Graduate Information | MA Programs/Specializations

1. General Linguistics, for those planning to pursue a doctorate in theoretical areas (e.g., syntax or phonology) or for those who plan to work in a language related field in industry or education (e.g., computer programming);
   
   
2. ESL/Applied Linguistics, for students planning to pursue a doctorate in applied linguistics, or intending to teach or design curriculum for ESL/EFL classrooms.
   
   
3. Computational Linguistics, for students planning to pursue a doctorate in computational linguistics, or plan to work in a computational related field, such as speech recognition, machine translation or natural language processing.

In addition to completing coursework for one of the specializations and demonstrating proficiency in a foreign language, students are required to submit a thesis (Plan A) or pass a comprehensive examination (Plan B). (Note: Plan B is an option only for those specializing in Applied Linguistics.) All students who complete the required program will receive a Master of Arts degree in linguistics. If requested, the department will provide a letter designating a student’s specialization for purposes of employment or application for further study. The specializations and language research interests of faculty members can be found on the faculty page.

The statements found on the SDSU Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages Department web site are for informational purposes only. While every effort is made to ensure that this information is up to date and accurate, official information can be found in the SDSU Graduate Bulletin.