BA in Linguistics in Seattle United States | University of Washington

The Department of Linguistics immerses students in examining language as a fundamental aspect of human nature. You'll delve into language learning, how social environments influence linguistic diversity, the acoustics and perception of speech, patterns of language development, and computer-based speech and language analysis. Alongside our bachelor's and master's programs, we support research and conservation of Indigenous languages from the Northwest region and offer instruction in American Sign Language. Linguistics courses typically maintain small class sizes, capping at 30 students.

Language studies cultivate valuable workplace skills like advanced writing, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking. For graduate students, we provide a PhD in Linguistics and a professional MS in Computational Linguistics (CLMS), equipping students for careers blending computer science and language studies.

Career Opportunities
Those earning a bachelor's in linguistics can pursue diverse professions such as:

Language Translator/Interpreter
Teaching Professional
Technical Documentation Specialist
Computational Linguistics Researcher


A UW linguistics undergraduate degree also lays the foundation for advanced studies in linguistics or related disciplines like speech pathology or language education. UW's linguistics curriculum trains students in analyzing particular languages and linguistic groups while developing frameworks for understanding human language systems. The University of Washington's Linguistics major and minor requirements focus on essential linguistic domains: sentence structure, speech sounds, and sound patterns. Students also complete numerous elective courses, allowing them to investigate specialized areas including computer-assisted language analysis, child language development, language evolution, and more.