Applying for Graduate Study
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 15 (of each year)
FALL ADMISSION ONLY.
Application Requirements
Applicants must have a B.A., B.S. or M.A. degree.
Submitted online:
- Online application found here
- Statement of purpose
- One research paper as a writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation
- Application fee: $95
- GRE and TOEFL scores also required
All materials must be uploaded to CollegeNet (see application link above). No hard copy application materials are accepted.
Requests for further information should be addressed to:
E-mail : lingfield@cornell.edu
Phone :
(607) 255-1105
Notification of Application Status: If any material is missing from your application, you will be notified by email.
Application and Admission Timeline
January 15 – All application materials are due.
Mid-February - Applicants are informed of admissions decisions and
financial awards by this time.
April 15 – Admitted students are required to accept or decline their offers by this date.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Program
- What are the strengths of your program?
A careful exploration of our website will uncover a great deal, but in a nutshell: We have excellent faculty in all the core theoretical areas of Linguistics. We also have strengths at the "interfaces" – phonology/phonetics, syntax/phonology, and syntax/semantics. We have faculty doing fieldwork in a number of language areas, and excellent lab facilities in phonetics and computational linguistics.
- What are the research interests and theoretical orientation of your faculty?
Take a look at our faculty webpages! Our faculty cover a wide range of interests within the field of linguistics.
- How long does it take to complete the Ph.D. in Linguistics?
Most students take five years. Finishing in this amount of time is contingent on timely completion of the required coursework and the A-exam.
- Can I do a Masters in Linguistics at Cornell University?
No. Our program is designed to train students for the Ph.D.
- Can I start the program in the Winter or Spring semester?
No. Our program's coursework is designed to start in the fall semester.
- What kinds of jobs do students who receive the Ph.D. in Linguistics have?
Our students are successful in obtaining various academic and non-academic positions . See our "MA/PhD Alumni" page for information on the placement of our Ph.D graduates.
Finances
- What are the tuition costs?
The tuition cost set for the 2011-12 academic year is $29,500. For detailed information on tuition & stipend rates and other fees (student activity fee and health insurance), please visit here.
- What financial aid is available? Are international students eligible for financial aid?
Two types of financial support are available through Cornell: merit-based (fellowships, assistantships, and tuition awards) and need-based (loans). Please visit our "Financial Support" page for more information. Unless you choose otherwise, students are considered for merit-based aid, regardless of citizenship, as part of the admissions process--no special application is required. Applicants are notified of merit-based awards at the same time admissions offers are made. You must notify the Graduate School by April 15 if you plan to accept the offer.
Admissions
- What does the admissions committee look for when reviewing applications?
Simply stated, we are looking for talented students who are a good match for our program.
- How many students are accepted to the program per admission cycle?
Our target class size is 6.
- What do my GRE scores and GPA have to be?
We do not set specific minimums for GRE scores and GPA. GREs and GPA are only one consideration in evaluating applications for admission.
- What should I include in my statement of purpose?
There is no set answer to this question. Your personal statement should tell us why you wish to pursue graduate study in Linguistics and what you hope to accomplish.