Doctoral Program

The Department of Linguistics at the University of Connecticut is a leading center for theoretical research in generative grammar, and for experimental research on child language acquisition. The Department offers graduate training leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics, and is noted both for its high standards in graduate teaching, and for considerable success in job placement. Currently the Department comprises nine regular faculty members, three professors emeriti, four adjunct and visiting faculty members, one instructor, and 34 doctoral students.

The National Research Council's most recent study of graduate programs in linguistics assigned the Department its highest ranking, "extremely effective" in graduate education, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Of our recent Ph.D. recipients (1991-2003), approximately 70% were immediately hired into tenure-track faculty positions or the equivalent, and an additional 15% were awarded post-doctoral research fellowships.

Doctoral students in the Department are expected to engage in original research throughout their graduate training, and this work often leads to presentations at academic conferences, as well as publications in professional journals. Resources for experimental research in child language acquisition include the excellent facilities at the University's Child Development Laboratories, as well as the Department's own Psycholinguistics Laboratory. Federal research grants to faculty members, and a long-standing association with Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, Connecticut, also provide significant research opportunities for our doctoral students