506 Morphology Staff Morphology is the study of the structure of words and the overall lexicon for human languages. 510 Proseminar Staff Students read papers that have the status of recent classics in linguistic theory and present evaluative papers of their own. The goals of the course are to acquaint the students with a selection of the primary literature that forms the basis for current research, to give them experience in analyzing, evaluating, and presenting linguistic arguments, and, in the relevant cases, to prepare them for the general exams in linguistics. We investigate cases of parametric variation across languages as a means of understanding the universal principles of grammar. 550 Current Topics in Linguistic Theory Staff Current issues in syntax, semantics, morphology, or phonology.
Topics vary from year to year depending on the special interests of the instructor and students.
Joint Degree Option in Theoretical Linguistics Doctoral students may petition to take a course of study leading to a combined Ph.D. in their home department and theoretical linguistics. Requests to pursue the joint degree option will be reviewed and approved by the Program in Linguistics and the student's department. Approved students will have a portion of their general examinations devoted to theoretical linguistics and must have at least one member of the Program in Linguistics serve as a joint director and reader of the dissertation. Currently this option is available only to students in the linguistics section of the Slavic Languages and Literatures department.