Engage with the language myths and ideologies active in the U.S. to discover how language is one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination, and learn the key aspects of the linguistic system that support a positive perspective on linguistic diversity.
What You’ll Study in the Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics
Enter the captivating world of linguistics and learn to decode the intricacies of human communication. Study how languages work, create social relationships, and impact fields from evolutionary biology to artificial intelligence. Build the critical thinking and qualitative analysis skills essential for success at Reed and beyond with our bachelor of arts in linguistics.
Roadmap to the Linguistics BA at Reed
With its focus on language as a unique facet of human nature, linguistics bridges the divide between the cognitive sciences, social sciences, humanities, mathematics, logic, and philosophy. Take courses from the expert professors in our linguistics department, and complete language requirements and allied field classes to explore how languages vary across time and cultures.
Year One
Start Your Academic Journey
Explore the breadth of courses at Reed during your first year. Take your first linguistics class or explore options in allied fields, such as anthropology, mathematics, and psychology. You can also start to take courses for your foreign language requirement, choosing between Chinese, German, Latin, and more.
Finally, take Humanities 110, a yearlong course in which you study cultures and identities throughout history, engaging in rigorous intellectual inquiry and spirited debate. Through this cornerstone program, you are prepared for the serious academic work that happens at Reed.
Why Study Linguistics at Reed College?
Exceptional Program and Course Options
Linguistics at Reed has an interdisciplinary orientation: through the allied field and language requirements, you’ll naturally cross traditional academic boundaries. Led by our three expert faculty members, you'll be introduced to formal analysis to study syntax, intonation, sociolinguistics, and more.
Reed professors teach all our linguistics courses, which cover fascinating areas, such as linguistic discrimination, experimental phonetics and phonology, quantitative analysis, and field methods. Additionally, our department periodically offers classes on the structure of lesser-known language families and regions, such as Austronesia.
Lab of Linguistics
Gather data and experiment in the cutting-edge research environment of Reed’s Lab of Linguistics (LoL). Equipped with a state-of-the-art sound booth, recording equipment, and data collection tools, the LoL provides a dedicated space for you to participate in research.
Access the resources and support needed to develop essential research skills, from making recordings and conducting interviews to running experiments for your thesis.
Careers for Linguistics BA Graduates
Reed linguistics majors have the research and critical thinking skills to pursue a range of careers, including the following:
- Biomedical research assistant, Center for Spoken Language Understanding
- Designer, Cormius
- Director of programs and community relations, Communitas America
- Field instructor, Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy
- Linguistic consultant, at Arrival
- Linguistic data specialist, QuillBot
- Network security lead, Intel
- NLP research scientist, Nuance+Microsoft
Graduate Schools Attended by Reed Linguistics Alumni
With their strong academic skills, graduates of Reed’s linguistics major enroll at many prestigious universities, including:
- Columbia University
- Georgetown University
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Chicago
- University of Oregon
- University of Washington
Linguistic Diversity at Reed
Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in because of the way you speak? You’re not alone. Learn about the Reed Linguistic Diversity Project (RLDP), which combats linguistic bias on campus.