Linguistics Major - Language and Society

• Completion of 12 upper division courses with C- or better (exception: up to four units of LIGN 199 taken for pass/no pass may count towards the major. In order to satisfy the upper-division course requirements, students who enroll in LIGN 199 for just two units are advised to enroll for another two units in a subsequent quarter.)
• At least 6 of the 12 major courses must be taken in residence at UC San Diego.

All Linguistics Majors must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language by one of the following:

1. pass a reading proficiency exam and oral interview administered by the Linguistics department in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Tagalog, Portuguese, Vietnamese, or American Sign Language. It may be possible to take a proficiency exam in a language other than these.
2. earn a C- or higher in a course given at UC San Diego representing the fourth quarter of instruction in any foreign language.
3. score 4 or higher on the Advanced Placement (AP) exam in a foreign language.

Students should consult with the Linguistics Department's Undergraduate Advisors (linginfo-g@ucsd.edu) about this requirement.

Students with native language competence in a language other than English may petition to have English count as satisfying the proficiency requirement.

6 core linguistics courses:

LIGN 101: Introduction to the Study of Language
LIGN 110: Phonetics
LIGN 111: Phonology
LIGN 120: Morphology
LIGN 121: Syntax
LIGN 130: Semantics

Students are advised to take these classes as early as possible, especially LIGN101, which is a prerequisite for most linguistics classes. LIGN110 is required for LIGN111, and LIGN111 and LIGN121 are recommended for LIGN120.

View a complete list of Linguistics courses. 

1 course in sociolinguistics chosen from:

• LIGN 174: Gender and Language in Society
• LIGN 175: Sociolinguistics
• LIGN 177: Multilingualism
• LIGN 178: Spanish Sociolinguistics

3 additional linguistics electives

Can be any upper-division Linguistics course. Recommended courses:

• LIGN 174: Gender and Language in Society
• LIGN 175: Sociolinguistics
• LIGN 176: Language of Politics and Advertising
• LIGN 177: Multilingualism

2 courses from other departments, chosen from the approved list:

Please check to see if there are prerequisites for these classes.

Anthropology

• ANSC 118: Language and Culture
• ANSC 122: Language in Society
• ANSC 162: Language, Identity, and Community

Communication

• COMM 100B: Interpretive Strategies
• COMM 110P: Language, Literacy, and Communication: Language and Human Communication
• COMM 110T: Language, Literacy, and Communication: Language, Thought, and Media
• COMM 112G: Interaction and Mediation: Language and Globalization
• COMM 168: Bilingual Communication
• COMM 169: Deaf Culture in the U.S.

Ethnic Studies

• ETHN 140: Language and American Ethnicity
• ETHN 141: Language, Culture, and Inequality
• ETHN 144: Bilingual Communities in the USA

Sociology

• SOCI 117/EDS 117: Language, Culture, and Education
• SOCI 118E: Sociology of Language
• SOCI 120T: Special Topics in Culture, Language, and Social Interaction

Education Studies

• EDS 117/SOCI 117: Language, Culture, and Education
• EDS 125: History, Politics, and Theory of Bilingual Education