Department of Linguistics
Head of Program : Balkız Başaran
Associate Department Heads: Ümit Atlamaz, Ömer Faruk Demirok
Professors : Balkız Başaran, Sumru A. Özsoy †, Eser E. Taylan †
Associate Professor : Didar Akar, Mine Nakipoğlu Demiralp, Elena Guerzoni
Assistant Professors : Ümit Atlamaz, Ömer Faruk Demirok, Stefano Celestino Canalis, Kadir Gökgöz, Metin Bağrıaçık.
Instructors :İlhan Aydemir*, Ekaterine Zaseshvili Akçın*, İsmail Avcı*, Gunda Ankvab*, Feride Korkmaz*
Assistants : Onur Keleş, Metehan Eryılmaz, Ömer Faruk Tabak, Mehmet Can Dadan
† Professor Emeritus
* Part Time
The Department of Linguistics offers a four-year program leading to a degree in Bachelor of Arts, a two-year program leading to a degree in Master of Arts, and a four-year program leading to a PhD in Linguistics.
The BA Program in Linguistics offers the tools for understanding the structure of natural languages and explores the foundations of linguistic theory. To this end, the first year of the program introduces the student to the basic conceptual notions of general linguistics, followed up in the second year by core courses in theoretical linguistics which form the basis of linguistic analysis. The third and fourth year courses reflect the diversity in linguistics, laying the groundwork for the various sub-fields. The program focuses both on the formation of critical thinking and on the methodology required to elicit linguistic data, and to analyze them thereby preparing the student to model natural languages. This will enable the student to pursue his or her interests in a wide range of areas such as the linguistic description of a particular language, the internal structure of grammar, structural characteristics of impaired language, language use in different contexts and the acquisition of first and second languages.
The undergraduate curriculum is a well-balanced program in the spirit of the liberal arts tradition of the university. The requirements for the completion of the program are 130/134 credits with a total of 17/19 linguistics courses covering a wide range of areas in linguistics. The remaining courses are taken from other departments, giving the students the opportunity to broaden their interests. Exposure to a language other than English and native language is also part of the curriculum.
Established
2014
ISCED Code
2
Educational goals and objectives
Students are expected to (1) develop awareness of the workings of natural languages and their function in society as well as their sociopolitical and historical aspects (2) acquire knowledge of linguistic phenomena and achieve a basic understanding of linguistic theorizing and hypothesis testing (3) attain research skills in analyzing linguistic data and relating linguistic structures to their functions in the language (4) achieve familiarity with the technologies used in linguistic data collection and analytics as well as language modeling
Admission and special requirements
Boğaziçi University accepts Turkish nationals with a high school diploma or equivalent through the central entrance examination conducted by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). International students are required to have a high school diploma or equivalent and submit SAT and TOEFL/IELTS/BUEPT scores. For further details, refer to http://intl.bogazici.edu.tr/?q=required-documents-undergraduate-application.
Acknowledgement of previous learning
ARTICLE 14 - (1) The credits of the courses taken by students at a higher education institution are transferred with the decision of the relevant board of directors and can be counted as a substitute for the obligations in the registered undergraduate program.
(2) The following rules are applied for course substitution:
a) The transfer of course credits with a grade of at least CC can be made by the relevant board of directors on the condition that they have been completed in a previous institution but are not counted towards a diploma degree, and students have been exmatriculated from that institution.
b) The maximum period for the completion of course substitution is determined by the relevant regulations and directives, provided that it does not exceed the beginning of the registration period of the semester following the semester in which the student is placed in the undergraduate program.
c) The transfer of the course credits taken by the students participating in the exchange programs in other higher education institutions is made with the decision of the relevant board of directors until the end of the add-drop period of the semester following the semester they return from the exchange program.
d) Courses taken at the Boğaziçi University are transferred with grades and credits.
e) Courses taken at another higher education institution are transferred with a grade of P for credit. In case the content of a course is the same as the content of a course offered at Boğaziçi University but the credits are different, the courses that are decided to be equivalent by the relevant department, based on theoretical, practical and laboratory hours, are given the credit of the course considered equivalent with the approval of the relevant board of directors.
Graduation requirements
The requirements for the completion of the program are 130/134 credits with a total of 17/19 linguistics courses covering a wide range of areas in linguistics. In order for a student to graduate from the program he/she is enrolled in and be entitled to receive a diploma;
a) Except for the summer semester, the student must spend the last semester registered at the University.
b) All the courses taken (credit or non-credit) must be completed with at least the letter grades DD or P.
c) The student must complete the amount of credit determined by the department with the courses taken at the University, provided that it is not less than half of the program graduation credit. However, in special cases, the University Administrative Board is authorized to take decisions.
ç) The Cumulative Grade Point Average must be at least 2,00.
For further details, see Boğaziçi University Undergraduate Education Regulations
Program learning outcomes
- Students will learn that human language is a complex system with cognitive, biological and socio-cultural dimensions
- Students will learn how to analyze the structural features of human natural languages within the domains of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics and to solve problems and comprehend their cognitive reflections
- Students will learn the types of texts that language creates within the tenets of social context and learn how to examine and criticize the functions of these texts within the domains of pragmatics and discourse studies
- Students will gain knowledge of experimental methods used in linguistic analysis, related software and ethical rules to be followed in research practices. They will attain the ability to apply theoretical models to experimental linguistic data, and share their quantitative and qualitative findings through publication or presentation
- Students will gain the technical knowledge and interpersonal communication skills necessary to collect linguistic data from native speakers, working individually or as part of a team, following the ethical rules of fieldwork. Students will learn to analyze the acquired data, to form theoretical hypotheses based on these data and to test them
- Students will develop an intellectual and critical perspective in reading, understanding and examining scientific and intellectual publications that are necessary both in academic life and lifelong learning
- Students will learn to apply the knowledge gained at the theoretical level to novel linguistic data and acquire the skills in analytical and critical academic writing, developing individual or joint projects, and presenting their work
- By attaining knowledge about the sub-fields of linguistics such as natural language processing, neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and historical linguistics, students will be able to explore the interdisciplinary dimensions of linguistics and develop the ability to make interdisciplinary connections as well as critical evaluation skills
- By gaining awareness of concepts such as language interaction, language change, multilingualism, individual and regional language differences, and language death, students will acquire the skills needed in linguistic research and education and develop real-life projects that can support the protection of endangered languages and linguistic diversity
- Students will acquire the essential academic knowledge and skills to conduct postgraduate research in linguistics or an interdisciplinary field that interfaces with linguistics
