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Graduate Program in Linguistics at the City University of New York

Degree Requirements in Brief

Ph.D. Program Requirements and Guidelines:

  • 60 credits of course work, including 24 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, and are required to complete it before the 45th credit. (Transfer credits will be applied after completion of the QP1.)
  • 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

    Two of the following (Ph.D):

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

    Secondary Requirements:

    Select two of the following three categories, and one course from each selected category.

    • FLA, SLA, Learnability
    • Sentence processing, Computational, Psycholinguistics
    • Spanish in the US, Sociolinguistics

Masters Program Requirements and Guidelines:

  • Complete 30 creditsof course work, including 15 elective credits.
  • Pass the Supervised Research Project.
  • Fulfill one foreign language requirement.

    • Required Core Courses (15 credits):

    • Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics
    • Phonology I
    • Semantics I
    • Syntax I
    • MA Supervised Research Project (3 credit Independent Study)

    Electives (15 credits):

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

Masters Program (Computational Linguistics):

To receive an M.A. with aconcentration in Computational Linguistics, a student must:

  • Complete 7 required courses.
  • Write Supervised Research Project.
  • Complete 2 elective courses.
  • Fulfill one foreign language requirement.

Required Courses:

  • Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics + practicum
  • Syntax I + practicum
  • Methods in Computational Linguistics I + practicum
  • Methods in Computational Linguistics II (pre-requisite: Methods I)
  • Language Technology
  • Corpus Analysis
  • MA Supervised Research (1 credit Independent Study)

One of the following:

  • Phonology I + practicum
  • Semantics I + practicum

Electives: 2 courses

Language Requirements

Doctoral students must satisfy two language requirements. Masters students must fulfill one foreign language requirement. Additional information can be found on the Language Requirements page.

First Examination (QPI)

Level I Ph.D. students must pass the First Examination or Qualifying Paper (QP1). This will determine whether a student is qualified to continue toward the Ph.D. The QP1 will consist of original research. 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 (QP2)

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.
Consult the Mina Rees Library for deposit procedures.

 

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

  • Year I
    Fall - Course credits (11)
       Introduction to Theoretical Ling. 3 + Practicum
       Syntax I + Practicum 4
       Secondary Requirements 3

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

  • Year II
    Fall - Course credits (11)
       Semantics II + Practicum 4
       Phonology II + Practicum 4
       QP Workshop 3

    Spring - Course credits (9)
       Elective 3
       Elective 3
       Elective 3

    •    1st QP Evaluation

  • Year III
    Select 2nd QP Committee

    Fall - Course credits (9)
       Elective 3
       Elective 3
       Elective 3

    Spring     - Course credits (9)
       Elective/IS 3
       Elective/IS 3
       Elective/IS 3
       2nd QP Presentation
       Completion of 60 Credit Requirement

  • Year IV
    Fall - Course credit

       Select Dissertation Committe
       Dissertation Proposal Defense
       Language Requirements (2)

    Spring
       Dissertation Supervision

  • Year V
    Fall
       Dissertation Supervision

    Spring
       Dissertation Defense

       The Third Examination is the student's dissertation defense.