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Linguistics is the study of how language works—how
it is acquired, how it is used, how it evolves over time,
and how it is represented in the brain. Major subfields are
grammar (including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax,
and semantics), discourse analysis, pragmatics, historical
linguistics, sociolinguistics and dialectology, psycholinguistics
(including developmental psycholinguistics and neuro-linguistics),
mathematical and computational linguistics, and ethnographic
linguistics.
Because of the unique properties of language among human
capacities and institutions, students majoring in linguistics
acquire a vantage point for formulating and testing views
about basic questions that arise in one form or another in
all of the human sciences. Major applications include language
planning, language teaching, speech synthesis and recognition,
treatment of language disorders, repair of communication breakdowns,
information technology, documentation of endangered languages,
and language planning.
The Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) is recognized as one of the top 25 in the United
States. The department offers graduate programs leading to
the MA and the PhD. The MA program provides a basic introduction
to the subject matter and skills of the discipline. The PhD
program provides full professional training for careers in
research and teaching.
The department offers unique opportunities to study Austronesian
(Malayo-Polynesian) linguistics and for access to speakers
of Pacific and Asian languages. The faculty represents a variety
of theoretical viewpoints, and is especially qualified to
direct research on languages of the Pacific and parts of Asia.
Fields of special competence include descriptive and comparative
linguistics, linguistic theory, language contact and variation,
socio- and ethno-linguistics, language development, and experimental
linguistics. In addition, the linguistics faculty and cooperating
faculty in the Departments of East Asian Languages and Literatures,
English, Second Language Studies, and Languages and Literatures
of Europe and the Americas sometimes supervise work in applied
linguistics.
Employment opportunities for graduates today often require
additional knowledge of one or more related disciplines. For
example, there are openings in anthropology and ESL departments
for persons trained in linguistics. Students are, therefore,
encouraged to broaden their training in linguistics by including
work in other disciplines. Such programs, and those that include
many of the specializations previously listed, will involve
the inclusion of faculty members from other graduate programs
on students' program committees.
Students should indicate their interests to the chair as
early as possible, so that appropriate advisers can be chosen
to direct students to key prerequisite courses that will help
them further explore their interests. It is also possible
for students enrolled in MA programs in Asian studies or Pacific
Islands studies to include concentrations in linguistics in
their degree course work.
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MA Degree Requirements
Students may select Plan A (thesis), Plan B (non-thesis) or
Plan C (exam). Plan C is open to selected students with some
previous work in linguistics that show both high potential
for scholarly development and the motivation and discipline
necessary for an independent course of study.
- Plan A requires 30 credits (including 12 credits of thesis
research), a written thesis and defense of the thesis (in
the form of a oral exam that covers both the thesis and
other related areas.
- Plan B requires 30 credits and a final seminar presentation.
- Plan C requires a final exam.
- All plans require proficiency in a foreign language other
than the student's native language.
PhD Degree Requirements
The PhD program requires the following:
- 33 credits of course work beyond MA course requirements,
- knowledge of two languages other than the native language,
- teaching experience in linguistics or language-related
topic,
- preliminary exam,
- comprehensive exam (oral and written),
- dissertation,
- final oral exam / defense of dissertation.
Courses
To view a listing of courses offered, visit www.ling.hawaii.edu/courses/courselisting.html
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