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The Minor in Linguistics

All minors are required to take:

• Ling 170D Introduction to Linguistics
• 6 units of Theory classes, selected from this list of 3-unit classes:
  • Ling 309 Syntactic Analysis
  • Ling 311 Introduction to Semantics
  • Ling 312 Phonetics
  • Ling 313 Phonological Analysis
  • Ling 317 Introduction to Computational Linguistics
  • Ling 320 Historical Linguistics
• Inclusive of the above requirements, students must take 15 units of courses in Linguistics, of which 9 units must be in upper-level courses (those numbered 300 or higher). All courses listed on the Courses Web page or in the semesterly listing under News are eligible.

All classes must be taken for a letter grade, and you must get a C− or better to apply it to your Linguistics minor. If you take a course pass/fail you cannot apply it to Linguistics, even if the professor swears you would have got a C−.

Study at Other Universities

It is often useful for the developing scholar to study at other universities. But it must be kept in mind that graduation with a Washington University Linguistics minor means that you have satisfactorily completed a course of linguistics study at Washington University. The College imposes general limits on how much work you may apply from other universities, which the Linguistics Program implements as follows:

• You must get explicit official permission from the Linguistics Program to apply any course toward a Linguistics minor.
• Normally you may apply no more than 2 outside classes, or 6 units, toward your Linguistics minor.
• Of those, no more than 3 units may be applied toward the count of required upper-level units in Linguistics.
• You must take the course for a letter grade and get C− or better, even though the grade will not appear on your Washington University transcript.

In addition, well documented experience at another university may occasionally be taken into account if you petition to replace a Theory requirement with another class. For example, if you can prove you have a strong knowledge of Syntax, you may, at the Program’s discretion, be permitted to take some other class instead of Ling 309.

Study in Other Schools at Washington University

Each semester, classes applicable toward the Linguistics minor are posted on the Program’s Web site. The majority of such classes are taught in the College of Arts & Sciences, but some may be taught in other Wash U schools. Any course listed as fulfilling the “Ling” requirement may be applied toward a Linguistics minor, regardless of what school offers it. In addition, students may petition to have other courses counted. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences should be aware, however, that the College imposes limits on how many courses you may take in other schools in Washington University. For example, you cannot apply more than 30 units outside A&S during your whole undergraduate career, of which no more than 12 units may be taken during your freshman and sophomore years together. Of these, no more than one course per semester may be in University College. These limits rarely hamper a student who is simply working on a Linguistics minor, but if you are also taking classes from other colleges for other reasons, it is conceivable you will run into one of these limits. For example, taking several PACS courses for Linguistics may then cause a problem, because the PACS department is in the Medical School. Be sure to confer with your 4-year advisor about the A&S rules.

Interaction With Majors and Other Minors

If you wish to fulfill a Linguistics minor, you will in addition have a major and perhaps another minor. If the requirements for these other areas overlap with your Linguistics minor, the question arises as to whether they can double-count.

Your Linguistics Minor must include 12 units of classes that are not counted toward any other major or minor. Thus it is important that your Linguistics advisor knows what classes you intend to apply to them, so that this requirement is not violated. Note, however, that these rules mean that Linguistics will let you count one 3-unit class toward both Linguistics and a major or another minor. But be advised that just because Linguistics would let you double-count a course toward a Psychohistory major does not mean that the Psychohistory department has to let you do that.

Miscellanea

Repeated classes (retakes) are strongly discouraged. You may apply such a repeated class to your Linguistics minor only with advance permission of the Linguistics program.

Please contact Brett Kessler for more information or to declare a minor.