The department website now shows the new course requirements for the MA and PhD. I’m pasting the old requirements here for historical reference and as a reminder for those of you who opted for this course path.

PhD Course Requirements – Linguistics Stream

Programs are individually planned at the time of registration; all programs must be approved by the Graduate Advisor. This section outlines the core course requirements for the Ph.D.

• Credit requirement: There are no credit requirements for the Ph.D. See the website of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
• Core course requirement: The Linguistics stream of the Ph.D. program minimally requires the following courses or equivalents:
  • LING 508: Phonetic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 510: Phonological Theory and Analysis
  • LING 518: Advanced Research Seminar
  • LING 520: Syntactic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 525: Semantic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 531: Field Methods in Linguistics I (“LING 431: Field Methods I” may replace LING 531)
  • LING 532: Field Methods in Linguistics II (“LING 432: Field Methods II” may replace LING 532)
• Advanced seminar requirement: The Department offers 2-section sequences of the seminar level course LING 530: Linguistic Problems in a Special Area. The Linguistics stream of the Ph.D. program minimally requires the completion of two such sequences, that is, four (3-credit) sections of LING 530. In addition, any student who has completed the core course requirements and has not yet been admitted to candidacy must enrol in a section of LING 530.
• The default course sequence would be as follows:
  • Term 1: LING 510, LING 520, LING 531
  • Term 2: LING 508, LING 525, LING 532
  • Term 3: LING 530*, _LING 530**_, LING 518 (LING 518 is normally taught over two terms)
  • Term 4: LING 530*, _LING 530**_, LING 518

Term 3 and 4 sections of LING 530* will be coordinated; term 3 and 4 sections of LING 530** will be coordinated. First-year graduate students who do not have sufficient background for the first-year graduate courses would be expected to take appropriate undergraduate courses (e.g. LING 300, LING 311, LING 316, LING 327) prior to registration in the graduate courses.

Course Requirements – Cognitive Systems (COGS) Stream

The Cognitive Systems stream of the Ph.D. program affords students the opportunity to work collaboratively across more than one discipline. Therefore, program planning is carried out in consultation with the Graduate Advisor and the prospective research faculty member(s) who will (co-)supervise the student (this will happen AFTER the student has been accepted to UBC but prior to registering in the COGS program per se; there is no need for prospective applicants to consult with possible research supervisors). This section outlines the core course requirements for the Ph.D.  ***Note: These are the “old” requirements; as of Fall 2016, there is a new set of course requirements. We’ll be updating this content shortly.***

• Credit requirement: There are no credit requirements for the Ph.D. See the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
• Core course requirement: The COGS stream of the Ph.D. program minimally requires the following courses or equivalents, which are the same as for the M.A. in Linguistics:
  • LING 508: Phonetic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 510: Phonological Theory and Analysis
  • LING 518: Advanced Research Seminar
  • LING 520: Syntactic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 525: Semantic Theory and Analysis
  • LING 531: Field Methods in Linguistics I (“LING 431: Field Methods I” may replace LING 531)
• Advanced seminar requirement: The Department offers 2-section sequences of the seminar level course LING 530: Linguistic Problems in a Special Area. The COGS stream of the Ph.D. program minimally requires the completion of one such sequence, that is, two (3-credit) sections of LING 530.
• In addition to courses and seminars within the Linguistics Department, students in the COGS stream may be required by their supervisory committees to take additional courses or seminars relevant to their specific research topics.

Master of Arts: Thesis and non-thesis options

Normally, students enroll for an M.A. with thesis, but exceptionally, the Department can grant an M.A. without thesis. Students interested in linguistic research are strongly encouraged to enroll in the program for an M.A. with thesis.

• Tentative selection of the thesis or non-thesis option is made at initial enrollment; final selection must be made before April 30 of the first year of enrollment. If a student wishes to select the non-thesis option, a request must be made in writing.
• The program of M.A. with thesis requires a minimum of thirty (30) credits of course work. Of the thirty, a minimum of eighteen (18) credits must be at the 500 level and six (6) must be for the thesis.
• The program of M.A. without thesis requires a minimum of thirty (30) credits of course work. Of the thirty, a minimum of twenty-four (24) credits must be at the 500 level. In addition to the 30 credits, a major essay and a comprehensive examination are required. (See Comprehensive examination for M.A. without thesis below.)

Course Requirements

Programs are individually planned at the time of registration; all programs must be approved by the Graduate Advisor. This section outlines the course requirements for both the M.A. with thesis and the M.A. without thesis. ***Note: These are the “old” requirements; as of Fall 2016, there is a new set of course requirements. We’ll be updating this content shortly.***

• Credit requirement: Both M.A. programs require a minimum of thirty (30) credits of work. Students who have to make up deficiencies (e.g. LING 300, LING 311, LING 316, LING 327) will be required to take additional courses; courses taken to make up deficiencies do not count toward the thirty credits. Within the thesis program, at least eighteen (18) credits of courses must be at the 500 level, and six (6) credits should be taken for the thesis. Within the non-thesis program, twenty-four (24) credits must be in 500 level courses.
• Core course requirement: Both M.A. programs minimally require the following courses or equivalents:
  • LING 508: Phonetic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
  • LING 510: Phonological Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
  • LING 518: Advanced Research Seminar (3 credits)
  • LING 520: Syntactic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
  • LING 525: Semantic Theory and Analysis (3 credits)
  • LING 531: Field Methods in Linguistics I (3 credits) (“LING 431: Field Methods: Phonology” may replace LING 531)
• Advanced seminar requirement for M.A. with thesis: The Department offers 2-section sequences of the seminar level course, LING 530: Linguistic Problems in a Special Area. The M.A. with thesis minimally requires the completion of one such sequence, that is, two (3-credit) sections of LING 530. In addition, any student who has completed the core course requirements and has not yet had their M.A. thesis prospectus approved must enrol in a section of LING 530.
• Electives: The required courses for the M.A. with thesis constitute 24 of the 30 credits required for the M.A. In addition, students in a thesis program normally take LING 549 (Master’s Thesis) for 6 credits. The required courses for the M.A. without thesis constitute 15 credits, with 15 credits of electives. Elective credits are subject to the following restrictions: a maximum of 6 credits in related fields outside the department; a maximum of 6 credits of LING 546 (Directed Reading in Topics Related to Linguistics). Any remaining credits must be chosen from Linguistics courses. These restrictions do not apply to any courses taken beyond the minimum 30 required credits. Students who are exempted from some of the core courses are still required to take the full 30 credit minimum; they can choose their additional courses subject to the conditions above.