Major Overview

 

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Description

Language is a system of communication with an extraordinarily intricate structure. The scientific study of the mental representations and biological basis of language involves many questions, including what the nature of this system is, how humans master it so early in their cognitive development, how humans use it to communicate, and how it is implemented in human biology.

The Language Science major offers focuses in theoretical, behavioral, computational, and applied approaches to language science. Students completing the B.A. in Language Science will have a background in:

1. theoretical linguistics,
2. language development & use,
3. advanced aspects of natural or formal languages,
4. the analytical tools of formal language study, and
5. some combination of neuroscience, psychology, logic, computer science, anthropology, education, and hearing & speech, as related to the scientific study of language and its applications.
    

This leads to an interdisciplinary language science background that is attractive for a variety of careers, including teaching, language technology industry positions, teaching English as a second language abroad, interpreting & translation, technical writing, language consulting for legal firms and medical practices, and advertising, among others. In addition, the strong foundation in formal and applied language science will better prepare graduates in the major for graduate and professional programs in any of the areas related to language science, including speech-language pathology, linguistics, cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, natural language processing, and education.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge of the discipline of language science:
   The student demonstrates knowledge of the interdisciplinary foundation to the scientific study of language, including its mental representations, its development and use, and its biological underpinnings. The student demonstrates knowledge of the tools used in the development of the empirical foundations of the field (theoretical, behavioral and neuroscientific, computational), as well knowledge of how these empirical foundations can inform applied science (i.e., applied language science).
    
2. Research and analytical skills:
   The student demonstrates knowledge of the process of hypothesis testing in science, especially as they relate to human language. The student demonstrates the ability to acquire and critically evaluate domain-relevant information, and to apply that information to scientific research questions. The student demonstrates knowledge of the research methods used by language scientists, including theoretical, behavioral and neuroscientific, and computational methods.
    
3. Communication skills: The student demonstrates the ability to write clearly, structuring an argument and supporting it with relevant facts, observations, and claims. The student demonstrates the ability to communicate orally in a clear and coherent manner, designing effective presentation aids where appropriate. The student demonstrates the ability to succinctly summarize research findings, both in writing and orally.

Major

Language Science (B.A.) (major code 0DB)

In addition to the courses described below, all students must satisfy University and School of Social Sciences requirements.

 

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Required Coursework

I. Core introductory lower-division courses All six are required.

• LSCI 3: Intro to Linguistics
• LSCI 10: Intro to Phonology
• LSCI 20: Intro to Syntax
• LSCI 43: Intro to Symbolic Logic
• LSCI 51: Acquisition of Language
• LSCI 155: Psychology of Language

 

II. Natural/Formal language Select one of the following two tracks:

1. Depth track—select two courses from the following:

• LSCI 164A: Topics in Romance Languages
• LSCI 164B: French Phonetics
• LSCI 165B: Structure of Japanese
• LSCI 172: History of English
• Span 113A: Spanish Phonetics
• Span 113B: Intro to Spanish Linguistics
• LSCI 102/CompSci 162: Formal Languages and Automata
• LSCI 145A/LPS 105A/Phil 105A: Elementary Set Theory

The 3x level of any non-English language or any advanced level non-English language course. Advanced non-English language courses are those requiring the highest level course in the relevant 2x sequence (or above) as a prerequisite. Note: May be used more than once. For example, a student could use Span 3 and Span 107 to satisfy both courses in section II. In addition, if a student places out of the 3x/advanced level in a language, then the Natural/Formal language requirement is satisfied by the 3x/advanced courses placed out of.

Note: If you have proficiency equivalent to the 3x level in a non-English language, but UCI doesn't offer the 3x level in that language, please contact the Undergraduate Director to potentially have this requirement waived.

