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Jan 27, 2026
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2025-2026 University Catalog
Linguistics, MA
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 Return to: Graduate Degrees
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About the Program
Purdue’s Department of Linguistics offers a wide range of courses leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. M.A. and Ph.D. curricula encourage students to tailor their linguistics studies to their interdisciplinary interests. The department offers a thorough grounding in the foundations of linguistics and opportunities to develop research and teaching skills, while also allowing students to specialize in an area of interest. One of the main strengths of the department is the analysis of bilingual language systems. The department provides advanced training in the analysis and characterization of the linguistic and psycholinguistic development of bilingualism, broadly construed, in young children and adults. How does the bilingual mind process, develop, and maintain multiple linguistic systems? What characteristics do these systems have and why; how do they affect each other and relate to each other in the lifespan of bilingual speakers? What tools can be used to assess the degree of language acquisition and to facilitate language learning? These are vital questions in current linguistics research and the Purdue Department of Linguistics is uniquely situated to address them. Master’s students can pursue a thesis or non-thesis option. See below for each set of requirements. Program Website Program Requirements - Thesis & Non-thesis
30 Credits RequiredRequired Courses (24-30 credits)
Core Courses (18 credits)
Area Specific Courses (6-12 credits)
The area specific requirement refers to courses specific to language areas or courses related to the student’s sub-concentration at the 500/600 level (Language Acquisition, Bilingualism, Pragmatics, Semantics, etc.). These courses must be selected with the advice and guidance of the student’s major professor. Thesis MA students must take 6 credits and non-thesis MA students must take 12 credits in area specific courses. See requirements for each specific area listed below. Thesis Research (6 credits)
Only required for thesis MA students. Please note that an MA thesis is required in order to be considered for admission into the PhD program. Students admitted into the MA/PhD track must complete an MA thesis during the first two years of residence in order to continue to the PhD portion of the program. Additional Requirements
Students in the MA program must demonstrate proficiency in one natural language other than English. Proficiency may be established in any of the following ways: a. By passing the fourth semester course of a regular language sequence at Purdue with a grade of ‘C’ or higher or the equivalent transferred from another institution of higher education.
b. By passing the appropriate 60300 or 60500 course at Purdue with a grade of ‘C’ or higher (for those languages in which these courses are available).
c. By satisfying the foreign language requirement at another graduate school and transferring the record to Purdue.
d. By examination (for those languages in which an examination is available).
e. By scoring 600 or more on an Educational Testing Service Graduate School Foreign Language Test (for languages where these tests are available).
f. By being a native speaker of the language (with appropriate documentation as required by the Graduate School). Note: Courses taken in the process of satisfying (a) and (b) above cannot be used on the Plan of Study. Linguistic Selectives (xx credits)
Concentrations
Departmental concentrations: - French Linguistics
- German Linguistics
- Japanese Linguistics
- Spanish Linguistics
- Teaching English as a Second Language
Interdisciplinary concentrations: GPA Requirements
Students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4-point scale) in their coursework. Those who fail to maintain the minimum cumulative average for two consecutive semesters will likely be dropped from the program. Satisfactory progress is reviewed each semester; students failing to make satisfactory progress will receive written notification from the Director of Graduate Studies. Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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Return to: Graduate Degrees
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