semesters as an undergraduate, students in the accelerated program will pursue a normal course of study for the B.A. in Linguistics with New York State certification in TESOL. Students must apply to the five-year accelerated program in the second semester of the sophomore year. During the third year of study students will take two pedagogy courses and the field components associated with them at the graduate level, and will student-teach in the second semester of the fourth year. They will then enter the graduate program prepared to complete the M.A. degree in one year of full-time study. 

The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the accelerated program:

1. A minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.3 in linguistics courses;
2. The admissions essay;
3. Recommendations from two linguistics faculty members;
4. Interviews with the Undergraduate Director in Linguistics and the Director of the TESOL program.

Five-Year Accelerated B.A./M.A.T. Degrees in Linguistics and Language

Stony Brook Linguistics offers three B.A-M.A.T. programs for students specializing in linguistics and a foreign language  

• Five-year program in Linguistics and French
• Five-year program in Linguistics and Italian
• Five-year program in Linguistics and Spanish 

These 5-year programs allow students to complete a BA with a double major in Linguistics and French, or Linguistics and Italian, or Linguistics and Spanish, plus an MAT in French, Italian, or Spanish, as well as dual certification in ESL/ENL (grades K-12) and French, Italian, or Spanish (grades 7-12). This program can be completed in 5 years with careful planning. For more information, please consult:    https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/spd/graduate/ba_mat_esl/index.php.