Pre-Speech and Hearing
The Undergraduate Program
Linguistics Major for Pre-Speech and Hearing Students
Linguistics as a Compatible Major
Students who complete the undergraduate major in Linguistics will gain an understanding of many aspects of normally developing human language. This is a useful background for graduate work in Speech & Hearing Science, at UNC (SPHS) or elsewhere.
The Linguistics major consists of 3 core courses and 4 electives, so you have a great deal of flexibility (while consulting with your undergraduate advisor) in designing your individual program of study within the major. Some of the elective course requirements can be fulfilled with certain Communication (COMM) and/or SPHS courses.
How UNC SPHS Courses Fit the Linguistics Major
Graduate programs in speech and hearing sciences often expect applicants to have completed certain types of courses before they begin their graduate work. Different graduate programs may have different requirements, so you may wish to contact individual programs for specific details. As an example, the UNC-CH Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences makes the following recommendations:
- UNC-CH SPHS recommended pre-professional coursework for the MS in Speech-Language Pathology and Doctor of Audiology programs
This table lists some of the UNC-CH courses that are likely to fulfill prerequisites for graduate programs in speech & hearing science, showing how these courses can be applied toward the Linguistics major.
| UNC-CH courses that may fill SPHS prerequisites | As applied to the UNC-CH LING major |
|
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 314 | The English language | Major Elective |
| LING 101 | Introduction to Language | LING major prerequisite |
| LING 200 | Phonology | Core course |
| LING 201 | Syntax | Core course |
| LING 203 | Language Acquisition and Development | Core course |
| LING 520 | Linguistic Phonetics | Core course |
| LING 527 | Morphology | Core course |
| SPHS 540 | Speech Science | Major elective |
| SPHS 570 | Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Hearing | Major elective |
| SPHS 582 | Introduction to Audiology | Major elective |
One other SPHS course may also be applied toward the LING major as a major elective: SPHS 530 – Introduction to Phonetics. If you wish to apply this course toward the LING major, please consult with the undergraduate advisor to obtain authorization.