Language Science, B.A.
The B.A. in Language Science provides students with an interdisciplinary foundation in the scientific study of language, including its mental representations, its development and use, and its biological basis.
Students completing the B.A. in Language Science combine interests in theoretical linguistics, language development and use, the advanced study of natural or formal languages, and some combination of neuroscience, psychology, logic, computer science, anthropology, education, and hearing and speech sciences. In the process of relating these interests to the scientific study of language and its applications, students develop an understanding of the analytical tools of formal language study.
Graduates have an interdisciplinary language science background that makes them attractive for a variety of careers, including teaching, language technology industry positions, teaching English as a second language abroad, interpreting and translation, technical writing, language consulting for legal firms and medical practices, and advertising, among many others.
This foundation in formal and applied language science also prepares graduates for graduate and professional programs in any of the areas related to languages science, including speech-language pathology, linguistics, cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, natural language processing, and education.
All students must meet the University Requirements.
All students must meet the School Requirements.
| Core | |
| A. Complete the following: | |
| LSCI 3 | Introduction to Linguistics |
| LSCI 10 | Introduction to Phonology |
| LSCI 20 | Introduction to Syntax |
| LSCI 43 | Introduction to Symbolic Logic |
| LSCI 51 | Acquisition of Language |
| B. Select one of the following two tracks: | |
| 1. Depth track - select two courses from the following: | |
| Topics in Romance Languages | |
| French Phonetics | |
| Structure of Japanese | |
| History of English | |
| Spanish Phonetics | |
| Introduction to Spanish Linguistics | |
| Formal Languages and Automata | |
| Introduction to Set Theory and Mathematical Reasoning | |
| Metalogic | |
| Any "3-level" non-English language course or any advanced level non-English language course. 1, 2 | |
| 2. Breadth track - complete the following: | |
| Two non-English language courses at the 1C level. | |
| Additional Core | |
| C. Select five courses from any linguistics course that is not listed in section A, B, or D, including the courses below. At least three courses must be upper-division: | |
| Languages of the World | |
| Discovering Language | |
| Introduction to Language and Culture | |
| Topics in Logic | |
| Intermediate Phonology | |
| Introduction to Phonetics | |
| Intermediate Syntax | |
| Introduction to Formal Semantics | |
| Undecidability and Incompleteness | |
| Language and the Brain | |
| Improvisation, Language, and Culture | |
| Language and Social Cognition | |
| A 199 course affiliated with the Language Science Program, or a research course, with a minimum 4 unit enrollment requirement. 3 | |
| Specializations | |
| D. Select four courses from the following. Courses must come from at least two of the categories listed below: | |
| I. Theoretical | |
| Special Topics in Phonetics/Phonology | |
| Current Topics in Syntactic Theory | |
| Special Topics in Syntax | |
| Topics in Philosophy of Language | |
| Special Topics in Semantics | |
| Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles | |
| Selected Topics in Spanish Linguistics | |
| II. Behavioral and Neuroscientific | |
| Acquisition of Language II | |
| Bilingual Acquisition | |
| Second Language Acquisition | |
| Special Topics in Psycholinguistics | |
| Language Change, Acquisition, and Complexity | |
| Language Origins: Evolution, Genetics, and the Brain | |
| III. Computational | |
| Computational Methods for Language Research | |
| Special Topics in Computational Linguistics | |
| Compilers and Interpreters | |
| Language Processor Construction | |
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | |
| Applications of Probability in Computer Science | |
| IV. Applied | |
| Hearing | |
| Hearing and the Brain | |
| Diction and Diction and Diction | |
| Teaching English Internationally | |
| Language and Literacy | |
| Microimplants | |
| Speech for the Theatre | |
| Classical Chinese and Classical Chinese and Classical Chinese | |
| Classical Japanese and Classical Japanese | |
- 1
Advanced non-English language courses are those requiring the highest level course in the relevant sequence as a prerequisite.
- 2
May be used more than once. For example, a student could use 3A and 3B to satisfy both courses in section II. In addition, if a student places out of the 3-level in a language, the the Natural/Formal language requirement is satisfied by the courses placed out of.
- 3
May be a research course, whose numbering varies by department. Individual study may count for up to two of the additional core courses if taken for multiple quarters or with multiple faculty members affiliated with Language Science.