Graduate Program
The curriculum is designed to assure that Ph.D. students receive an
adequate grounding in all of the fundamental areas of linguistics,
while leaving them the freedom they need to become independent
researchers. The first year is devoted to coursework, to give students
a strong foundation, and to enable them to quickly begin contributing
to the research life of the department. Beyond the core, students are
relatively free to design their own program of study both within the
discipline and across disciplines, within a framework of requirements
set by the field and the Graduate School. This program is organized in
consultation with a Special Committee of the student’s own choosing.
Committee members represent the student's major and minor subjects.
Minors may be chosen from disciplines other than linguistics, so that
it is possible, for example, for a Ph.D. student to major in General
Linguistics and minor in such areas as Computer Science, Latin American
Studies, or Cognitive Science. The Special Committee system makes the
Ph.D. program maximally flexible and allows students to avail
themselves of the entire university's resources.
Note on M.A. Program:
We do not offer a Master's program. The exception is through the Employee Degree Program (a benefit for Cornell employees). Contact the Graduate Field Assistant for more information (lingfield@cornell.edu or 607-255-1105).