Linguistics students studying after class.
Student writing on the board during Linguistics class.
Students talking and taking notes during Linguistics class.
The Linguistics Department at Northeastern was established in the early 1970s, in the heyday of modern linguistics. Since that time, the department and program have evolved to keep in step with changes in the field and in our student population. What has remained consistent is the quality education, the dedicated faculty and a challenging and exciting curriculum students have come to expect.

For nearly four decades, our students have used their M.A. in Linguistics to pursue and further their careers in many areas including curriculum design, publishing, academia, forensics, language documentation and revitalization, among other careers. 

M.A. Program Brochure

Minor Program Brochure

We understand that students who embark on the journey to mastery in a discipline do so for a variety of reasons: career enhancement or change, curiosity and love of learning, self-discovery and ultimately personal fulfillment. Our program provides depth and breadth in the discipline of linguistics—offering opportunities for personal and professional growth; developing students' knowledge, expertise and skills; and building confidence.

Our carefully designed curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in the study and understanding of human language as a convergence of genetic, psychological and social systems, and networks. We train students to critically examine and analyze the world within and around them—a skill that can be applied to teaching, curriculum development, corporate cultures, legal contexts, intercultural communication, forensics, artificial intelligence, publishing, counseling and child development. Knowledge of how and why we communicate brings us closer to understanding who we are and how we can affect our worlds.

Through their course work and hands-on research, students will be introduced to:

  • The nature and structure of language
  • The principles and methods of language analysis
  • The relationship between language and cultural, national, social, and personal identity
  • The role of language as a mediator of intercultural understanding

Through their active professional development and research, our faculty brings rich and varied expertise to the program. Our faculty’s areas of expertise and interest include Discourse Analysis and Identity studies, Multiple Language Acquisition, Language Contact, World Englishes, Origins of Language, Syntax/Semantic Interface, and Historical Linguistics—as well as work in the structure of a variety of languages such as French, Persian, Japanese, Crow and Lakhota.

Program coordinator

Dr. Richard W. Hallett
Professor, Undergraduate Advisor
Office: LWH 2030
Phone: (773) 442-5879
Email: r-hallett@neiu.edu

Advising

Undergraduate Advisor

Dr. Richard W. Hallett
Professor, Undergraduate Advisor
Office: LWH 2030
Phone: (773) 442-5879
Email: r-hallett@neiu.edu

Graduate Advisors

Dr. Lewis Gebhardt
Professor, Graduate Advisor
Office: LWH 2028
Phone: (773) 442-5835
Email: l-gebhardt@neiu.edu

Resources

National and International Conferences

Linguist List offers a list of national and international conferences.

Internships

Linguist List offers a list of internship opportunities in the field of linguistics.