Chairperson: Eileen Fitzpatrick

Human language permeates nearly every facet of our existence and is one of the most important of human activities. The courses in linguistics reflect this fact and explore the many aspects of language: its structure, its history, its relationship to society and to psychological processes, its role in shaping our attitudes, its use in literature, and many other topics.

The department offers general courses for non-majors and specialized courses for majors, as well as a minor program and a variety of courses for students in other fields. In addition, the department offers a choice of a liberal arts major in Linguistics, a Linguistics major with certification in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) as a first teaching field, and certification in TESL as a second teaching field.  TESL certification is required for teaching ESL in grades P-12 in public schools in the state of New Jersey.

Linguistics majors receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.