Suggestions: General Linguistics MAs in the US?

[Baloch]

Hello Linguists! 

 

 

Can anyone suggest comprehensive taught general linguistics MA programs in the US? 

 

Thanks

[fuzzylogician]

Hi Baloch, I think you are not getting any answers because there aren't really many taught MAs in the US that are funded. A couple of programs that do come to mind are the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and the University of Chicago.

 

One option is to look outside the US, if that is something you are willing to consider. Here are some schools outside the US that have good MAs that would prepare you for a PhD in the US, many of which have at least some funding options (concentrating more on programs with a strong syntax/semantics background, because that's what I know more about): 

 

- Canadian schools: University of Toronto, McGill, UBC (look into the "qualifying year" as well as into the Masters), possibly also U of Ottawa, Simon Frasier U, Concordia.

- Dutch schools: ILLC in Amsterdam, Leiden, 

- UK schools: UCL, Queen Mary, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Oxford (funding options vary)

- Asian schools: Hong Kong (PolyU, CUHK, City U), Singapore (NUS, Nanyang)

- German schools: Tuebingen, Potsdam, Leipzig (look into DAAD funding)

- Russian schools: the funded Masters at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow

[rainbowpink]

I was offered a teaching assistantship both at the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee when I applied for my MA. Programs that offer both MA and PhD typically prioritize funding PhD students, but unless they explicitly say that they do not offer any funding to MA students I don't think it would hurt to apply there. For example, Michigan State's site says, "A large majority of our Ph.D. students are funded. A few of our M.A. students are as well."

 

I would definitely recommend the Canadian schools though (listed in fuzzylogician's post). As far as I know, the system is about the same as US schools.

 

A couple of programs that do come to mind are the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and the University of Chicago.

 

UChicago no longer has a terminal MA program in linguistics. Well, I said "no longer" but I'm actually don't know about the history of the program, i.e., if the MA from there is just part of the BA/MA program that their website mentions.

https://linguistics.uchicago.edu/graduate-program/masters

[Aux22]

I'm currently also looking into MA's for linguistics. I was looking at McGill a little since the program is funded. Does anyone know if not knowing French would be an issue?

[fuzzylogician]

I'm currently also looking into MA's for linguistics. I was looking at McGill a little since the program is funded. Does anyone know if not knowing French would be an issue?

 

The program is taught in English, no French required. Knowing French in Montreal is useful but not necessary. You can absolutely get by just with English. 

[Ziggyfinish]

- Canadian schools: University of Toronto, McGill, UBC (look into the "qualifying year" as well as into the Masters), possibly also U of Ottawa, Simon Frasier U, Concordia.

 

Concordia University does not have a Masters program in Linguistics, although University of Montréal and UQAM do, however, those programs would be offered in French.

[fuzzylogician]

Concordia University does not have a Masters program in Linguistics, although University of Montréal and UQAM do, however, those programs would be offered in French.

You can do an "individualized program" in linguistics. Not that I am necessarily arguing that this is the best option for anyone, but it does exist. I know people who are doing it.