BA in Linguistics in Riverside United States | University of California, Riverside

Linguistics explores the scientific study of language, examining the mental and physical processes behind human communication, language similarities and variations, historical language evolution, and how people learn languages. Since linguistics operates independently from most common academic disciplines, students can begin this major without specialized prior knowledge.
The field connects with numerous other areas, including articulatory phonetics (biology), sound wave analysis (physics), anthropological fieldwork methods, cultural language studies, social linguistics, psychological language research, brain-language connections, logical systems, language philosophy, and historical language investigations. These interdisciplinary links offer diverse opportunities for students with different interests while providing fresh insights for related fields.
Students choosing the linguistics major should meet with the Linguistics Committee Director for guidance, ideally before their second year midpoint.
The director assists in matching students with appropriate advisors to complete required paperwork. Working with their advisor, students design a structured course plan fulfilling the major's requirements, which must then receive approval from the full Linguistics Committee.
Prospective majors can obtain detailed information about various course combinations from the committee director. Numerous program options allow for dual majors, creating robust foundations for advanced study in multiple disciplines.