Linguistics is the scientific study of language in all its aspects. These issues are
investigated from diverse perspectives, including biological, cognitive, developmental,
educational, historical and sociocultural ones.
Linguistics: A discipline that values interdisciplinarity Linguistics at South Carolina has an interdisciplinary focus, while providing our
graduate students with a strong background in linguistics theory. Students are trained
to pursue research and teach in a wide range of linguistic sub-disciplines. The program affords students
the opportunity to take coursework or pursue specializations in areas such as English/French/German/Spanish linguistics, historical linguistics,
linguistic anthropology, philosophy of language, phonology, psycholinguistics, second/foreign
language acquisition and teaching, semantics, sociolinguistics and syntax.
Diverse Departmental Collaborations
The Linguistics program collaborates with departments including Anthropology; English
Language and Literature; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy; Psychology;
the English Programs for Internationals; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Computer
Science and Engineering; and Education. We are committed to building bridges with
many disciplines and to illuminating the important role of language and the study
of language in all aspects of our lives.
Degree Offerings
The Linguistics Program offers graduate degrees (MA and Ph.D. degrees) in Linguistics, as well as a graduate Certificate in Teaching
English as a Second Language (TESOL). At the undergraduate level , we offer a cognate as well as a minor in Linguistics. Students may also pursue an
interdisciplinary major with a Linguistics concentration through the Bachelor of Arts
in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) degree program.
The Graduate Students of Linguistics (GSLING) at the University of South Carolina
are hosting the Spring 2023 Student Research Symposium (SRS). This year’s conference
will be a hybrid event, held virtually through Zoom and in-person at Close-Hipp 008
at University of South Carolina. The conference will take place on Saturday, April
8th, 2023, from 9am – 5pm. See the SRS website for more details.
The New Yorker talked to two alumni of our program who work on a long-term project to create the
Oxford Dictionary of African American English. Jennifer Heinmiller, MA 2011 is an
Executive Editor at Oxford Languages and lead on the project. She works along Bianca
Jenkins, MA 2018, and other lexicographers at Oxford University Press to compile the
entries for the dictionary.
The Linguistics Program is excited to welcome Dr. Joy Peltier as an Assistant Professor of English and Linguistics. Dr. Peltier, who received her
PhD in Linguistics from the University of Michigan, conducts research on language
in contact and in context. Her specific interests lie in high-contact and minority
language varieties, such as Creoles, and she has examined pragmatic elements, such
as pragmatic markers.
The University of South Carolina is hosting the 5th biennial conference of the American
Pragmatics Association (AMPRA-5), to be held from November 4-6, 2022. The conference
venue is the Conference Center in the Close Hipp Building. See the conference web site for more details.
