PhD Linguistics at University of South Carolina

Programme overview

Pursue original research as you prepare to teach in linguistics at any level. Work alongside our nationally and internationally recognized faculty to create new knowledge in the field. The linguistics doctoral program builds on your strong foundation in the field, leading toward valuable skills transferable to many careers.

Faculty: McCausland College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Linguistics | Duration: 15 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbia, SC, United States

What you will study

Train in traditional areas of formal linguistics and one of 10 specialization areas in our program including sociolinguistics, second language acquisition, psycholinguistics and historical linguistics. Our program is truly interdisciplinary with cross-training in methods from many disciplines along with clinical and applied fields. A dissertation is required.

Career pathways

Potential careers include Professor, Researcher, Academic Publisher, AI Language Modeler.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admissions (University of South Carolina Academic Bulletin): Required Documents Official Transcripts . Please submit transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate study. 3 Letters of Recommendation Personal Statement . Please ensure that your statement addresses the following questions, though you do not need to address them in the exact order below (maximum 1,000 words total). What kind of linguistic research do you see yourself conducting in graduate school? Be as specific as possible, offering examples as relevant. How have you learned about linguistics, whether through classes, readings, seminars, or other experiences? What insights have you gained that further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well-suited for this field? What relevant experience, training, or coursework do you have, given the type of research you wish to pursue (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, or formal research)? Are there any gaps...

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applications are accepted for Fall, Spring and Summer terms; Fall applications open the prior September, Spring applications open in January and Summer applications open in May.

The graduate application fee is $50 per primary application, reinstated effective August 1, 2026. Deadlines are programme-specific and listed per programme on the Degree Programs and Application Requirements pages.

Apply through the official page: https://www.sc.edu/admissions-at-sc/applications/index.php

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