Why Study Linguistics at UO?
Language is with you all day, every day of your life. You use it to think, to organize your understanding of the world, to share your heart, and to get things done. Language is one of the most central aspects of the human experience. In our Linguistics Department, you can learn all about the science of language — how it works, how it varies, how it changes over time — in a high-powered and welcoming research community.
Do you love languages? If so, Linguistics is for you! You can major or minor in Linguistics. We also offer a certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching. You can double major in other UO degree programs as well!
The Department of Linguistics offers a Ph.D. in Linguistics and an M.A. in Language Teaching Studies. Our graduate students have the opportunity to study with leading scholars whose research interests range from field linguistics to lab-based experimental approaches, sociolinguistics, and applied linguistics.
The Linguistics department hosts a unique opportunity to study Swahili in picturesque Zanzibar every summer! Earn 16 language credits in eight weeks, plus another four credits of an elective. No prior Swahili experience is needed to enroll. Students live with a local Zanzibari family and experience Zanzibar as a local! Weekly excursions include a Safari to the Mainland Tanzania.
Where will a career in Linguistics take you? Studying Linguistics opens up a wide range of career opportunities—from the tech industry, law, human services, academia, and beyond. As our alumni profiles demonstrate, Linguists are at work all across the globe!
