Linguistics Ph.D.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to analyze aspects of the sound structure (phonology) and sentence structure (syntax) of linguistic data; exhibit familiarity with standard theories and analytical machinery in those empirical domains, e.g. rewrite rules, phrase structure trees, or optimality theoretic tableaux; interpret and leverage fundamental results from the primary literature in phonology and syntax to gain a deeper understanding of language.

2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to serve as an expert in at least one core area of linguistics covered in our Ph.D. program: computational linguistics, historical linguistics, or one of the main areas of theoretical linguistics (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics); critically assess state-of-the-art work in at least one of these areas; substantially contribute to the body of knowledge in at least one of these areas

3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to formulate novel research ideas and assess their relevance based on the state-of-the-art in the field; carry out novel research that builds on and engages with findings from the primary literature; choose appropriate research methods for the phenomenon they are investigating; conduct their research in a manner that meets current standards of research ethics.

4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to disseminate their research findings in writing and through presentations; identify suitable venues for disseminating their work; articulate the content and impact of their research in a manner accessible to a general scientific audience; evaluate the quality of the writing and/or presentational skills of other scholars in linguistics, and provide constructive suggestions for improvement.