Linguistics Major

Requirements for the Major

Students majoring in linguistics are required to study three of the four core divisions of the field (Phonetics/Phonology, Syntax, Semantics and/or Sociolinguistics) and in addition to take a range of courses dealing with the variety of languages and variation within a language. There is also a cognitive science major offered through Pomona College. For more information see the online catalog for the Linguistics and Cognitive Science Department at Pomona. Majors are required to take:

• LGCS 010 PZ 
• A basic upper-division course in three out of the four core areas-LGCS 108 PO -Phonology  or LGCS 109 PO -Morphology , LGCS 105 PO -Syntax , LGCS 106 PO -Semantics  and/or LGCS 112 PZ -Language in Society .
• A course that looks at one language in depth or compares several languages. Sample courses that could fill this requirement include: LGCS 125 PO -Field Methods in Linguistics , ENGL 085 PO -History of the English Language  LGCS 101 PO -Comparative and Historical Linguistics , Spanish Linguistics, etc.
• At least three other linguistics courses.
• (a) At least two years of a foreign language or (b) the equivalent in demonstrated competence.
• LGCS 191 PZ -Senior Thesis . Students must have the approval of the faculty member they want to work with by the spring semester of the junior year. Alternatively, students may take a Comprehensive Exam (given at the end of the senior year), or substitute some other type of project, in consultation with the faculty advisor.

*Note: In the 5-College Course Schedule, Linguistics courses are listed as “LGCS” (Linguistics and Cognitive Science)