Linguistics Programs

In collaboration with Boston University’s College of Arts & Sciences, Metropolitan College (MET) offers a graduate program in linguistics that confers the command of phonetics, syntax, and semantics necessary to pursue future academic opportunities in the field.

Particularly useful for those whose interest in linguistics came later in previous undergraduate studies, BU MET’s linguistics graduate certificate program gives you the foundation you need to apply for master’s or doctoral programs in linguistics, including those offered by the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS). You will learn to identify and describe with precision the empirical patterns found in sets of language data, and to construct well-reasoned linguistic analyses by formulating, testing, and refining hypotheses about these patterns.

While completing this certificate does not guarantee admission to BU’s other linguistics programs, should you enter a master’s program upon completion of this certificate, elective courses earned for the certificate will be counted retroactively towards Master of Arts degree requirements.

Students are expected have an introductory, college-level or equivalent, understanding of linguistics prior to applying to the certificate program. However, if you are taking your first steps into the field, MET’s Introduction to Linguistics (MET LX 250) can be taken free of any application process and serve as primer. Those interested are encouraged to consult with the director of graduate admissions for linguistics at linggrad@bu.edu.