Linguistics is a highly interdisciplinary field which combines research methods from the humanities and the social, natural, and mathematical sciences to study human language. Linguists are interested in questions such as: What are the structural properties of languages, at the of sounds, words, sentences, and meaning? To what extent are the languages of the world similar or different? How do languages change over time?
Program information
Send details- Campus: Vancouver
- Faculty: Faculty of Arts
- Degree: Bachelor of Arts
- Length 4 yrs
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Co-op
Yes
You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
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Honours
Yes
You can study intense specialization in a single field.
Linguistics is the systematic study of how language works. Linguists work on sound systems (phonetics and phonology), on the relationship between form and meaning (morphology, syntax, and semantics), and on how languages change over time.
In introductory-level Linguistics courses, you study language systems by analyzing data from languages of contrasting structure. You can expect to study English, but also languages like Cantonese, local First Nations languages, Latin, or Haitian Creole.
Campus features
UBC has teaching programs in 23 different languages.
Send detailsYour future
Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including interpretation or translation, language teaching, communications, publishing, government, speech recognition, artificial intelligence, codes and code breaking, and others.
There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests, including:
- Art or Music therapist
- Artificial intelligence designer
- Audiologist
- Communications manager
- Communications policy researcher
- Editor
- English as a Second Language teacher
- Foreign service officer
- Public relations specialist
- Reading clinician
Program requirements
English-language requirements
English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.
General admission requirements
IB Diploma Programme
- Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.
IB Certificate Courses
- IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
- IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.
Degree-specific requirements: Arts
- No specific courses required beyond those needed for general admission
Related courses
The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.
- Language Arts
- Mathematics and Computation
- Second Languages
- Social Studies
- Visual and Performing Arts