2. Breadth track—complete the following: Two non-English language courses at the 1C level.

 

III. Research frontier Select any four Language Science courses from the following:

• LSCI 107M: Computational Methods for Language Research
• LSCI 115: Introduction to Phonetics
• LSCI 116: Introduction to Speech Science
• LSCI 117: Introduction to Acoustic Phonetics
• LSCI 143: Introduction to Formal Semantics
• LSCI 151C: Computational Cognitive Models of Language Acquisition
• LSCI 151S: Second Language Acquisition
• LSCI 172: History of English
• LSCI 195A/B/C: Language Science Research (no more than two courses numbered LSCI 195A/B/C or 199 may be counted toward the major)
• Any 199 course affiliated with the Language Science Program, for a minimum of 4 units (no more than two courses numbered LSCI 195A/B/C or 199 may be counted toward the major)
• Any Language Science course that is not listed under requirements I or II but lists any course from requirement I (core courses) as a prerequisite can also be applied to this requirement

 

IV. Additional Miscellaneous Select four additional courses. The courses may be Language Science courses not being used toward any other requirements, or courses from the following:

• BME 148: Microimplants
• CHINESE 100A-B-C: Classical Chinese
• COGS 131B: Hearing
• COGS 161H: Hearing and the Brain
• COMPSCI 142A: Compilers and Interpreters
• COMPSCI 142B: Language Processor Construction
• COMPSCI 171: Intro to Artificial Intelligence
• COMPSCI 177: Applications of Probability in Computer Science
• DRAMA 35: Speech for Theater
• EDUC 134: Teaching English Internationally
• JAPANESE 100A-B: Classical Japanese
• MUSIC 158A-B-C: Diction
• SPANISH 187: Special Topics in Spanish Linguistics

 

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Courses

 

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Mailing List

You may also wish to sign up for the mailing list for Language Science majors Click here to sign up for the mailing list.

 

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Commencement Ceremonies

View UC Irvine Department of Language Science majors' - Commencement 2020 Ceremony

 

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Admissions, Transfers, and Changes of Major

Admissions requirements for new students at the freshman level: Students must meet all the basic UC admission requirements with a minimum 3.0 GPA or better as described in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions site for freshman admission.

Admissions requirements for transfer students: Students must meet all the admission requirements for the School of Social Sciences as described Office of Undergraduate Admissions site for transfer student admission.

• Meet all basic UC admission requirements with a minimum grade of C or better.
• Have a cumulative UC transferable GPA of 3.0 (3.4 for TAG).
• Complete 60 semester or 90 quarter units of UC transferable credit by the end of the spring term prior to the fall quarter of enrollment.
   

Change of major requirements: To change to the Language Science major, a student must meet the requirements below.

• Minimum cumulative UCI GPA = 2.00.
• Minimum UCI GPA for the quarter prior to changing major = 2.00.
• Complete two language science courses with a grade of B- or better. One of the courses must be in the lower div core courses (LSCI 3, LSCI 10, LSCI 20, LSCI 43, LSCI 51).

 

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Related Minors

A Linguistics Minor at UCI

Linguistics is the scientific study of this human language ability. It is concerned with describing languages and with understanding our knowledge of language as speakers and how we come to have that knowledge. It is connected to many other fields of study, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, physics, mathematics, computer science, philosophy, and literature.

Students can meet the requirements for the minor by taking a total of seven language science courses (28 units) as specified below.

1. LSCI 3, 10, and 20.
2. Four additional language science courses, three of which must be upper-division.
3. Residence Requirement: At least three upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI.

Those minoring in linguistics are strongly encourage to take as many foreign language classes as possible and to take advantage of university programs such as the Education Abroad Program through the Center for International Education.

Consult the Social Sciences Undergraduate Affairs Office about coursework to fit your specific academic needs and professional goals.

For further information please contact the Undergraduate Director at langsci@uci.edu.

A Hearing & Speech Sciences Minor at UCI

A minor in Hearing and Speech Sciences will provide in-depth training for undergraduates interested in becoming scientists and/or clinicians in health-related fields. This minor will help stimulate students’ interest in hearing and speech as well as increase their opportunities to be admitted to postgraduate programs in audiology, speech-language pathology, biomedical engineering, psychology, neuroscience, medicine and other allied areas.

More information can be found at Hearing and Speech Sciences Catalogue overview.

Spanish/English Bilingual Education Minor at UCI (run by the Department of Spanish & Portuguese)

A minor in Spanish/English Bilingual Education will create a pathway to better prepare future bilingual teachers by providing students with the following: foundational knowledge on current issues in bilingual education; hands-on experience as a teacher aide/tutor in a bilingual classroom; and knowledge of linguistic and cultural phenomena associated with the Spanish language and populations from Latin American countries.

More information can be found at Minor in Spanish/English Bilingual Education general information.