Undergraduate Programs in Linguistics

What’s linguistics? In a nutshell, linguistics is about how we acquire languages, how we use them, and how we explain the way they are. It’s endlessly fascinating stuff.

SFU has a big diverse Linguistics Department. Many courses are taught by internationally recognized scholars. Every instructor is committed to top quality teaching.

You learn many valuable skills by studying linguistics. It’s a marketable degree if you’re imaginative and aggressive. Among the portable skills you can acquire through a study of linguistics are

  • how to construct logical arguments
  • how to achieve solutions to complex problems using clear, concise, coherent reasoning
  • inferencing strategies
  • how to improve your focus (linguistics requires a lot of attention to detail!)
  • co-operative, collegial behaviour: you have to work with your colleagues in some linguistics classes. You will have to do that big time when you leave the university, so get comfortable with it NOW.

Interested in Linguistics? 

Here's a checklist of courses that you will need to complete a major or an extended minor in our program:

Looking for courses? Current students can find course offerings on go.sfu.ca and in the current Calendar.

Looking for course outlines? Check out the Course Outlines database.

Looking for advising? Newly admitted students contact Academic Advising.

Looking to declare or already in a Linguistics program? See our Linguistics Undergraduate Advisor.

For general inquiries, please contact the Linguistics Department at lingdept@sfu.ca