Linguistics at UMass

We are internationally recognized as a major center for research and education in linguistics. Our doctoral program focuses on educating a small number of PhD students as high-quality researchers and teachers. Our undergraduate program develops broadly applicable skills in linguistic analysis and understanding of the diversity of human language.

What is linguistics?

Linguistics is the systematic study of human language. Linguists are interested in language for its own sake, as a complex product of the human mind. They are also interested in how language develops in children, how it changes over time, and how it is used in human society.