Linguistics is the scientific study of language in all its aspects. These issues are
investigated from diverse perspectives, including biological, cognitive, developmental,
educational, historical and sociocultural ones.
Linguistics: A discipline that values interdisciplinarity
Linguistics at South Carolina has an interdisciplinary focus, while providing our
graduate students with a strong background in linguistics theory. Students are trained
to pursue research and teach in a wide range of linguistic sub-disciplines. The program affords students
the opportunity to take coursework or pursue specializations in areas such as English/French/German/Spanish linguistics, historical linguistics,
linguistic anthropology, philosophy of language, phonology, psycholinguistics, second/foreign
language acquisition and teaching, semantics, sociolinguistics and syntax.
Diverse Departmental Collaborations
The Linguistics program collaborates with departments including Anthropology; English
Language and Literature; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy; Psychology;
the English Programs for Internationals; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Computer
Science and Engineering; and Education. We are committed to building bridges with
many disciplines and to illuminating the important role of language and the study
of language in all aspects of our lives.
Degree Offerings
The Linguistics Program offers graduate degrees (MA and Ph.D. degrees) in Linguistics, as well as a graduate Certificate in Teaching
English as a Second Language (TESOL). At the undergraduate level , we offer a cognate as well as a minor in Linguistics. Students may also pursue an
interdisciplinary major with a Linguistics concentration through the Bachelor of Arts
in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) degree program.
The Linguistics Program is excited to welcome Emily Manetta as the new Director of the Linguistics Program and Professor of Linguistics in the
English Department starting January 1, 2024. Dr. Manetta comes to us from the University
of Vermont. Her research interests are in theoretical syntax, semantics and linguistic
anthropology. More specifically, she focuses on the syntax of South Asian languages
(primarily Indic) and Romani.
The New Yorker talked to two alumni of our program who work on a long-term project to create the
Oxford Dictionary of African American English. Jennifer Heinmiller, MA 2011 is an
Executive Editor at Oxford Languages and lead on the project. She works along Bianca
Jenkins, MA 2018, and other lexicographers at Oxford University Press to compile the
entries for the dictionary.