Admission and degree requirements

Admission requirements and procedures

Applicants for the MA with a major in linguistics complete two parts. The applicant first files an application with the Toulouse Graduate School (available on the UNT Graduate School web site). The applicant then submits the following to the Department of Linguistics:

• a 300–500 word personal statement describing the applicant’s interests, career plans and purpose in working toward an MA;
• a sample research paper;
• three letters of recommendation; and
• a current vita or resume.

To be eligible for admission to the MA with a major in linguistics , applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of undergraduate semester credit hours prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree or a 2.8 GPA on all undergraduate work. Applicants whose native language is not English must also submit a score on the TOEFL or IELTS examination. Competitive scores on the Internet-based TOEFL examination are in the range of 88 and above and on the IELTS 6.5 and above. The department conducts a holistic review of all application materials and does not decline students based solely on a single low test score.

Financial support

Beginning full-time students who meet all qualifications may apply for financial assistance from the UNT office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships; In addition, beginning and continuing students may apply for financial assistance from the Department of Linguistics. This assistance can be in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships or research assistantships. The positions are competitive and awarded through an application process. Information regarding departmental assistantships may be requested from the Department of Linguistics web site.

Foreign language requirement

All candidates pursuing a master’s degree in linguistics must have a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language. As evidence of such foreign language, a student may present the results of a standardized examination or have completed the sophomore year of a foreign language, or the equivalent, provided that the grade point average on all language courses is 2.75 or higher. Students must meet the foreign language requirement before completing their last semester.

Degree plan requirement

Students are required to file a degree plan during the second semester of graduate work toward the master’s degree. Students should meet with an advisor to file their degree plan as soon as possible after the registration period during their second semester’s work.

Application checklist

Applicants should send the following materials directly to the Toulouse Graduate School:

1. A completed graduate application form with the intended major indicated in the appropriate blank.
2. (Optional) official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores sent from the Educational Testing Service.
3. Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS examination for students whose native language is not English.
4. Official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate academic work.

Applicants for the MA with a major in linguistics should send the following materials directly to the College of Information advising office:

1. a 300–500 word personal statement describing the applicant’s interests, career plans and purpose in working toward an MA;
2. a sample research paper;
3. three letters of recommendation; and
4. a current vita or resume.

Degree requirements

The MA with a major in linguistics with a concentration in English as a Second Language (ESL) is a 36-hour program. Course requirements include 12 hours of core courses, 24 hours of foundation courses (12 of the 24 foundation hours are specific to the concentration and required). Students who elect to write a thesis will take 6 hours of thesis (LING 5950 ).