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The Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences (CLPS) at Brown University focuses on interdisciplinary research exploring the mind, brain, behavior, and language. It provides three doctoral programs: Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Psychology. Applicants are admitted to the department before selecting one of these specialized tracks, as the program does not offer standalone master's degrees. The Linguistics program examines the fundamentals of human language, investigating its theoretical foundations, behavioral manifestations, and biological underpinnings. Brown's Linguistics graduate program equips students for academic or professional careers by developing their scientific and teaching capabilities. The curriculum fosters comprehensive understanding of linguistic analysis through formal, theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches, while requiring specialization in specific research areas. The department particularly supports interdisciplinary research combining theoretical linguistics with experimental or computational techniques. Each student's academic path is customized through close consultation with their selected advisor and graduate committee, allowing for flexibility in research focus and mentorship as interests evolve. Cross-disciplinary collaboration with faculty beyond a student's primary advisor is actively encouraged.
Graduates of non-U.S. colleges and universities who have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree may apply for admission to the Brown University Graduate School.
In their statement of purpose, applicants should describe their background and interests as they relate to the preferred Ph.D. program (e.g., Linguistics) and to the research conducted by specific faculty who might serve as research advisors.
Regarding TOEFL, the recommended minimum score for admission consideration is 577 on the paper-based test and 90 on the Internet-based test. For IELTS, the recommended minimum overall band score is 7.