Wugie
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Posts posted by Wugie
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On 2018/3/27 at 12:56 AM, fuzzylogician said:
In that case, I think BU would be better than UChicago. I have less to say about Edinburgh, as I noted above. If you have more specific questions, that may help.
Thank you Fuzzy. I'm just a bit hung up on the idea that UChicago and Edinburgh are both ranked higher than BU, and that might be a bonus when I apply for PhD programs (?).
On 2018/3/26 at 3:40 AM, fuzzylogician said:there are opportunities to make connections and sit in on classes at Harvard and MIT
According the the BU website,
The primary schools in the cross-registration consortium are Boston College, Brandeis University, Tufts University, and Hebrew College.
So maybe Harvard and MIT are no longer available for BU students to sit in on classes at.
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13 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:
Would you be taking courses with linguistics graduate students or undergrads? (What are the class sizes?)
Mostly with graduate students, class size about 5-10, probably, with the exception of one compulsory course from the MA program (interpretive theory). I will be allowed to take a total of two undergrad courses during the entire program if I so choose, but if I take the undergraduate course(s) during the first semester, I risk missing the graduate level "I" courses (as in phonological analysis I, syntax I) and directly take the "II"s (phonological analysis II, syntax II) in the second semester. And if I don't take some introductory level undergrad courses I might lack the foundation I need to do well in the grad level courses.
13 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:Would you have an office and an advisor in linguistics?
No there will probably be no office for me in linguistics. According to the master's program website, "Students are placed in groups of 10-12 and work closely with an assigned Preceptor—an advanced PhD student in a humanistic field—throughout the year", and "Over the winter and spring quarters, MAPH students work closely with a faculty member who has agreed to serve as their thesis advisor".
19 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:Connections with the incoming first-year cohort? Interaction with other profs? Personalized attention of any kind to help you actually get good letters and have opportunities to write some papers?
I may be taking courses with/from them. But maybe that's just it.
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54 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:
BU is also well enough known, difference being that Chicago actually has its own graduate program but BU doesn't
Thank you Fuzzy!
Although from the look of it, the master's program at Chicago (https://maph.uchicago.edu/ ) is somewhat like a build-it-yourself kind of program (with the cohort size of about 100 per year) in humanities in general with the possibility of taking courses in linguistics, and it is not directly related to the linguistics department. Hence maybe a little bit problematic?
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20 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:
Clarification question: "trying to decide" meaning that you've been admitted to these programs or you're looking for programs to apply for?
Admitted
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Greetings Linguists,
I'm trying to decide between a few master's programs and I need your help.
The programs are:
- BU: master's in Linguistics http://ling.bu.edu/grad/degrees/ling-ma
- UChicago:MAPH https://maph.uchicago.edu/
- Edinburgh: (taught) MSc Linguistics http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/17-18/dpt/ptmsclingu1f.htm
- MA programs in Spain
Other European and Canadian programs will probably not admit me because of my lack of background in linguistics (more about that here )
I'm hoping to apply to PhD programs after my MA studies. I'm not exactly sure about my interests right now and I'm looking to get exposure to different sub-fields. I do find phonetics interesting though.
So, does anyone here have experience with any of the above programs or know what the graduates from the above programs end up doing? Also, about the Edinburgh one, how are the British (taught) masters programs different from the American ones? Which is more likely to give me a (bigger) boost when applying to PhD program in the future?
The Edinburgh one looks like students might be taking 9 courses per semester on average (not to mention if you choose to take fewer courses during the second semester in order to work on the thesis), which sounds like a lot. Is it doable?
*The programs are all one-year programs. I know one-year programs are not ideal in terms of application to PhD programs, but I don't have enough funding for 2+year programs.
Any more last minute programs to apply to?
All comments welcome.
Thank you
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not open to international applicants w/o work permit : (
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On 1/3/2018 at 8:30 AM, thevphone said:
If you're thinking about Europe, the University of Amsterdam has one of the best programs! They have very good people on Phonetics/Phonology, and you're exposed to a lot of disciplines, including clinical (and neuro I think). It's pretty easy to get into the one year MA in Linguistics, while getting into the two-year program is more difficult. Although, if you have good grades during the first semester, you can easily switch to the two-year program. So, as for 2., 3., and 4 the UVA is perfect!
2Thank you for the information! The program looks great!
They did say they require at least 30 credits of undergraduate courses taken in linguistics though, do you think that would a problem for me (since I have only taken one intro course in linguistics as an undergrad), or can I prove my basic knowledge in linguistics with my writing sample and such?
On 1/3/2018 at 8:30 AM, thevphone said:Also, not speaking Dutch is not a problem at all, as the program is entirely in English and all the Dutchies speak English anyway!
Will I be able to navigate daily life (going grocery shopping, going to the supermarkets, finding housing etc) without knowing the Dutch language?
