Linguistics Honours
Offered by: Faculty of Arts
Convenor: Dr Phil Rose
Administration: School of Language Studies
Admission requirements
Entry to Honours in Linguistics requires:
(a) completion of the requirements for the BA pass degree; and
(b) a minimum of 10 approved courses totalling at least 60 units.
Students must attain at the very least a high Credit average in these courses as well as some Distinctions to be considered for admission.
In Honours in Linguistics, students continue to study and research Language Structure: theories on what it is like, how to describe it, how it changes over time etc.
Students are formally admitted into Honours in Linguistics only in the fourth year. However, the Program invites students to consider doing honours on the basis of their first year marks. Intending honours students should therefore plan the second and third years of their course carefully so as to make sure that they qualify for admission to fourth-year honours, and to decide whether they will do Honours in Linguistics or Applied Linguistics. Students are advised to make an appointment with the honours coordinator to discuss their options. The prerequisites for entry to fourth-year honours are set out below.
Approved courses for entry into Honours in Linguistics
Students should normally have taken 10 Linguistics courses (i.e. at least 60 units worth). These 10 courses must include the 'basic three' courses, i.e. List A, and at least one course from List B.
Three compulsory courses - List A:
LING1010/LING2010 Phonetics: Sounds of the World's Languages
LING2003 Introduction to Syntax
LING2008 Semantics
Note: Students who have taken Phonetics and Phonology LING1004/2004 can substitute this one course for Phonetics: Sounds of the World's Languages LING1010/LING2010.
List B:
LING2005 Language Change
LING2007 Morphology
LING2009 Field Methods
LING2026 Syntactic Theory
LING3005 Acoustics of Voice
LING3022 Seminar on Semantics
Each of the above courses amplifies the knowledge and expertise in linguistic analysis provided by one or more of the 'basic four' core courses.
A sensible set of choices for intending Linguistics Honours students would be to take the introductory course LING1001 Introduction to the Study of Language, and LING1010/LING2010 Phonetics: Sounds of the World's Language in the first year (six linguistics units in each semester), and then take 4 courses (24 units) in each of the following two years, doing LING2003 Introduction to Syntax and LING2008 Semantics in the second year.
It is important that prospective honours students should consult with the designated honours coordinator at least once a year, to discuss their choice of courses and ensure that they are recommended to the Faculty for entry to fourth-year honours when the time comes.
For other courses that may be included in the Linguistics Honours, please see the list of additional courses in the Linguistics major.
Honours year work:
In their Honours year, students normally take three Linguistics courses as their coursework component, and write a substantial sub-thesis reporting the results of their own research. Both thesis and coursework count equally (i.e. 50%) to their final mark. All fourth-year honours coursework is assessed at fourth-year (i.e. postgraduate) level.
An early start is very important to successful completion of honours. As soon as, or even before, they finish the requirements of their pass degree, students should consult with the honours coordinator to determine a sub-thesis topic and supervisor.
Combined honours:
It is possible to combine honours in Linguistics with honours in a language offered by either the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Asian Studies, as well as with a number of other disciplines, for example Political Science or International Relations. Prerequisites for entry to fourth year for combined honours in the Arts Faculty are as follows. The student must have completed a total of 8 courses in each of the two relevant subjects, including at least a major in each discipline area and possibly certain specified overlapping courses. Their choice of Linguistics courses must be consistent with either the general or applied stream as set out above.
Interested students are asked to consult the honours coordinators of both Programs from their second year and have their topic and program formally approved. The fourth year should involve coursework in both discipline areas and a sub-thesis combining aspects of both disciplines, which is supervised and examined by staff from both Programs. The exact structure and the weighting of the various components is negotiated between the two relevant programs.
Courses Offered in 2009
Fourth Year
LING4005F Linguistics IV Honours (full time)
LING4005P Linguistics IV Honours (part time)
Graduate Studies The Graduate Program in Linguistics offers the following courses. For details see the Graduate School website.
Graduate Diploma in Arts (specialising in Linguistics)
Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics
Graduate Diploma in Translation Studies
Master of Translation Studies
Master of Linguistics (by coursework and research)
Master of Applied Linguistics (by coursework and research)
Master of Philosophy (by research only)
Doctor of Philosophy
Go to the List of Undergraduate Courses offered by Faculty of Arts.
The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.
