Admissions

Prospective students should contact the Graduate School for full information about graduate admission. A Graduate Application for Admission must be completed and submitted to the Graduate School by the deadlines below. In addition, prospective students should contact the English department graduate director, Ann Blakeslee at (734) 487-1494 or by e-mail at ann.blakeslee@emich.edu for additional requirements of the English department.

In addition to the Graduate School degree admission requirements, the department stipulates the following:

1. At least 24 hours of undergraduate English, excluding freshman composition, and a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants not meeting these standards may apply for conditional admission.
2. Non-native speakers of English must have a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 570 or a 90 on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), and pass the Test of Written English (TWE) with a minimum score of 5. Students with TWE scores below 5 will be denied admission; students with TOEFL scores lower than 570 can be considered for conditional admission, but must attain a score of 570 by the end of the first semester of enrollment.
3. GRE general test scores are recommended, but not required.

Information for international graduate students

Important dates for Application

Degree Requirements: Master of Arts in English with Concentration in English Linguistics

1. A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work in a program of study approved by the coordinator of graduate studies, with a GPA of at least 3.0.
2. One of the following: a master's thesis or comprehensive exams in three major research areas. The thesis topic and design are developed by the candidate with the advice of a departmental faculty member. The thesis must be submitted for the approval of the directing committee.
3. Demonstrate an analytic sense of the nature of language as medium, subject and investigative means, by complying with one of the following requirements:
   1. Complete two years of study of a foreign language at the undergraduate level (e.g., a minimum of four courses in the same foreign language, that cover grammar, composition and reading, with grades of C or better), or give evidence of equivalent mastery. "Equivalent mastery" can be demonstrated by completing a fourth-semester college course, or by qualifying by examination for enrollment in a more advanced course. The Foreign Language Department administers placement exams through the Instructional Support Center. It will evaluate the results of the examination according to our requirements. (The 600-level courses offered by EMU's Foreign Language Department are actually versions of the first-year undergraduate sequence, and therefore do not meet the requirement of two years' study.) If students are culturally bilingual in English and another language, they must demonstrate that they have undergone formal study of the other language in one of the ways described above.
   2. Complete six credit hours of 400- or 500-level linguistics (LING) courses. These may be taken as part of an undergraduate degree if the student earns a grade of B or better.
   3. Complete six credit hours of graduate credit in philologically oriented courses in early English language and literature chosen from the following list:
      
      LING 421 The History of the English Language
      LING 506 Introduction to Old English
      LITR 512 Middle English Literature
      LITR 520 Old English Poetry
      LITR 530 Studies in Chaucer

If taken as graduate credit, these six hours in option b or c may count toward the 30-hour degree requirement if they meet specific program requirements. Students may petition the Graduate Committee for another option if they believe they have special circumstances that meet the spirit of this requirement within the context of their programs of study.

Details of the language requirement are specified on the individual program of study. Lists of appropriate courses, and definitions of equivalency for native speakers, non-native speakers, and culturally bilingual students, are presented in department guidelines.

NOTE: Advanced 400-level undergraduate courses are also available to graduate students. A maximum of nine hours of approved 400-level course work may count toward any graduate degree.

Students must submit a request form from the Graduate School to enroll in an advanced 400-level undergraduate course for graduate credit.

Objectives

Linguistics is the scientific study of how languages are learned, processed, used and structured; it investigates why and how languages change, and what status they have in social life. Linguistics is important to social and cognitive psychology, native and foreign language teaching at all levels, artificial intelligence and computer science, communications, sociology and anthropology, and historical accounts of human civilization. Linguists work in colleges and universities, in language instruction and educational planning, in the communications industries (including publishing), in translation services and in cross-cultural business and government agencies.

Program Requirements

Students must complete those parts of the LING 401-420-425 sequence that were not a part of their undergraduate work. Graduate credit may be given for these courses.

In addition, each candidate must complete a thesis (LING 692) or a comprehensive examination, including questions from general linguistics and specialized area(s) chosen by the candidate.

Course Requirements

Restricted electives: 18 hours

Select six of the following courses:

LING 501 Current Trends in Linguistics (3)

LING 502 History of Linguistics (3)

LING 510 Historical and Comparative Linguistics (3)

LING 525 Advanced Syntax (3)

LING 531 Semantics: The Study of Meaning (3)

LING 532 Sociolinguistics (3)

LING 533 General Psycholinguistics (3)

LING 534 Advanced Phonology (3)

LING 535 Discourse Analysis (3)

LING 536 Typology and Universals of Language (3)

LING 592 Special Topics (3) (with adviser's approval)

Electives: 12 hours

Thesis plan students will take three of these hours in LING 692 Thesis.

Suggested areas include anthropology, composition and rhetoric, linguistics courses not taken above, literature (particularly the early periods), mathematics and computer science, psychology, reading, sociology, speech and hearing science, and TESOL.

Total: 30 hours

TESOL Program

Students interested in practical applications of English linguistics are also advised to consult the master of arts program in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Bilingual Studies.

Funding

The linguistics programs at EMU offers many opportunities for funding of graduate students through several program projects and the English department. Graduate students may hold graduate assistantships with the LINGUIST List, the E-MELD project, teaching LING 201, and the Writing Center. Additional funding (various scholarships, University Fellowships, distinguished awards) is available through the Graduate School. All funding must be applied for through the graduate school and, in the case of graduate assistantship, accompanied by an application to the English department. Please note that the graduate school deadline for many scholarships is February 15th for the following academic year. Graduate Assistantships can be applied for through the Graduate School at any time before the academic year begins, however, the English Department (and thus the linguistics program) positions are competitive and are often filled early. It is recommended that students seeking a graduate assistantship within the English Department turn it in to the department by February 15th.

Contact

For more information, contact:

T. Daniel Seely, Linguistics Graduate Program Advisor
612D Pray-Harrold
Department of English
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Email: tseely@emich.edu
Phone: 734-487-0145