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The Department of Linguistics offers students a rigorous and wide-ranging exploration of human language, combining analytical precision with insight into how language shapes thought, culture, and interaction.

Serving both undergraduate and graduate students, the program emphasizes core areas of linguistic theory while providing a strong foundation in the scientific study of language structure, sound systems, and meaning. Students develop skills in formal analysis, critical thinking, and empirical research that prepare them for advanced study and a variety of professional paths.

Hands-on research is central to the linguistics experience, supported by phonetics and phonology laboratories that allow students to investigate language through experimental and data-driven methods. Under close faculty mentorship, students engage with cutting-edge theoretical questions while gaining practical experience with linguistic tools and technologies. Whether pursuing foundational coursework or advanced research, students are encouraged to analyze linguistic patterns deeply and contribute to a growing understanding of human language.

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Undergraduate
Learn more about our undergraduate programs, how to declare your major and access helpful resources to make the most of your learning experience at UWM.
Undergraduate Information
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Graduate
Explore our graduate programs, learn how to apply and access other helpful resources to for UWM graduate students.
Graduate Information

UW-Milwaukee Facts

Degrees Awarded4,9002024–2025
Students Who Are43%First-Generation Students
Undergraduate19,217Enrollment
Graduate3,887Enrollment

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.