academics

Degree Requirements in Brief

For the Ph.D.:

• The program requires 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, 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

Secondary Requirements:

Select two of the following four categories, and 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

M.A. (Linguistics) Core Courses:

• The program requires 30 credits of core course work, including 15 core credits.
• Pass the Supervised Research Project
• Demonstrate a reading knowledge of one language other than English

Required core Courses (Required 15 credits):

• Introduction to Theoretical 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

For the M.A. in Computational Linguistics: To receive an M.A. concentration in Computational Linguistics, a student must complete 34 credits of approved graduate course work, including 28 credits of required courses, including passing the supervised research project.

M.A. (Computational) Core Courses:

• The program requires 34 credits of course work, including 28 core credits
• Pass the Supervised Research Project

Required core Courses (28 credits):

• Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics + practicum
• Syntax I + practicum
• Methods in Computational Linguistics I + practicum
• Methods in Computational Linguistics II
• Language Technology
• Corpus Analysis
• MA Supervised Research

One of the following:

• Phonology I + practicum
• Semantics I + practicum

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.

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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.