Linguistics
Head: Nicole Rosen
Grad Chair: Verónica Loureiro-Rodríguez
Campus Address/General Office: 534 Fletcher Argue Building
Telephone: 204-474-9596
Email Address: linguistics@umanitoba.ca
Website: umanitoba.ca/arts/linguistics
Academic Staff: Please refer to the Linguistics website for current staff listing. 

Linguistics Program Information

The Department of Linguistics offers individualized and flexible graduate programs leading to both the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Admission Information

Admission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Application and Admission Procedures are found in the Academic Guide.

Admission requirements for Master’s students are found in the Master’s Degrees General Regulations section of the Guide.

Linguistics M.A. Admission Requirements

The M.A. program in Linguistics is strongly research-oriented; admission decisions are, therefore, based only in part on the applicant’s academic record; the department’s resources and interests also play an important role. A four-year B.A. in linguistics is the normal preparation for the M.A. program. Students without such preparation may be required to complete the Pre-Master’s year first.

Pre-Master's Option

This unit offers a Pre-Master’s program of study. The Pre-Master’s program of study is intended to bring a student’s background up to the equivalent of the required 4-year degree in the major department/unit, and to provide the student with any necessary prerequisites for courses to be taken in the Master’s program. Completing the Pre-Master’s program does not guarantee acceptance to the Master’s program.

Application Information

Students should complete and submit their online application with supporting documentation by the date indicated on the Linguistics M.A. program of study page.

Degree Requirements

Thesis Route: Students are required to take 18 credit hours of coursework at the graduate level, including Field Methods (LING 7650), Phonology (LING 7550), and Syntax (LING 7630). The remaining courses (9 credit hours) may be taken in either linguistics or related disciplines, subject to approval by the department’s graduate committee. In certain cases the graduate committee may require the student to take additional courses. Students are encouraged to complete their coursework by the end of the first year of the program. M.A. candidates must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. In addition to coursework and the language reading requirement, students must complete and successfully defend a thesis.

Coursework Route: Students in the course-based route will complete 24 credit hours of coursework, including at least 18 credit hours at the 7000 level or above, with the balance of the coursework at the 3000 level or above. Except in special cases approved by the Committee, programs will include LING 7550, LING 7630, LING 7650, and LING 7680. A student’s program may include up to 3 credit hours in a field other than Linguistics, subject to approval by the Departmental Committee.

Second Language Reading Requirement: Yes

Expected Time to Graduate: 2 years

Progression Chart

Thesis program

Notes:

• Students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language.
• Students must propose, write, and defend an original thesis.

coursework program

Notes:

• Students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language
• Students in the course-based route demonstrate mastery of their field by meeting the expected standard of performance in their coursework (see section 2.4). There are no comprehensive exams.

Registration Information

Students should familiarize themselves with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies ‘GRAD’ courses applicable to their program. If you have questions about which GRAD course(s) to register in, please consult your home department/unit.

Students must meet with their program advisor/thesis supervisor to determine course load. These courses must be approved by the department’s Graduate Committee. All course additions and withdrawals (registration revisions) must be approved in the same manner.

Regulations

Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.

Supplementary Regulations

Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations. 

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.

All students must successfully complete:

• GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to the student’s research or within the student’s first year, whichever comes first; and
• GRAD 7500 within the first term of registration;

unless these courses have been completed previously, as per Mandatory Academic Integrity Course and Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course.

Students must also meet additional BFAR requirements that may be specified for their program.

General Regulations

All students must:

• maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
• meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
• meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).

Courses

Linguistics