(subjects required of all graduate students)

All students are normally required to complete the following subjects.

  • 24.942 Topics in the Grammar of a Less Familiar Language
  • One of the following first-language acquisition subjects:
    24.949J Language Acquisition I or
    24.981 Topics in Computational Phonology (with acquisition assignments option)
  • 24.951 Introduction to Syntax
  • 24.952 Advanced Syntax
  • 24.961 Introduction to Phonology
  • 24.962 Advanced Phonology
  • 24.970 Introduction to Semantics
  • 24.973 Advanced Semantics
  • 24.991 Workshop (two terms)
  • 24.993 Tutorial in Linguistics and Related Fields
  • 24.995 Linguistics Professional Perspective
  • An advanced subject with research-paper requirement in syntax/semantics, e.g:
    • 24.956 Topics in Syntax
    • or 24.979 Topics in Semantics
    • or 24.954 Pragmatics
    • or 24.955 More Advanced Syntax
    • or 24.960 Syntactic Models
    • or 24.965 Morphology (with a syntax/semantics paper)
    • or 24.943 Syntax of a Language (Family)
    • or 24.946 Linguistic Theory and Japanese Language
    • or 24.942 Topics in the Grammar of a Less Familiar Language
    • or 24.991 Workshop (culminating in the successful defense of a syntax/semantics paper)
  • An advanced subject with research-paper requirement in phonology/morphology, e.g.:
    • 24.964 Topics in Phonology
    • or 24.963 Linguistic Phonetics
    • or 24.965 Morphology (with a phonetics/phonology paper)
    • or 24.967 Topics in Experimental Phonology
    • or 24.981 Topics in Computational Phonology
    • or 24.942 Topics in the Grammar of a Less Familiar Language
    • or 24.991 Workshop (culminating in the successful defense of a phonetics/phonology paper)

Research-paper requirement

Some of the subjects in these two lists may not routinely require research papers for course credit, or may not restrict the topic of the paper to particular subdisciplines. Students may still use such subjects to fulfill the above requirements, as long as they write a research paper in the relevant area (either as part of or in addition to the normal subject-specific requirements for course credit).

The subjects comprising the Core Curriculum will normally be taken according to the following schedule:

1st year: Fall

24.951 Intro to Syntax
24.961 Intro to Phonology
24.970 Intro to Semantics

1st year: Spring

24.952 Advanced Syntax
24.962 Advanced Phonology
24.973 Advanced Semantics
24.993 Tutorial in Linguistics and Related Fields

Incompletes in the First Year
Incompletes in 1st-year subjects cannot be carried forward into the 2nd year. Fall incompletes must be completed by the end of the following spring term, and spring incompletes by August 1st of that year.

2nd year

24.949 Lang Acquisition I
advanced syntax-semantics subject
advanced phonology-morphology subject
24.991 Workshop (Fall or Spring)

3rd year

24.991 Workshop (Fall or Spring)

2nd or 3rd year

24.942 Topics in the Grammar of Less familiar Language