Based out of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University is an esteemed Ivy League school that enjoys a reputation for producing world-class scholars and leaders in many academic disciplines. Its PhD program in linguistics is highly respected—and consequently, admission to the program is highly competitive. As of February 2010, Yale's linguistics program offered fields of concentration including: African linguistics, brain and language, computational linguistics, experimental linguistics, historical linguistics, language and cognition, morphology theory, phonological theory, semantics and pragmatics, and theoretical syntax. Though it does not confer a terminal MA, Yale does accept some PhD-track students who have not yet acquired a master's degree, as long as their background is satisfactory. Similarly, it is expected that prospective students have mastery of one (and often more) languages, including French and German. Completion of the curriculum includes two language examinations, a portfolio presentation, and ample coursework in areas including phonetics, phonology, syntax, and historical linguistics. In addition, all PhD students in the program serve as instructors as part of their teaching fellowships, which is also an important component of their academic funding.
Yale University
Department of Linguistics
370 Temple Street, Room 204
PO Box 208366
New Haven, CT 06520-8366
www.ling.yale.edu
Boasting a reputation as the oldest linguistics department in the United States, the University of Chicago has been educating aspiring linguists since the 1930s. This program emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary study, encouraging graduate students to take courses across departments. Though the institution places a strong emphasis on producing research as early into the program as possible, the background of each entering student is varied—some students have master's degrees in linguistics, while others have strong undergraduate backgrounds in related areas like mathematics or philosophy. The PhD program is laid out as five years of intensive study, with three or four years of coursework including classes like Phonological Analysis, Syntactic Analysis, and Semantics and Pragmatics. In addition to this coursework, students are required to produce qualifying papers, as well as demonstrate proficiency in two languages. The program culminates in the defense of a dissertation. The University of Chicago also offers joint PhD programs, which link the linguistics program with related fields like anthropology, psychology, and philosophy.
Department of Linguistics
1010 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 702-8522
linguistics.uchicago.edu
Located in Western Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh's linguistics program offers a PhD as well as an MA-PhD track. Faculty members at this institution include specialists in phonetics/phonology, sociolinguistics, Hispanic linguistics, and descriptive linguistics—prospective applicants are advised to consider that Pitt only accepts students whose specializations match that of the faculty. The fulfillment of the PhD program includes at least 72 credits (including MA coursework), proficiency in two foreign languages (including French, German, Spanish, or Russian), a comprehensive exam, and defense of a dissertation. Because of the limited number of applicants it accepts, the University of Pittsburgh's linguistics program offers several teaching assistantships and fellowships to incoming graduate students.
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Linguistics
2816 Cathedral of Learning
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 624-5900
linguistics.pitt.edu