BA/MA
The Undergraduate Program
Dual BA/MA in Linguistics
The dual BA/MA program offers highly motivated undergraduates the opportunity to earn an MA in less than the usual time by completing some of the MA requirements while still an undergraduate. Typically, students in this program earn their BA after 3 1/2 years and their MA after 1 1/2, for a total of 5 years in the program.
| YEAR | FALL | SPRING |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BA | BA |
| 2 | BA | BA + 1 MA Course |
| 3 | BA + 1 MA Course | BA + 1 MA Course |
| 4 | BA | MA |
| 5 | MA | MA |
The Program is for You If:
- You are a Linguistics major who are considering a Ph.D. in linguistics but are not sure if grad school is right for you…
- You are a Linguistics major who want an advanced degree in linguistics to pursue a job in industry…
- You are a Linguistics major who want to extend your knowledge of linguistics and pursue a career in an applied field…
Requirements
- Students must complete all 120 credit hours towards their BA degree, including all requirements for their major/s and/or minor/s and all General Education requirements, by their 7th semester.
- Also by the 7th semester students must have completed three MA courses, 9 credit hours.
- By the end of the 6th semester of the BA students must
- have completed at least two of the three BA core requirements, and at least one course at or above the 500 level
- maintain a minimum overall GPA or 3.300, and a GPA in Linguistics of 3.500
- have met with the Director of Graduate Studies to discuss
- Feasibility: Is the student, given his or her background and performance, likely to complete both degrees successfully?
- Utility: Is the student, given his or her interests and goals, likely to benefit from the MA compared to other post-BA paths?
- Upon entering the MA program students complete 30 credit hours of MA-level coursework (courses numbered 400 and above) including 3 hours of thesis credit. Up to 12 credits may be double-counted from MA-level courses on their undergraduate transcript.
- Students complete an MA thesis or non-thesis research project under the direction of a faculty advisor.
How Do I Apply?
-
- Speak with the Directors of Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies to see whether this program is feasible and advisable given your interests and academic profile.
- Apply at the beginning of the 7th semester by contacting the Director of Graduate Admissions to ask for the application link.
Undergraduate Financial Aid
If a student has a four-year undergraduate scholarship, it is important to ensure that this advantage is not forfeited by an early transition to the MA program. The Department will work with the Graduate School on individual cases to guard against this possibility.
Graduate Level Financial Support
We make every effort to support our graduate students with TA-ships and RA-ships when possible. Most BA/MA students are eligible within their first year for TA support, and we have funded 100% of our BA/MA students for at least 2 semesters, either through RAships or TAships in Linguistics or related departments, such as Spanish, German, or Computer Science.
Equal Opportunity
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed to the principle of equal opportunity. It is the policy of this University not to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation with regard to its students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment. Any complaints alleging failure of this institution to follow this policy should be brought to the attention of the department chair or Ms. Leslie Strohm, General Counsel, 919-962-1219.