Linguistics Major: Sample 4-Year Plan

The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester.

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Sample Four Year Plan: Linguistics (BA/BS)

Semester 1

- TRU 120: First Year Seminar (3 cr)
- LING 198: New Majors Seminar (1 cr)
- LING 238: Intro to Linguistics (3 cr)
- Elementary Foreign Language I (3 cr)
- ENG 190: Writing as Critical Thinking (3 cr), OR COMM 170: Public Speaking (3 cr)

Semester 2

- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (if offered and of interest) (1-3 cr)
- Elementary Foreign Language II (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (6-9 cr)

Semester 3

- STAT 190: Basic Statistics (3 cr)
- Intermediate Foreign Language I (BA) (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)

 

Choose One Course:
- LING 315: Structure and History of Romance Languages (4 cr), OR
- LING 318: Structure and History of English (4 cr), OR
- LING 319: Structure and History of a Language or Language Family (4 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

Semester 4

- LING 430: Syntax (4 cr), OR LING 432: Phonetics and Phonology (4 cr), OR LING 433: Semantics and Pragmatics (4 cr)
- Intermediate Foreign Language II (BA) (3 cr)
- BS Requirement course (BS) (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)

 

Choose One Course: (if needed)
- LING 315: Structure and History of Romance Languages (4 cr), OR
- LING 318: Structure and History of English (4 cr), OR
- LING 319: Structure and History of a Language or Language Family (4 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

Semester 5

- LING 398: Linguistics Mid-Major Seminar (1 cr)
- LING 430: Syntax (4 cr), OR LING 432: Phonetics and Phonology (4 cr), OR LING 433: Semantics and Pragmatics (4 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)
- JINS 3XX: WE/____________ (3 cr)
- BS Requirement Course (BS) (3 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

Semester 6

- LING 414: WE/Language and the Mind (4 cr)
- LING 430: Syntax (4 cr), OR LING 432: Phonetics and Phonology (4 cr), OR LING 433: Semantics and Pragmatics (4 cr) (if needed)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

Semester 7

- LING 430: Syntax (4 cr), OR LING 432: Phonetics and Phonology (4 cr), OR LING 433: Semantics and Pragmatics (4 cr) (if needed)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (6 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

Semester 8

- LING 498: WE/Linguistics Capstone Seminar (1 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (9 cr)

 

Choose Elective/Sociolinguistics Course:
- LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr), OR
- LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr), OR
- LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), OR
- LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), OR
- LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr)

 


NOTES:

  • LING 414: WE/Language and the Mind (4 cr) is offered once every three semesters.
  • Topics courses LING 224: Topics in Linguistics (1-3 cr) and LING 413: Advanced Linguistics: Topics (1-4 cr) are offered regularly as various subjects.
  • Core Areas of Analysis course options include LING 430: Syntax (4 cr), LING 431: Morphology (4 cr), LING 432: Phonetics and Phonology (4 cr), and LING 433: Semantics and Pragmatics (4 cr). Two of these courses are required for graduation. 
  • Structure and History of Language course options include LING 315: Structure and History of Romance Languages (4 cr), LING 318: Structure and History of English (4 cr), and LING 319: Structure and History of a Language or Language Family (4 cr). One of these courses is required for graduation.
  • Research on Language in Use course options include CML 308: Principles of Second Language Teaching (3 cr), LING 308: WE/Principles of Second Language Teaching (4 cr), LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), and LING 414: WE/Language and the Mind (4 cr).
  • Courses taught by Ofstad Scholars are generally 1-2 credit hour courses on special topics that will not recur during a student's time at Truman. Incoming students should check to see if these courses have prerequisites and/or would be appropriate for a student just beginning linguistic study.
  • Elective course options include approximately 20 courses including ENG 419: WE/Linguistics and Literary Criticism (4 cr), SPAN 503: Topics in Hispanic Linguistics (3 cr), GERM 432: Grimms' Maerchen and German Dialectology (3 cr), FREN 425: Phonology and Advanced Grammar (3 cr), and LING 520: ESOL Assessment Strategies for K-12 Learners (3 cr), among others.
  • One of the sociolinguistics family of courses – LING 324: WE/Sociolinguistics (4 cr), LING 325: WE/Language and Gender (4 cr), and LING 326: WE/Language and Ethnicity (4 cr) – are not required for the Linguistics BA or BS but highly recommended and can be used as an elective.
  • WE = Writing Enhanced course
  • If you have not completed the Civics Exam, we recommend doing so in your first year.
  • Truman students are required to complete a Portfolio to graduate. We recommend starting to compile your work for the Portfolio sooner than later.
  • Students must complete their Application to Graduate the semester prior to graduating. Apply to graduate through TruView.
  • Graduating seniors need to complete their seniors test and questionnaire. We recommend reviewing the Assessment & Testing page to plan accordingly.
  • The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.

Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above. Rev. 8-5-24

This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman's Official Catalog.

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