PhD Linguistics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The aim of the PhD program in Linguistics is to instruct students in the major areas of linguistic theory and the methods of linguistic analysis, and to prepare students to become independent researchers in one or more linguistic subfields. Admission Applicants to the PhD program in Linguistics must have completed a bachelor’s degree.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include LING 590 Special Topics in Linguistics; LING 504 Practicum; LING 599 Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants to the PhD program in Linguistics must have completed a bachelor’s degree. For the PhD program in Linguistics, undergraduate preparation should include the study of at least one foreign language; a course equivalent to LING 400 on this campus; and a broad background in the humanities, social sciences, or mathematics. Students may be admitted to the PhD program in Linguistics with or without a prior master’s degree in linguistics or a related field. Depending on the student’s prior preparation, they may be admitted either into Stage 1 of the PhD or into Stage 2 of the PhD. Students who who have completed a master’s degree in linguistics or a closely related field may be considered for admission to Stage 2 of the PhD program. Students without an approved prior master’s degree will only be considered for admission to Stage 1 of the PhD program. Students admitted to

Domestic applicants: USD 14,908 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $32,204. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 32,204 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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