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On 12/23/2017 at 1:32 PM, historicallinguist said:
Being rather weak doesn't mean it won't be helpful for you to apply for Ph.D. programs. One thing you need to consider is private vs public schools. class size in private is usually much smaller than the public school, meaning that you will have more contact and personal attention from your professors. Also, in private school, masters level courses are almost exclusively taught by real professors, but in public school there is a good chance that masters level courses are taught by Ph.D. students. Because LORs written by Ph.D. students are rarely helpful, you probably don't want to be in a situation that you will have to ask Ph.D. students to write you letters because you have no one else to ask for. Also, some masters level courses in public schools are also online courses, which are something you probably want to avoid too. So, everything else being equal, choose a private school over a public one, for the sake of your letter of recommendation.
Try some reach schools, but probably not too many. I guess 3-4 reach schools are enough.
I guess that you could take advantage of the fact that you never took these courses and try to spend two years in Boston. That way, in the first semester of the second year when you apply, you have in your belt some course grades in linguistics in your transcript, some term papers already written that could be used for writing samples, and some professors who know you and can write you good letters. Thesis is not necessary if you already have some good term papers that could be used for writing sample and if your masters program doesn't require a thesis. These are just my personal thoughts about it. Like fuzzy said, check with the program, and see what they have to say.
But be sure that, when you ask, ask in a way that you do not project yourself as someone who does not know what your career goal/research goal is, because this will undermine your chance to get into the masters program.
Thanks for the reply! It's been very helpful. I used to think the thesis will be my writing sample and that having to write a thesis is the indicator of a program being more further-education-oriented. But I suppose I can use a term paper as the writing sample too, assuming I have one that's somewhat relatively satisfactory when I apply.
And happy holidays
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On 12/23/2017 at 3:50 AM, fuzzylogician said:
Really, these are questions that are best addressed directly to these programs. There aren't that many of them that you're considering. Contact them, explain your situation, and ask. Best we can do is guess.
Thanks, that makes sense, I'll contact the programs.
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Thanks for the reply! But I still have a few questions if you don't mind.
16 hours ago, historicallinguist said:I think your best bet is Boston University. The overall ranking of this university is high, but its linguistics program is somewhat weak, meaning it is not hard for you to get in.
If the linguistics program is rather weak, would it be helpful for my application to PhD programs? Also, are there some "reach" schools/programs that I should consider?
16 hours ago, historicallinguist said:you didn't specify whether you can go without funding
Just talked to my parents, they told me they probably have enough money for one year, not sure if they'd be able to save up for the second year during the first year. But I guess I'll try to figure something out.
16 hours ago, historicallinguist said:So, applying for a two year MA program should be the better option, as then you will have at least a year to prepare a good writing sample, and get good letters from professors in the MA program after they knew you well.
Found this on the webpage of the MA program at Boston University:
"The MA program is designed to be completed in one year, though students wishing to complete a major independent research project, akin to a thesis or capstone project, may wish to consider spending three or four semesters in the program instead. Entering students are expected to have already completed introductory classes in:
- Phonetics/phonology (e.g., CAS LX 301)
- Syntax (e.g., CAS LX 321)
- Semantics/pragmatics (e.g., CAS LX 331)
Students who do not have a sufficient background in linguistics must complete additional coursework to fulfill those prerequisites prior to entry or during the first semester. Such coursework will not be counted toward the master’s degree requirements."
Does this mean I can spend 1.5 - 2 years in the program? (I haven't taken any of the courses mentioned in the above list) And does this mean I will need some kind of approval to be able to do a thesis/project (as opposed to the thesis being an integral part of the graduation requirement)?
Also, if I can spend an extra year at Boston, can I do something similar in the one year program at Chicago (their MA program looks a bit more self-designed-ish than the one at Boston)?
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12 hours ago, spreadglottis said:
I'm currently applying to Canadian MA programs and these schools actually have pretty strict entry requirements. They require specific courses (semantics, phonetics, etc.) and usually a BA. McGill and Toronto offer a qualifying year but no funding for it.
Yes, I have the same impression.
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13 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:
Concerning France, I'm not sure how easy it would be to live and study in a country whose language you don't speak. Even if you could have meeting and write in English, as soon as you need to take classes or really do anything else (talks, reading groups, group projects), life might get hard. And that's not even mentioning the fact that living in a country/city without speaking the language can get very hard very fast. But if you are considering such things, look into Berlin and Amsterdam as well. They have very good people who do their linguistics in English, and those cities might be more tolerant of non-local-language-speakers.
I thought the same thing about France, but he insisted that it will work. Just wanted to verify. Thanks:)
13 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:Canadian schools might be your best option. They actually fund their MA students, unlike US schools. It's fairly common for students to come into the MA program and apply to other PhD programs, no one is going to think twice about it. The top three programs to look at are: Toronto, UBC, McGill. Others: Simon Frasier and Concordia, maybe.
I remembered the Canadian schools all required a BA or at least enough courses taken in Linguistics. I only have a BA in English Language, probably don't have a chance there. About the qualifying year, it will probably be bad if I can't get in their PhD program and have to apply elsewhere because then it will look like I did a qualifying year at school A, was rejected by the proper degree program at school A and then turned to applied to schools B, C and D. Or maybe I'm ignorant?
