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General Information

The Department of Linguistics at the University of New Mexico offers the degrees of B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Linguistics, with concentration in Native American languages. The Department offers courses in all aspects of linguistics with a particular emphasis on languages of the Southwest.

The Department recognizes a commitment to promote and investigate the application of linguistic theory to educational and social concerns. It is concerned with providing the best and most appropriate linguistic training possible for students who intend to work or pursue research in the fields of education, language policy, and language planning. Because it operates within the multicultural context of the state of New Mexico, the Department of Linguistics bears a particular responsibility to the linguistic communities which it serves.

The Department's primary goals are: 1) to cultivate, within the limits of community-defined propriety, the study and use of local languages, particularly those whose futures are not assured, and 2) to make the tools of linguistic methodology and the professional resources of the Department accessible to these communities, especially by actively involving them and their individual members in the educational programs of the department.

Courses in Native American Linguistics at UNM

The department offers a range of general linguistics courses and courses in applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics. Some emphasis in these courses is placed upon the role of language in culture and society, particularly in the Southwest, and upon the educational applications of the language sciences. Courses of particular interest to students of Native American languages include:

  • Ling 331/531 Language in Society
  • Ling 359/559 Language and Culture
  • Ling 413/513 Linguistic Field Methods
  • Ling 415/515 Native American Languages
  • Ling 435/535 Societal Bilingualism

The Navajo Program

Courses in the Navajo Program in the Department of Linguistics at UNM include Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced Navajo language, Basic Medical Navajo, Written Navajo, Creative Writing and Advanced Reading, and Navajo Linguistics. Some of these courses are not offered on a regular basis, however, and students are advised to contact the Department for information on availability.

NCC Students

The Department of Linguistics at the University of New Mexico is particularly pleased to welcome students from Navajo Community College (NCC). The Department recognizes the important contribution that Navajo language study at NCC can provide to the program as a whole at UNM. Credit for coursework at NCC will transfer automatically for the equivalent courses at UNM and can be applied towards the degree at UNM. Information on equivalence between UNM courses and those at NCC can be obtained from the Department.

Other Indigenous Languages of the Southwest

The Department of Linguistics hopes to develop, subject to student and/or community interest, language and literacy courses specific to the other indigenous languages of the Southwest, including Apache, Keresan, and the Tanoan Pueblo languages.

Admissions Information

Admission for those interested in the Native Linguistics/Navajo concentration/emphasis is to the general Linguistics program.

Information on admission to the M.A. program

Information on admission to the Ph.D. program