Students wishing to enter the PhD program in Linguistics, including those who hold a master’s degree from elsewhere, must satisfy the requirements for the UWM Master of Arts degree in Linguistics. Students apply to the Graduate School for admission, which, in turn, forwards completed applications to the Department. The Department faculty then evaluates the applications and decides on admissions to the PhD program in Linguistics. Occasionally, an exceptionally well-qualified student will be admitted to the PhD program with a baccalaureate degree. The student must complete the requirements of the MA degree in the course of fulfilling the requirements for the PhD.
New students are admitted each year typically to begin in the Fall term. To be considered, all application materials normally must be received by the Graduate School no later than January 15. Admission materials will include:
- Completed Graduate School application.
- Official transcripts of previous work, including evidence of a master’s degree either completed or in progress.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Sample of written work.
- Statement of purpose.
In addition, students whose native language is not English must submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the equivalent. A score of at least 587 (TOEFL) is normally necessary for admission. The minimum score for the computer based TOEFL is 240, or 95 for the internet-based test (iBT).
Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results, though not required, is encouraged.