BA in Linguistics and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences in Boston United States | Boston University

The interdisciplinary BA Program in Linguistics and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences is a collaborative effort between the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) and Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. This program caters to students who wish to explore human language from multiple viewpoints while developing expertise in language development and communication disorders. Students gain comprehensive linguistic training by investigating global languages' structure, usage, learning processes, and evolution. This joint major emphasizes empirical language research methods and bridges theoretical linguistics with practical clinical applications.

Graduates of this program can enter diverse fields including research, teaching, healthcare, public health, or legal professions. The curriculum equips students for advanced studies in linguistics, psychology, neurolinguistics, cognitive science, or professional programs in speech-language pathology and audiology. It also provides foundational knowledge for careers in medicine, neuropsychology, language technology (such as speech recognition systems), or child development and education. Personalized academic plans are developed through collaboration with advisors from both colleges to align with each student's aspirations.

Prospective students should be aware that bachelor's degree holders cannot practice as certified speech-language pathologists or audiologists. ASHA certification and state licensure require graduate-level education in these fields. Boston University's CAA-accredited speech-language pathology graduate program offers a Master of Science degree that meets ASHA certification standards, Massachusetts licensure requirements, and teacher certification criteria.

Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Linguistics and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences major will achieve:

Comprehension of core linguistic research questions regarding structural patterns, language universals, learning processes, historical evolution, variations, and sociolinguistic aspects, along with fundamental theoretical knowledge.
Essential understanding of scientific principles underlying speech, language, and hearing research and clinical practice.
Skills to accurately analyze linguistic data patterns and develop rigorous analyses through systematic hypothesis formulation, testing, and refinement.
Capability to integrate academic knowledge with research or professional experiences, demonstrating analytical skills to evaluate data against existing literature, substantiate conclusions, and present coherent findings with logical reasoning.