Linguistics
Source: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs/linguistics-ab-scb Parent: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs
Language is a uniquely human capacity that enables us to communicate a limitless set of messages on any topic. While human languages can differ greatly in certain respects, all are intricate, complex, rule-governed systems.
Degree Type
A.B., Sc.B.
CIP Code
16.0102ℹ
The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to categorize educational programs in the U.S. for a variety of reporting purposes. Each program at Brown is assigned a CIP code that best matches its academic curriculum.
Current STEM Eligible CIP Codes
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Linguistics
Language is a uniquely human capacity that enables us to communicate a limitless set of messages on any topic. While human languages can differ greatly in certain respects, all are intricate, complex, rule-governed systems.
Linguistics is the scientific study of these systems, their use for communication in rich social settings, and their cognitive underpinnings. The linguistics concentration at Brown gives students a background in the “core” aspects of the language system: phonetics/phonology (the study of speech sounds and their patterning), syntax (the study of combinatorics of words, phrases, and sentences), semantics/pragmatics (the study of the meanings of both words and larger expressions, and how they interact with communicative goals), and how language is produced, understood, and learned by children and adults (psycholinguistics). Beyond this, students may focus more heavily in one or more of these areas and/or explore related questions such as how core aspects of language do (and do not) vary, including through the use linguistic fieldwork on understudied languages, or how probabilistic tendencies and variability in language usage relate to grammar. Other areas such as historical linguistics, computational linguistics, sociolinguistics, philosophy of language, and linguistic anthropology can also be pursued in conjunction with offerings in other departments.
Students who wish to pursue one or more aspects of Linguistics in greater depth than does the Bachelor of Arts, and to focus on some of the more technical, computational, and/or experimental areas of the field may choose to take a Bachelor of Science in Linguistics. Students will choose a focus pathway which will direct their choices. Pathways include: Language, Computation, and Information; Language, Mind, and Brain; Meaning and Logic, or one of the student's design, with approval from the concentration advisor.
Student Goals
Students in this concentration will:
- Learn basic concepts in linguistics that are necessary to describe human languages and theorize about them: how sound is organized in language, how sounds and gestures combine to form meaningful units, and how language is used for communication
- Acquire an appreciation of the different kinds of variation in human languages: what is common to different languages, how languages can differ from one another, and how speech communities and individuals vary in their use of language
- Become familiar with a wide variety of topics in linguistics, including psycholinguistics, language change, language and society, computational approaches to language, and philosophy of language
- Acquire hands-on experience in understanding and solving open-ended questions in linguistics, which would include comparing the merits of competing theoretical approaches
- Learn how to communicate linguistic arguments effectively in writing and in presentations
Department Undergraduate Group (DUG)
Student Leaders: Talia Sherman, Claire Robertson, Wenjing Li, Eric Xia
Graduating Class
| Class Year | Total Students | Honors Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 |
Linguistics alumni are now employed as software engineers, journalists and editors, and educators. Many have gone on to careers as university researchers and teachers.
What are Linguistics concentrators doing…
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is typically the first point of contact for prospective concentrators. Once students have declared, they may be assigned a specific concentration advisor from within the department or program.