Inquiries about application, admission, and other matters can be addressed to the Graduate Director of the Program:

Postal address:
Graduate Director, Linguistics Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208
Telephone: 803-777-2063
Fax: 803-777-0454
E-mail address: linguistics@sc.edu

Applications to the Graduate School are made on-line.  Go to http://web.csd.sc.edu/app/grad/ for information about the on-line application process and access to an on-line application form.

An application requires the following information in order to be complete: an official application (including the application fee) submitted to the Graduate School; academic transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate study; two letters of recommendation; a personal statement; GRE scores; TOEFL scores (for applicants who are not native speakers of English); and a writing sample (for Ph.D. applicants). The personal statement and writing sample, and resume/cv for those requesting funding, should be sent directly to the graduate director of the Linguistics Program.

The personal statement (one or two pages in length) should describe (1) previous academic work related to Linguistics, (2) relevant practical experience, (3) intended specialization and/or probable research interest, and (4) career goals.

Applicants should submit their application and fee, transcripts, test results, and letters of recommendation to the University of South Carolina Graduate School (Byrnes International Center, Columbia, SC 29208).  The personal statement and writing sample, and resume/cv for those requesting funding, should be sent directly to the graduate director of the Linguistics Program.

Students are normally admitted to the program only in the fall semester. The absolute deadline for applying is July 1. To receive full consideration for financial assistance, applications should be completed before the first round of selections (January 15 ). Applicants who do not meet this deadline may still be awarded support, but opportunities become increasingly limited after February 1. For spring or summer admission, consult with the Graduate Director.

Because students interested in Linguistics often come from diverse backgrounds and may not have had the opportunity to major in Linguistics as undergraduates, each applicant is considered on an individual basis. Beginning September 2003, the Linguistics Program considers doctoral applications from students who do not hold the M.A. degree in Linguistics. Such students are advised to consult with the graduate director before submitting their application online. Specifically:

Prospective PhD students who do not have a Masters degree may apply for concurrent admission to the M.A. and Ph.D. programs.

The program, in cooperation with selected departments, will allow a student to pursue the M.A. in one department while concurrently pursuing the Ph.D. in the other.

Concurrent admission to M.A. and Ph.D. study will be determined on a case by case basis.

Transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work must show sufficient promise of ability to do graduate work.  The average GPAs of admitted students range from of 3.00-4.00 for all undergraduate work and 3.50-4.00 for all graduate work (on a 4.00 scale).

Letters of recommendation should come from persons familiar with the applicant's academic achievement and potential and should specifically address the applicant's potential for success in a graduate degree program.

The program's admissions standards regarding GRE test scores are different for native and non-native speakers of English. Also, the program's admissions standards focus on the verbal and analytical parts of the GRE exam (although the mathematics part is not ignored).  For applicants whose native language is English, the average GRE scores (combined verbal and analytical) of those admitted to the Program for the academic year 2001-2002 were as follows: 1270 for the Ph.D., 1200 for the M.A., and 1080 for the TESOL certificate.  Non-native speakers of English admitted to the Program for the academic year 2001-2002 had an average GRE score of 980 (combined verbal and analytical).

In addition, international students must take the TOEFL examination and achieve at least 590 (243 on the computer based test) for Ph.D. admission and 570 (230 on the computer based test) for M.A. and TESOL certificate admission.  570 (230) is also a Graduate School minimum, meaning that an applicant with TOEFL scores lower than this cannot be admitted under any circumstances.

In all cases, minimally acceptable scores and grades are no guarantee of admission.  At the same time, evidence of high potential from several parts of an applicant's file may occasionally outweigh a low test score or GPA. The Program does not accept the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) in place of the GRE.

The 2007-2008 in-state tuition is $4444 per semester for full-time graduate students at the University of South Carolina or $444/credit hour for part-time students. Out-of-state tuition is $9,590 per semester or $936/credit hour. A research or teaching assistantship normally carries with it a tuition reduction.

For information about additional fees, consult the Schedule of Fees ("Schedule of Fees" linked to http://www.sc.edu/bursar/schedule.html) through the Bursar's office. (Note that international students are charged a one-time matriculation fee of $500.)