The Linguistics at Stanford University is a Master program designed for students who want to build the knowledge and skills required for careers in this field. Delivered on campus at the university's main campus in Stanford , United States of America, the program is taught in English and takes 2 years to complete. Students study in a Full Time environment while preparing for future professional opportunities. Tuition fees are USD 18,829 / term, with the next intake on June 24, 2246.
Master of Arts in Linguistics
The University's basic requirements for the M.A. degree are discussed in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.
The Department of Linguistics occasionally admits graduate students already enrolled at Stanford for the M.A. degree.
The department is committed to providing academic advising in support of each graduate student's scholarly and professional development. The advising relationship should entail collaborative engagement by both the adviser and the advisee. Faculty advisers guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, navigating degree requirements, exploring academic and professional opportunities, and preparing for their post-Ph.D. careers. Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for the Ph.D. program. An important part of the advisee-adviser relationship is that students learn to advocate for themselves; this includes discussing expectations for the adviser/advisee relationship with the adviser and revisiting these expectations periodically to ensure mutual understanding.
Advisers and Advising Meetings
A department faculty member serves as the Graduate Studies Adviser (GSA). Typically, the GSA keeps track of the general degree progress of all M.A. and Ph.D. students, offers advice on meeting department and University milestones, coordinates departmental advising and TA assignments, and approves special petitions.
Each student has an individual adviser (also referred to as a second adviser in the pre-candidacy stage), usually chosen based on shared research interests, who advises on coursework, training in research methodologies, research projects, and professional development. Entering students are assigned a second adviser for their first two quarters in the program. The second adviser helps first year students make the transition to graduate school and take the initial steps towards their long-term goals. Beginning with Spring Quarter of the first year, the student's current Qualifying Paper Committee Chair serves as the second adviser. On completion of these papers, the student chooses a faculty member as Chair of their dissertation Reading Committee; this faculty member becomes the main adviser. Throughout their graduate career, students are also encouraged to consult with other faculty, including the members of their Qualifying Paper and Reading Committees.
In order to meet the department's advising expectations, twice a year each student and their adviser meet for a holistic, structured discussion of the student's recent progress, short-term plans, and longer-term academic and professional goals and to discuss the steps that the student should take to meet these objectives. The GSA usually joins the discussion with students in the earlier stages of the Ph.D. program. Students who receive department Summer funding are also expected to fill out a Summer Commitments Agreement that lays out their activities, priorities and goals for the summer, and to discuss these with their adviser.
Students are expected to meet regularly with their advisers and to keep them informed about their academic progress. Each student and their adviser should mutually agree on the frequency of these meetings when the advising relation begins and reassess their frequency at the start of every quarter.
Additional resources
The Department of Linguistics Ph.D. Handbook provides additional information. Students are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Policies and Best Practices for Advising Relationships at Stanford. Additional resources on advising are offered by VPGE. For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the Graduate Advising section of the Bulletin.
At Stanford, we practice holistic admission. Each piece in your application is part of an integrated and comprehensive whole.
One piece tells us about your background and life experiences, another about your school and your academic achievement. We learn from others about your character and intellectual contributions. In your essays, we learn about your ideas and interests, and what is meaningful to you.
Each year we aim to enroll a class of diverse backgrounds and experiences, talents, academic interests, and ways of viewing the world.
In a holistic review, we seek to understand how you, as a whole person, would grow, contribute and thrive at Stanford, and how Stanford would, in turn, be changed by you.
The primary criterion for admission to Stanford is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well.
The most important credential for evaluating your academic record is your high school transcript. Please know that our evaluation goes beyond any numerical formula. There is no minimum GPA or test score, nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted to Stanford.
For more complete information on our curriculum guidelines for first-year students, please visit our Academic Preparation page.
We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons, both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in a first-year seminar and continue the conversation at the dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether that means in a research lab, as part of a community organization, during a performance or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities and expand your perspective.
Learning about your extracurricular activities and nonacademic interests helps us understand your potential contributions to the Stanford community. Students often assume our primary concern is the number of activities in which a student participates. In fact, an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs. You may also hold down a job or have family responsibilities. These are as important as any other extracurricular activity. In general, we want to understand the impact you have had at your job, in your family, in a club, in your school or in the larger community, and we want to learn of the impact that experience has had on you.
In some cases, exceptional abilities in athletics may influence our decision if the applicant is otherwise well qualified, but such abilities never, by themselves, ensure admission to Stanford.
Just as no two Stanford students are the same, each applicant to Stanford is unique. This means that as we review each application, we pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We take into account your background, educational pathway, and work and family responsibilities. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.
It is important to know these variables are not listed in order of importance in our evaluation and selection process. We review applications holistically. No portion of the application is considered without the rest of the application.
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