The Graduate Certificate in Linguistics is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in linguistics, but who do not have the necessary background in linguistics. This is likely to be the case for students who developed an interest in linguistics late in their undergraduate studies or after they received their bachelor’s degree.

This certificate prepares students to submit applications to MA or PhD programs at Boston University or elsewhere. Note that completion of the certificate is not a guarantee of admission to the Boston University graduate programs in linguistics. However, should a student enter the BU Linguistics MA program upon completion of this certificate, the elective course required for the certificate will count retroactively toward the MA degree requirements.