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The M.A. degree is intended to provide students with a solid background in core areas of linguistic research, exposure to the various subfields constituting the discipline as a whole, and greater depth in two areas of interest. It will prepare students to continue in Ph.D. programs in Linguistics (at UGA or elsewhere) or for employment in fields where a master’s degree in Linguistics is one of the desired qualifications. Students must fulfill all requirements of the Graduate School for the M.A. degree, including the residence requirement and time limits (see the Graduate Bulletin). (The requirements below go into effect in Fall 2012. For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2012, click here for the old M.A. requirements. Students who matriculated earlier but who have not completed their degrees before Fall 2012 may choose to follow either the old or new degree requirements.) Degree requirements A. Coursework Students are required to take 30 hours of regular coursework (10 courses, to include LING 7300 Master’s Thesis) plus a 1-hour Proseminar in Linguistics (LING 8100, graded S/U, to be taken in the first semester) and at least two hours of Linguistics Colloquium (LING 8101, graded S/U). Any particular course requirement may be waived for students who have had an equivalent course at the graduate level at another university. Any such waiver will not reduce the total number of courses required for the degree; students will take additional elective courses instead of the courses that would have satisfied any waived requirements. Required courses: (a) LING 8100 Proseminar (1 hour, S/U, offered Fall semester only) (b) LING 6021 Phonetics & Phonology (c) LING 8150 Syntax (d) One of the following courses (formal linguistic theory):
(e) One of the following courses (language acquisition, variation, and change):
(f) LING 8101 Linguistics Colloquium (2 hours, S/U, offered Spring semester only) (g) LING 7300 Master’s Thesis (3 hours) Students should take all required courses listed in (a)-(e) above during the first year of study, if possible. Elective courses: Primary and secondary areas of concentration: The program of study must include at least 12 hours of courses open only to graduate students (exclusive of 7000 and 7300). B. Other degree requirements 1. Research skills M.A. students must achieve one research skill from the list in the Linguistics Graduate Student Handbook. Courses taken to satisfy this requirement cannot be counted among the courses on the student's Program of Study if they are undergraduate courses. 2. M.A. Thesis In consultation with the major professor and the other members of the student's M.A. Advisory Committee the student will prepare a thesis proposal. Normally the proposal should be submitted no later than the term in which the student is to complete course requirements. Upon approval of the proposal by the Advisory Committee, the student will prepare a thesis. The thesis is a formal research paper normally about 50 pages in length. It may be an expansion of a research paper prepared by the student for a course. The thesis should not emphasize topics that only peripherally demonstrate the student's linguistic abilities, or topics that involve mechanical skills such as segmentation or classification. The thesis should demonstrate the student's knowledge of linguistic theory and ability to deal with problems that arise in the application of linguistic theory. Previous linguistics M.A. theses of the department are available for students’ consideration. Students must present a bound copy of the completed thesis to the Linguistics Program. Theses and dissertations will be submitted electronically to the Graduate School. Consult the UGA Graduate School Policies and Procedures regarding electronic theses and dissertations. When the student and major professor agree that the thesis is complete, it must be circulated to the other members of the Advisory Committee at least three weeks before the date of the defense. The defense itself must be scheduled at least one week before the deadline for submission of the completed thesis to the Graduate School prior to graduation. 3. Final examination The final examination will consist of an oral defense of the thesis, together with an oral examination on the program of study. The combined defense/oral exam will last approximately 90 minutes. The student’s committee will administer and evaluate the examination on the scale High Pass/Pass/Fail. Two passing votes are required to pass the exam. Students who fail the exam may retake it once, no sooner than two weeks after the first attempt but within one additional semester. Students who fail the exam a second time will be dismissed from the program. For additional information, consult the Linguistics Program Graduate Handbook. Change of Degree Objective to Ph.D. Students may petition to move from the M.A. program to the Ph.D. program, without completing the M.A. degree. Students must submit an application for change of degree objective and three letters of recommendation from Linguistics faculty members that address the student's readiness for doctoral study. Applications for a change in degree objective should be submitted according to the same deadlines as applications for graduate study (i.e., by January 1 for a change of degree objective effective for the following Fall term) in order for the student to receive full consideration for assistantships. Students whose petitions are approved will be subject to the requirements of the 45 semester hour Ph.D. program. Students who choose to complete the M.A. degree may apply for admission to the Ph.D. program according to the same procedures and deadlines as new applications for graduate study. Students who complete the M.A. degree at UGA and who are accepted for the Ph.D. program must complete at least 30 semester hours of additional coursework. Courses counted for the M.A. degree may not be included on the Ph.D. Program of Study.
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