Online Linguistics Degree Programs

A linguistics degree provides students with concepts and theories relating to how humans acquire and develop speech, and the way in which this interacts with other mental processes.

Linguistics is a discipline that allows an in-depth knowledge of human language and the psychology of communication. It is a fascinating subject, and one that prepares individuals for a range of interesting careers. To be accepted for a linguistics study program, it is usually required to be proficient in another language apart from English. Many students who opt for this type of course do so as a double major alongside other disciplines such as education, foreign languages, or cognitive science. There are specialized programs available that focus on fields such as speech therapy, and conflict resolution. Applied linguistics deals with the practical side of linguistic skills and knowledge. Linguistics courses relating to semantics, syntax, phonetics, and morphology would be provided during the study course. Understanding how a language develops and its usage is also an intrinsic aspect of a linguistics degree program.

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Selected Language Degree Programs

University of Phoenix

• BA in English

Grand Canyon University

• BA in English Literature

Linguistics Education and Training

Linguistics looks at the patterns and development of human language, language theory, linguist use of sound systems, descriptive linguistic analysis, discourse analysis, and language analysis to dissect various ways of speaking. Linguistics courses provide analytic skills which are applicable to careers in education, anthropology, writing, speech recognition, communications, and law.

Campus and online linguistics courses include: philosophical linguistics, psycholinguistics, behavioral linguistics, language acquisition, comparative linguistics, philology and historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, mathematical and computational linguistics, grammatical theory, theoretical linguistics, stylistics, phonemics, phonetics, dialectology, semantics, functional grammar and linguistics, language typology, lexicography, morphology, syntax, orthography, structuralism, rhetoric, and application to artificial intelligence.

An applied linguistics degree is an interdisciplinary field that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related situations. It is the branch of linguistics that looks at the practical applications of language studies, and specifically communicative function of language, lexicography, terminology, general or technical translation, language teaching, interpretation, writing, and computer processing of language. Some academic fields that are related to applied linguistics are anthropology, linguistics, education, psychology, and sociology.

Linguistics Careers

The Linguistic Society of America suggests that there are many employment opportunities for graduates in this field. This can include the IT industry where speech recognition software is now receiving a lot of attention and research, an education career in the form of developing curriculum and teaching English as a secondary language, as well as the possibility of becoming a translator or interpreter.

Those individuals that obtain a doctorate in linguistics degrees will find that there is the option of taking up a position as a professor or researcher. These profiles are extremely desirable as they allow individuals to impart their knowledge whilst publishing papers on the subject.

Another interesting career would be that of a speech language pathologist. Speech language pathologists work with people who have communication difficulties. The profile would involve identifying problems, and creating strategies to help patients be understood more clearly.

There is also the option of becoming a forensic linguist. This profile can often be found in law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. Forensic linguists can be called upon to perform analysis of both voice and handwriting.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

Data provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the salary range for a graduate linguist, as of May 2009, was between $39,000 and $80,000. It is a field in which there are ample opportunities for new graduates, in fact nearly half of linguists employed today have less than four years of experience. Equal opportunities are available for men and women.

It is suggested that the greatest earnings are available for those graduates who work for information technology companies, as well as government agencies. For this reason the largest number of opportunities lies in areas where these employers are found in a high number. California, Texas, and Washington DC offer the greatest potential.

According to the official studies, the employment outlook for those with a linguistics degree remains higher than the average of other industries, though the growth does depend upon the exact discipline. Those individuals with higher qualifications are best placed to find a long-term financially rewarding career were they can put into practice the knowledge and skills learned.