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Hello fellow grads,
I am an international student trying to apply to MA programs in linguistics.
Background: BA in English (as a second language) from a no-name university in a third world country; not so impressive GPA; GRE V159Q160; TOEFL 115; one writing sample in phonetics
I am mainly looking for schools in the US and the UK because almost all the European (and Canadian) schools I looked at require a BA in linguistics or at least a certain amount of credit points taken in linguistics and I have neither of those. I do intend to go for a PhD eventually, but given my background, I don't think I'm competitive enough just yet. I also don't have an exact research interest yet, so I'm hoping to get enough exposure to different subdisciplines during my MA to help me decide what I want to pursue. Right now I'm leaning towards phonetics/phonology and also wish to maybe get into some neuro stuff, although people have been telling me comp-ling is what will get me employed.
So, I'm still zeroing in on programs. I would probably prefer schools that
1. are in the US (because universities in the States have a better reputation in my home country than universities in the UK and Australia/New Zealand and any Asian universities, and if I need to come back to my home country to look for a job if/when I failed to get into a PhD program, a US school will look better on my CV since HRs here don't care about things like publication or research or GPA other than the name of the school)
2. are located in a city that has a good public transportation system (because I prefer not having to buy a car as an international student on a budget)
3. will give me a boost when I apply to PhD programs
4. will give me exposure to different subdisciplines, especially neuro, hopefully
Right now I'm thinking about Boston, Georgetown, the MAPH at UChicago, and Edinburgh. Among them, UChicago and Edinburgh both have good rankings but both are one-year programs and I'm worried about having to apply to PhD programs only 2-3 months in the MA program (no good recommendations, no grades, no good paper, etc), also the MAPH sounds a bit too intimidating tbh. Does anyone have experiences with any of the schools/programs above?
* Some Canadian schools have things like a qualifying year but if I don't get admitted after the qualifying year will it look bad if I apply elsewhere?
**A friend of mine suggested applying to universities in France although my French is barely conversational. But according to them, linguistics in France is "Anglified" and I will get by before I can speak/read French at a functional level. Please verify?
Thanks for reading!
Any suggestions/advice welcome!
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Hello Linguists,
I am an international student trying to apply to MA programs in linguistics.
Background: BA in English (as a second language) from a no-name university in a third world country; not so impressive GPA; GRE V159Q160; TOEFL 115; one writing sample in phonetics
I am mainly looking for schools in the US and the UK because almost all the European (and Canadian) schools I looked at require a BA in linguistics or at least a certain amount of credit points taken in linguistics and I have neither of those. I do intend to go for a PhD eventually, but given my background, I don't think I'm competitive enough just yet. I also don't have an exact research interest yet, so I'm hoping to get enough exposure to different subdisciplines during my MA to help me decide what I want to pursue. Right now I'm leaning towards phonetics/phonology and also wish to maybe get into some neuro stuff, although people have been telling me comp-ling is what will get me employed.
So, I'm still zeroing in on programs. I would probably prefer schools that
1. are in the US (because universities in the States have a better reputation in my home country than universities in the UK and Australia/New Zealand and any Asian universities, and if I need to come back to my home country to look for a job if/when I failed to get into a PhD program, a US school will look better on my CV since HRs here don't care about things like publication or research or GPA other than the name of the school)
2. are located in a city that has a good public transportation system (because I prefer not having to buy a car as an international student on a budget)
3. will give me a boost when I apply to PhD programs
4. will give me exposure to different subdisciplines, especially neuro, hopefully
Right now I'm thinking about Boston, Georgetown, the MAPH at UChicago, and Edinburgh. Among them, UChicago and Edinburgh both have good rankings but both are one-year programs and I'm worried about having to apply to PhD programs only 2-3 months in the MA program (no good recommendations, no grades, no good paper, etc), also the MAPH sounds a bit too intimidating tbh. Does anyone have experiences with any of the schools/programs above?
*I did read Fuzzylogician's post on lists of MA programs, but I don't think they apply to my situation
** Some Canadian schools have things like a qualifying year but if I don't get admitted after the qualifying year will it look bad if I apply elsewhere?
***A friend of mine suggested applying to universities in France although my French is barely conversational. But according to them, linguistics in France is "Anglified" and I will get by before I can speak/read French at a functional level. Please verify?
Thanks for reading!
Any suggestions/advice welcome!
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Where did you end up going? I thought Purdue no longer has a linguistics department.
Also, could you elaborate on why not going to BU? Because I'm thinking about applying to BU.
MA: BU vs CU Boulder
in Linguistics Forum
Posted
Hello OP,
I'm sort of in the same situation. What are your areas of interests?
How does this happen? If the amount of credits are similar, do you take fewer courses at CU Boulder and more courses at BU each semester? AFAIK BU doesn't seem to operate on the quarter system.
My impression from the BU page is that if you haven't taken some of the intro courses you'll need to make it up during your first semester/year, and if you want to write a master's thesis you're recommended to extend a half year, so that makes it about 2 years? And if CU Boulder has similar regulations, would it make it 2.5 years or 3?