FROM STUDY TO SKILLS
All academic programs offered at the UM help students develop valuable transferable skills. Linguistics applies the social sciences, the natural sciences, and the humanities to the study of all aspects of spoken and written language. It studies the sound patterns of language, how they are produced, perceived and used to give rise to words, how sentence structure is built and assigned complex meaning. It explores language use and its evolutions in diverse social and cultural settings, and how different language systems, including sign languages, develop throughout the world and through history.
As a Linguistics concentrator, you will develop academic, professional and technical skills that are useful across a wide range of professional settings. You will also receive a solid foundation for advanced work in graduate and professional school programs. Representative skills acquired by Linguistics students are listed below.
Related fields include Psychology, English, Foreign Languages, Education, Philosophy, Anthropology, Communication Studies, Computer Science, and Classical Studies.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Cross-Cultural Skills
Relating language to social, cultural and historical contexts
Understanding local and global perspectives
Adapting to and functioning in different cultural settings
Working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds
Communication Skills
Dealing with complexities of meaning and social uses of language
Understanding the properties of discourse
Understanding language change and variation
Organizing and explaining complex ideas
Presenting information effectively in speech and writing
Gaining insight into human-computer interaction
Analytical Skills
Critically interpreting spoken and written language
Analyzing and interpreting data
Identifying patterns
Observing people and their behavior
Evaluating evidence
Comparing interpretations
Research Skills
Constructing and applying theories
Using data as evidence, comparatively or historically
Working with research subjects
Applying methodologies from many disciplines
Working in interdisciplinary settings
BUILDING YOUR SKILLS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Employers seek out individuals who can demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills, initiative, and a strong work ethic. Linguistics students further develop such skills by combining their coursework with on and off-campus work, and by participating in research groups and projects, internships, and volunteer work outside the classroom.
Participation in the Linguistics Club and other academic or student organizations offer valuable opportunities to add to your skills. Study abroad experiences are particularly helpful to improve language proficiency and hone intercultural skills. Finally, a professional internship is an excellent way to test out a career field and develop marketable skills.
FROM SKILLS TO CAREER
In our increasingly interconnected world, the skills you gain as a Linguistics concentrator will strongly prepare you to succeed in a number of careers, such as research, business, and other professional fields. A representative list of occupational areas chosen by linguistics graduates can be seen below. Many graduates also go on to academic graduate programs in fields ranging from linguistics to psychology to languages, or to professional or masters programs in speech pathology, language education, information science, business, medicine, or law.
Cross-Cultural Skills
Anthropologist 
English as a Second Language instructor
Foreign language teacher
GED instructor
International affairs specialist
International student support staffer
Translator / interpreter
Communication Skills
Advocate (non profit organizations)
Adult literacy instructor
Business communication specialist
Dialect coach
Editor / publisher
Language teacher
Speech pathologist
Technical writer
Analytical Skills
Cryptographer / cryptanalyst
Information science specialist
Marketing consultant
Lawyer
Neuroscientist
Physician
Psychologist
Software developer
Speech Recognition / synthesis specialist
Research Skills
Computer programmer
Lab manager
Lexicographer
Market researcher
Research associate
Research scientist
Technical writer
= Further Study Required
For more career information, see O*Net at http://online.onetcenter.org/
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Students concentrating in Linguistics take a 200-level prerequisite course and three required courses, one each in the core areas of phonetics/phonology, syntax, and semantics, in addition to 21 other credits of Linguistics courses. The Department also offers a fifteen-credit minor (with a 200-level prerequisite) along with an Honors concentration. For more information about the concentration and minor, contact the Linguistics Department.
Department of Linguistics
440 Lorch Hall
734-764-0353
www.ling.lsa.umich.edu
Newnan Advising Center
1255 Angell Hall
734-764-0332
www.lsa.umich.edu/advising
NEXT STEPS / RESOURCES
To learn more about the Linguistics undergraduate program, undergraduate research and internship opportunities, visit the undergraduate section on the department’s webpage: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/linguistics/
To begin connecting to professionals in fields that interest you, create your own LinkedIn account:
www.careercenter.umich.edu/article/getting-started-linkedin
To identify internships or job opportunities, visit Handshake: https://careercenter.umich.edu/article/handshake
Maize Pages list hundreds of organizations for students to get involved in: http://studentorgs.umich.edu/maize
On-campus jobs (work-study and non work-study jobs) are listed at:
https://studentemployment.umich.edu/JobX_Home.aspx
The Career Center
3200 Student Activities Building
734-764-7460
www.careercenter.umich.edu
www.facebook.com/careercenter.umich
http://twitter.com/careercenter
The Career Guide series was developed by the University of Michigan Career Center, Division of Student Affairs, in cooperation with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. ©2011 Regents of the University of Michigan