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Graduate Program in Linguistics at the City University of New York

Degree Requirements in Brief

For the Ph.D.:

  • The program requires 60 credits of course work, including 25 credits corresponding to the required courses. The 60 credits may include up to 30 transfer credits.
  • Students must begin to work on their First Examination Qualifying Paper (QP1) by their 36th credit, including transfer credits, and they are required to complete it before the 45th credit.
  • Students must fulfill two language requirements. The language requirements may be satisfied at any time after entering the program, but before the completion of 60 credits (see Language Requirements).
  • The Second Examination Qualifying Paper (QP2) must be completed before the 10th semester. The Second Examination generally (but not necessarily) covers the student's area of specialization for his/her proposed dissertation research.
  • Within one semester of passing the Second Examination, the student prepares a dissertation research proposal.
  • Finally, Ph.D. students must write a dissertation and take a Third Examination, which is the Dissertation Defense.


    • Required Core Courses

    • Ling 70100 Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics
    • Ling 71300 Phonology I
    • Ling 72100 Syntax I
    • Ling 72300 Semantics I

    Select two of the following (Ph.D):

    • Syntax II
    • Semantics II
    • Phonology II
    • Morphology
    • Linguistic Phonetics

    Select two of the following four categories, select one course from each selected category:

    • Structure of a language
    • FLA, SLA, Learnability
    • Sentence processing, Computational, Psycholinguistics
    • Spanish in the US, Sociolinguistics
    • Modern Linguistic Theories

For the M.A.:

  • The program requires 30 credits of core course work, including 15 credits of required MA courses.
  • Pass the Supervised Research Project
  • Demonstrate a reading knowledge of one language other than English (see Language Requirements).


    • Required core Courses (Required 15 credits):

    • Introduction to Linguistics
    • Phonology I
    • Semantics I
    • Syntax I
    • MA Supervised Research

    Electives (15 credits):

    • No more than 6 of which may be taken outside of linguistics

En Route M.A.: Students are eligible for receiving an en route M.A. upon completion of the First Examination (QP1), 45 credits, and passing one language exam.

M.Phil. and Advancement to Candidacy: A doctoral student is advanced to candidacy when he or she has completed 60 credits with a grade average of at least B, passed both language exams, and passed the Second Exam. Upon advancement to candidacy, doctoral students are eligible for the Master of Philosophy degree.

 

Language Requirements

Doctoral students must satisfy two language requirements. One is the "translation requirement," and the other is the "scholarly requirement." Additional information can be found on the Language Requirements page.

 

First Examination / Qualifying Paper I

Level I Ph.D. students must pass the First Examination or Qualifying Paper (QP1). The QP1 will consist of original research, this will determine whether a student is qualified to continue toward the Ph.D. Students must begin the First Exam by the time they have completed 36 credits, and they are required to pass it by the time they have completed 45 credits.

 

Second Examination

All Ph.D. students must take a formal Second Examination or the Second Qualifying Paper(QP2). The purpose of the Second Examination is to ensure that the student has achieved the necessary competence in his or her focus of specialization to carry out dissertation research. The Second Exam is not a dissertation proposal.

All students are required to have successfully completed the Second Examination no later than the end of their fifth year (tenth semester) to remain in the program.

 

Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal must be defended in the semester following the passing of the Second Exam. The student must select a Dissertation Committee of at least 3 Graduate Center faculty. One of these will be the Dissertation Supervisor.

 

Third Examination

The Third Examination is the student's dissertation defense.

 

Optimum time line to graduate from the program based on full-time study (3 courses per semester)

  • Year I
    Fall - Course credit (11)
       Introduction to Theoretical Ling. 3
       Phonetics + Practicum 4
       Syntax I + Practicum 4

    Spring - Course credit (11)
       Phonology I + Practicum 4
       Semantics I + Practicum 4
       Secondary Requirements 3

  • Year II
    Fall - Course credit (11)
       Semantics II + Practicum 4
       Phonology II + Practicum 4
       Secondary Requirements 3

    Spring - Course credit (9)
       QP Workshop 3
       Elective 3
       Elective 3

    •    1st QP Evaluation

  • Year III

    Fall - Course credit (9)
       Select 2nd QP Committee
       Elective 3
       Elective 3
       Elective 3

    Spring     - Course credit
       Elective/IS 3
       Elective/IS 3
       Elective/IS 3

  • Year IV
    Fall - Course credit

       Select Dissertation Committe
       Advancement to candidecy if 60 credits fulfilled
       Dissertation Proposal Defense
       Language Requirements (2)

    Spring - Course
       Dissertation Supervision

  • Year V
    Fall - Course
       Dissertation Supervision

    Spring - Course
       Dissertation Defense

       The Third Examination is the student's dissertation defense.