Linguistics Graduate Certificate Programs

Updated: Dec 4, 2023

Linguistics Graduate Certificates explore the ways languages develop and evolve, their relationships, and critical thinking and research skills associated with such analysis. These grad certs are designed as a way to upgrade and specialize for language graduates interested in the science and development of verbal communication.

It suits communications, creative writing, and language graduates. It also has uses in translation, teaching (of languages) and cultural disciplines.

What Are the Online Linguistics Graduate Certificate Requirements?

There are a number of linguistics graduate certificates across the USA. Applicants will be expected to fulfill a criteria list for eligibility. Typically, these include:

A minimum GPA rating. In most certificates, the college specifies 2.5 on the 4.0 scale although some may ask for anything up to 3.00
The fully completed application and any application fees
A formal qualification in a second language – not always stipulated which though Spanish is preferred
All transcripts as proof of your academic background
A personal statement about your intended career path
And/or essay listing why you feel this would be a great career step for you
In some cases, you may only apply for a linguistics graduate certificate if you are already a master's student at that university
If English is not your first language, you may be asked to prove certification as proficiency: TOEFL, PTE, and IELTS
Two or even three letters of recommendation from academic sources
Introductory course in linguistics regardless of your past academic background

What Type of Classes Are Included in the Online Linguistics Graduate Certificate Curriculum?

You'll find most linguistics graduate certificates are comprised of subjects such as these below. These are a mix of compulsory and optional courses including:

Phonology
Syntax
Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis
Knowledge Representation
Artificial Intelligence
Natural Language Processing
Introduction to Applied Linguistics
Methods of TESOL
Grammar for TESOL
Language Testing and Assessment
Curriculum Design & Materials Development
A History of the English Language
Spanish Language Development in North and Central America
Discourse Analysis
Language Minority Education
Sociolinguistics

What Type of Career Can I Pursue with an Online Linguistics Graduate Certificate?

Graduates of certificates in linguistics tend to end up in these types of jobs:

English Language Teacher: Teaching English to non-native speakers in the US and abroad through programs such as English as a Foreign Language.
Information Officer: The modern US is a cultural and linguistic diaspora. Indigenous and other minority groups may not always speak English as a first language and have different cultural expectations from official information.
Publishing: As a copyeditor, translator, editor, or proofreader for works translated from one language to another.
Speech Therapist: Also known as language therapists, this type of professional helps children and adults overcome speech problems and development issues.
Academia: Language and literature departments are a great destination for research into literature and culture relevance, or the development of languages over time.
Translator: Translators are necessary in a wide range of areas – in criminal and civil law, immigration services, public health, corporate outreach, and more.
Lexicographer: In this work, you will review and compile dictionaries. There is a lot of work here as language evolves and word usage changes.
Anthropology / Archaeology Research: Linguists are needed in heritage research in deciphering dead and ancestral languages. Linguistic analysis, for example, translated the Rosetta Stone.