Bachelor of Arts, Language and Linguistics Specialization
This specialization offers a comprehensive exploration of human language, covering core areas of linguistics including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, sociolinguistics, and more. With its emphasis on critical thinking, data analysis skills, and collaboration, this program is ideal for students looking to integrate linguistic expertise into a wide variety of fields including education, speech pathology, psychology, and technology.
Students will:
- Demonstrate (In all courses) by clear writing and discussion an understanding of the core areas of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, historical linguistics and sociolinguistics.
- Demonstrate by formula analysis and writing the detailed interactions of phonetics and phonology as they are manifested in English and other typologically organized phonetic and phonological systems.
- Demonstrate by tree analysis, phrase structure rule analysis, transformational analysis and writing a detailed understanding of the principles and parameters approach to syntactic description and explanatory theory as these apply to at least SVO, SOV, and VSO languages.
- Demonstrate in speech and through writing a firm grasp of the impact of cultural and historical events on the development of the language; and demonstrate through linguistic analytical methods and writing a detailed understanding of phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and orthographic changes in the major periods of the history of the English language.
- Demonstrate understanding of the major components of the methods and fieldwork techniques commonly used in linguistic research; articulate through data analysis and writing the interaction of language and society as theorized in sociolinguistics, gender studies and discourse analysis.
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Bachelor of Arts in English, Literature Specialization
Students in the Literature program study literature from various angles, preparing for careers in fields like law, teaching, writing, and more, or for graduate studies. Courses cover historical periods, authors, themes, and genres, emphasizing diversity and societal contexts. The curriculum fosters skills in analysis, critical thinking, and offers electives in writing or linguistics, with introductory courses focusing on foundational skills and upper-level ones on advanced analysis and research.
Students will:
- Analyze the development of different genres from the medieval period to the present and explain their distinctive features.
- Write lucid, well-constructed arguments analyzing and interpreting texts.
- Analyze a literary work in its cultural and historical contexts.
- Articulate the premises and assumptions of different critical approaches and apply them to literature texts using literary-critical vocabulary effectively.
- Demonstrate the relevance of linguistic principles and the history of language to the study of literature.
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Bachelor of Arts in English, Writing Specialization
English-Writing majors explore various rhetorical forms, from technical to creative writing, and gain experience in editing, publishing, and document design. With a focus on critical thinking and collaboration, graduates are equipped for careers in editing, publishing, technical writing, or further studies in creative writing, rhetoric, and law. The program's versatility allows for integration with other majors, with many students opting for double majors to complement their writing skills.
Students will:
- Draft documents that demonstrate clear purpose, responsibility to audience, and adherence to generic and stylistic conventions.
- Reflect on their own writing and apply alternative strategies to the continued development of that process.
- Identify and evaluate an author’s purpose and choice of audience, genre, and strategies of support.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the variety of professional situations in which they will be writing when they leave the undergraduate program.
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Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts, Secondary Education and English
The PACKTeach Secondary Education and English program prepares aspiring teachers with the knowledge and skills needed for success in today's classrooms. Students develop critical reading, analytical thinking, and effective writing abilities while exploring major literary movements and language concepts. Graduates are equipped to excel as teachers, editors, writers, and researchers in the discipline of English and related professional fields, particularly in grades 7-12 education.
Students will:
- Develop a strong foundation of knowledge about teaching and learning;
- Display a love of learning;
- Value democracy and pluralism; and
- Engage in reflective practice about one's growth as a teacher.
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Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in English, Computational Linguistics
The B.S. in Computational Linguistics offers an interdisciplinary curriculum encompassing language studies, computer programming, mathematics, and cognitive psychology. Students engage in coursework covering phonology, syntax, sociolinguistics, machine learning, and more, preparing them to investigate human language using computational tools and techniques. Upon graduation, students are equipped to develop linguistic models, analyze language data, and contribute to various applications such as computer-aided translation and language analysis.
Students will:
- Apply computational methods to the analysis of human language data.
- Analyze the grammatical structure of human languages at the syntactic, morphological, and phonological levels.
- Evaluate the linguistic adequacy of software applications.
- Demonstrate an Intermediate-Mid to High language proficiency in Spanish or French.
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BA/MA Accelerated Program, English
The accelerated BA/MA program encourages outstanding students in the English BA program at the University of Nevada, Reno to obtain an MA degree in a shorter amount of time. During the final year of undergraduate coursework, up to 12 credits of graduate-level coursework may be applied to both the BA and the MA degrees.
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Minor in English
The Department of English offers programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in English. The programs provide a strong liberal arts education; prepare students for careers in education, writing, business, publishing and more; and enable them to compete for graduate programs.
English minors: