Joint Major in Psychology and Linguistics
The goal of this major is to introduce students to fundamental aspects of the study of psychology and linguistics, and in particular how these two perspectives on the study of language complement each other and inform human language usage. The major is particularly well suited for students interested in pursuing a graduate career in Cognitive Psychology, Linguistics, Communication, Cognitive Science, or Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Students completing the joint major (B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics) will be able to:
- Think critically about psychology and linguistic research on language,
- Describe and apply experimental designs and quantitative and qualitative methods in the fields of linguistics and psychology,
- Communicate effectively orally and in writing according to standards in the field, and
- Recognize situations in which ethical questions arise in psychology and linguistics, and apply appropriate standards.
For more info about the Psychology and Linguistics Major, contact:
Dr. Phillip Wolff (pwolff@emory.edu), Coordinator of the Joint Major
Dr. Robyn Clarke, (hrclark@emory.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies
Ms. Darnishia Bolden (dbolde2@emory.edu), Academic Degree Program Coordinator
Declaring the Joint Psychology & Linguistics Major
To declare the PSYCLING major, students must sign in to OPUS then select the Course Planning and Enrollment tile. Students declaring the joint major in Psychology and Linguistics will be required to maintain a “C” average (2.0) in their major and pass all courses with a “D” or better for them to count towards the major requirements. Courses taken to meet the requirements for the B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics may not be taken under the S/U option.
After the online DOM form is processed, students are assigned an academic advisor and should meet with that advisor on a regular basis to discuss courses to take to meet the requirements for the major. In addition, students should talk to their advisors about future career plans if they include graduate training in psychology, as there may be additional courses they should take for entrance to graduate school. Advisors will be available during pre-registration; however, advisors often have more time to spend with students at times other than pre-registration. We hope that students will take advantage of these times in scheduling appointments with their advisors.
Dr. Phillip Wolff is the coordinator of the joint major and can also answer questions. He may be reached at: 727-7140 or pwolff@emory.edu.
Required Courses
For students declaring on or after 8/1/2024: requirements are listed here.
For students who declared before 8/1/2024: requirements are listed here.
Course Descriptions
Independent Research
To arrange an independent study (LING 499 or PSYC 499), students should first identify a general topic area of interest and second, identify a potential faculty member with whom they would like to work. Students should contact a faculty member about arranging an independent study project towards the end of the semester BEFORE they plan to complete it.
Once a faculty member has agreed to supervise an independent research project, the faculty member and student will negotiate a project that both are interested in and that is a reasonable one for the student to complete within a semester’s time. Faculty member and student must complete the Directed Research/Study form and return it to Darni Bolden (202C Modern Languages) at least two days before Add/DropSwap ends.
Some of the questions that students may choose to investigate in their independent study project include (and there are many others):
- What enables humans to produce and understand sentences that they have never heard before?
- What are the basic building blocks of human languages?
- How do children learn language?
- How do people use language in multilingual contexts?
- Are some varieties of language better than others?
- How can problems with cross-cultural communication be alleviated?
- How are patterns of thinking shaped by language?
- Why do languages change over time?
- How do meanings get attached to words?