Bachelor of Arts
Linguistics
You might be surprised at the careers you can pursue with a linguistics degree.
Linguistics majors cultivate skills that are exceptionally well suited to the 21st-century workforce. Our Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics equips you with marketable expertise in communication, logic and information structure, qualifying you for jobs in up-and-coming sectors such as artificial intelligence, speech recognition and data science. In addition, linguistics majors excel at writing, research and team collaboration, while gaining specialized knowledge for linguistics careers such as speech language pathology, English language instruction, psychology, and other social science fields. Whatever direction your career takes, our linguistics degree provides you with versatility and technological fluency that have value in nearly every industry.
Linguistics majors cultivate skills that are exceptionally well suited to the 21st-century workforce. Our Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics equips you with marketable expertise in communication, logic and information structure, qualifying you for jobs in up-and-coming sectors such as artificial intelligence, speech recognition and data science. In addition, linguistics majors excel at writing, research and team collaboration, while gaining specialized knowledge for linguistics careers such as speech language pathology, English language instruction, psychology, and other social science fields. Whatever direction your career takes, our linguistics degree provides you with versatility and technological fluency that have value in nearly every industry.
Linguistics Degree: The Oakland University Advantage
Because of our location, Oakland’s linguistics major offers excellent opportunities for emerging careers in linguistics. Southeast Michigan is a hub of innovation in technologies that require linguistics expertise, including artificial intelligence, voice recognition and natural-language-based computing.
Our degree in linguistics provides you with:
- Undergraduate research opportunities. Few things showcase your ability as well as research, and that’s one of the major strengths of our undergraduate linguistics degree. You’ll work under the direct supervision of senior faculty, with opportunities to pursue original linguistics research, submit papers for publication and conference presentation, work with linguistics data technology, and gain other experience that’s typically reserved for graduate-level linguistics degrees.
- Practical career development. You’ll develop linguistics proficiency that’s in high demand in tech-related sectors such as information processing, e-commerce, digital gaming and smart speakers. In addition, our program prepares you for linguistics careers in specialized niches such as speech language pathology, ESL education, translation/interpretation, and other growing fields.
- Superior faculty. Our linguistics major is led by active researchers who possess wide-ranging expertise and professional connections across the country. You’ll get a rigorous, relevant and up-to-date education from experts in fields such as cognitive linguistics, syntax, phonology, , ESL instruction, and phonetics.
- Well-rounded skills. Graduates of our linguistics program excel in writing, research, critical reasoning and independent thinking. These skills are always in high demand in nearly every industry, and you can adapt them over time as economic and technological trends evolve.
- Personalized attention. Like most of Oakland’s undergraduate programs, the linguistics major features small classes taught by senior faculty (never graduate students). This arrangement enables you to build strong relationships with your instructors, so they can help you develop academically and professionally.
What Can You Do With a Linguistics Degree?
Linguistics majors enter the workforce with very broad career options. A degree in linguistics offers excellent preparation for jobs in speech language pathology, a rapidly growing and high-paying sector. Linguistics expertise is also in high demand among high-tech employers such as computer software companies, e-commerce firms, and website developers. Other attractive careers in linguistics include teaching English as a second language (TESL), audiology and foreign language translation.
Graduates of Oakland’s linguistics program have gone on to careers in fields such as:
- Education
- Government administration
- Engineering
- Manufacturing
- Publishing
- Marketing
- Art
- Business consulting
- Computer programming
- Video gaming
Linguistics Major: What You’ll Learn
The linguistics degree begins with five core courses that cover fundamental subjects such as syntax, phonology, and semantics. Linguistics majors also must study a foreign language or American Sign Language (ASL) and complete a required capstone course.
The remaining credits in the linguistics major consist of elective courses, with options covering a diverse range of subjects. Some examples include:
- Language and the Brain
- Language and Gender
- Cognitive Linguistics
- Language Development in Children
- History of the English Language
- Natural Language and Computers
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics Program Resources
Programs Related to the Linguistics Major
Not sure if the linguistics major is right for you? Check out these other bachelor’s degree programs at Oakland, and contact our admissions team to discuss your options.
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science