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Undergraduate Studies
We offer several programs of study that provide both a solid foundation in the discipline of linguistic analysis as well as the opportunity to pursue independent research. Undergraduates may pursue a Bachelor of Arts or minor in Linguistics.
Graduate Studies
Learn about our cross-disciplinary PhD program in Linguistics and our three Master's programs: Master of Arts in Linguistics, Master of Arts in Language Documentation and Description, and Master of Science in Computational Linguistics.
Our Research
Linguistics research at Rochester is dynamic, diverse, and deeply interdisciplinary. With active research labs and wide-ranging collaborations, we're pushing boundaries and asking big questions about how language works and why it matters.
Recent News
Nadine Grimm and Asia Pietraszko Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure
The Department of Linguistics is proud to announce that two of our esteemed professors, Dr. Nadine Grimm and Dr. Asia Pietraszko, have been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2025.
Continue ReadingFEATURE STORY
Jeremy Coburn translates for PBS Documentary, Bugs That Rule the World
Jeremy Coburn, Visiting Assistant Professor from the Department of Linguistics, recently contributed to the new PBS documentary series Bugs That Rule the World as a translator, helping bring Indigenous and local voices to an international audience. The four-part series explores the critical ecological roles insects play across the globe and the growing threats they face.
Continue ReadingUpcoming Events and Meetings
- Incoming Graduate Student Orientation
August 22 - Colloquium Title TBA
Colin Phillipps, University of Oxford
September 5 - Colloquium Title TBA
Larry Hyman, UC Berkeley
September 12
What's Linguistics?
The field of linguistics explores the nature of languages, seeking to describe what human languages are like, how languages develop and change, and how people learn and use language. Unlike courses in a language, where the point is to gain an automatic, unconscious ability to use the language, courses in linguistics attempt to develop a fully explicit, scientific theory of how language works. Linguistics thus offers a unique combination of humanistic and scientific concerns.
Recent News
Featured Courses - Fall 2025
Check out some of our featured courses for the upcoming Fall 2025 semester. For a full and updated list of Linguistics courses, explore our course catalog.
LING 215/415 Languages of Africa
About 2,000 of the world’s 7,000 languages are spoken in Africa. The diversity that characterizes these languages is exceptional, but little known to non-specialists. In this course, we will learn about the languages of Africa: the diversity of their linguistic structures...
Explore Linguistics Courses
LING 214/414 Statistical Methods in Linguistics
This course provides an introduction to probability and statistics for linguistics, serving as an essential foundation for linguistics students who aim to analyze experimental and corpus linguistic data. Topics include (i) elementary probability theory...
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LING 237/437 Phonology
This course introduces students to the core principles and analytical tools of phonology—the study of how speech sounds are organized in human language. Through examination of diverse phonological patterns from a typologically broad set of languages, students will explore the most active and exciting areas of research in...
Explore Linguistics Courses
Center for Language Sciences
The Center for Language Sciences (CLS) is an organization at the University of Rochester that brings together faculty, postdocs, and graduate students who conduct research on any aspect of human language as a vehicle for active interdisciplinary work.
CLS fosters research and activities that reach across a very broad group of disciplines covering a wide research focus and range of interests. It's a continually evolving organization with a history of serving as a platform for training students and postdocs in interdisciplinary research and enhancing collaborations among members.
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Get in Touch
For more information about the Department of Linguistics, our programs, our research, or our courses, send us an email.