Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)
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Overview
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists are interested in questions such as the following:
- What are the structural properties of languages, at the level of sounds, words, sentences, and meaning?
- To what extent are the languages of the world similar or different?
- How is language acquired, by children and in adulthood?
- How is it processed in the mind/brain?
- How do people produce and perceive speech?
- How do languages change over time?
Linguistics is a highly interdisciplinary field which combines research methods from the humanities and the social, natural, and mathematical sciences.
Research in the Department covers a broad range of topics, with substantial coverage of syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, phonology, and pragmatics. We approach these topics from several different research traditions and backgrounds, with particular strengths in formal-theoretical linguistics, experimental and field linguistics, acquisition, and computational approaches to the study of communicative behaviour. These research areas intersect and overlap considerably, and faculty and students are often simultaneously involved in more than one area. This is part of the attention paid to interfaces between traditional subfields of linguistics and methodological traditions (e.g., laboratory phonology, gesture and speech and learning), one of the great strengths of the Department.
The Department also has a strong commitment to the study of Languages of the Americas, with particular focus on First Nations Languages of Canada, in the areas of documentation and theoretical research, something for which it is well known. Research is not restricted to Languages of the Americas, however; the department also has a long history of work on African languages and there is ongoing research on languages within the Indo-European, Japonic, Sino-Tibetan, and Uralic families as well as Korean.
What makes the program unique?
Our linguists focus on data in all its forms – not just fieldwork, but also high-quality research in labs with cutting-edge resources and tools, such as those found and developed in the Child Phonology Lab, the Interdisciplinary Speech Research Lab, the Language and Learning Lab, the Speech In Context Lab, and the Experimental Linguistics and Fieldwork Lab (ELF-Lab).
Students in the Department of Linguistics are given the opportunity to head out into the field and get their hands dirty. Many of the members of our department, from undergrads and grad students to post-docs and faculty members, work directly with language consultants to describe, analyze and revitalize the languages of the world.
Linguists in the department have active working relationships with scholars from many different disciplines and from across the UBC campus, across the country, and across the world.
Our students are actively engaged in research from the moment they enter the department, and they have an excellent track record of publishing and presenting their work at national and international conferences.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 90
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is optional.
Prior degree, course and other requirements
Prior Degree Requirements
Applicants to the PhD program are normally required to have a Master’s degree, or at least one year of training at the graduate level. In exceptional cases, applicants with only a Bachelor’s degree who have very strong grades may be admitted to the PhD program. However, the more common route for applicants without a Master’s degree who are interested in pursuing doctoral studies is to apply for a transfer directly into the second year of the PhD program after completing the first year of the MA program.
Course Requirements
Applicants are expected to have done substantive coursework in the areas of linguistics that form the theoretical core of our program: syntax, phonology, phonetics, and semantics. These would roughly be the equivalent to UBC’s undergraduate courses: LING 300, 311, 313, and 327. A formal logic course may be substituted for LING 327. Students who lack background in one or two of these areas may still be admitted, but will have to take the relevant undergraduate courses during the first year of their program. Your application can be further strengthened by additional coursework in other areas of linguistics, training in linguistic fieldwork or experimental methods, and courses in neighbouring disciplines (such as psychology, philosophy, computer science, anthropology, or individual languages).
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
18 October 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
The Department of Linguistics guarantees funding of $30,000 plus the cost of tuition per annum for the first five years of the Ph.D. program to all students accepted to our graduate programs.
Please note that as a condition for receiving this funding you will be expected to apply for any scholarships you are eligible for, either UBC-internally or from your home country.
Funding packages are made up of scholarships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships depending on individual students, year of study, and the financial resources of the department.
Average Funding
- 15 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 15 students was $11,724.
- 10 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 10 students was $14,683.
- 4 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 4 students was $6,612.
- 18 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 18 students was $14,833.
- 3 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 3 students was $20,333.
Review methodology
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Outcomes
31 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 3 graduates are seeking employment; for 1 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 27 graduates:
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (3)University of Victoria (2)
Macquarie University
Srinakharinwirot University
University of Montana
University of Ghana
University of Ottawa
Shizuoka University
Qatar University
City University of Hong Kong
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
ZAS, BerlinSample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Shiatsu TherapistFounder, CEO
Researcher
ESL Instructor
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 53 | 66 | 84 | 61 | 92 |
| Offers | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| New Registrations | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Total Enrolment | 32 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 32 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
Doctoral Citations
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr. Schellenberg examined how Cantonese and Mandarin singers express speech tones during singing. He showed that Cantonese singers add in extra tonal information missing from the written music, and Cantonese listeners use this information in understanding the sung words. Also, Mandarin singers and listeners do not incorporate speech tones in music. |
| 2013 | Dr. Szakay investigated how a bilingual person's first and second languages are connected in the mind. She studied English-Maori bilingual New Zealanders, and established a new type of connection based on the ethnic dialect of a speaker. Her results have practical implications for facilitating language processing in the second language classroom. . |
| 2013 | Dr. Yamane used ultrasound imaging to test whether certain consonants in Japanese that were thought to vary in their production actually have a specific tongue position. Her study revealed that speakers use individualized tongue postures to make these sounds. This research illuminates a hidden contrast in how speakers distinguish sounds in language. . |
| 2012 | Dr. Thompson studied the structure of sentences in Halkomelem, a Central Salish language. His conclusions provide insights into the way in which phrases and sentences are built. This work will assist grammarians and contribute to the body of knowledge around First Nations languages. |
| 2011 | Dr. Derrick described four distinct types of tongue-tip motion used in the production of English flap sounds. He explained why speakers used these categorically different tongue movement strategies in their speech by identifying motor constraints that govern this variation, including gravity, myoelasticity, conflicts between nearby tasks, and variability in individuals' motor skills. |
| 2011 | Dr. Fujimori discovered a correlation between sound and meaning in NATIVE Japanese verbs that had not previously been recognized. Native speakers of Japanese use Vowels such as e and u to denote that an event ends while vowels such as i and o denote that an event continues. This fact sheds new light on how verbs are formed and how languages differ. |
| 2011 | Dr. Christodoulou investigated the linguistic performance of Cypriot-Greek individuals diagnosed with Down Syndrome and established that their grammar is not an impaired version of the adult or child Cypriot-Greek Grammar, as previously suggested. She showed that the majority of the purported grammatical differences are the result of articulation difficulties associated with Down Syndrome. |
| 2011 | Dr. Johannsdottir's study in the field of semantics focussed on constructions called the progressive, in both Icelandic and English. The rarely studied Icelandic constructions are both similar and dissimilar to that of the well-studied English progressive. The research surfaced interesting puzzles, and provided possible solutions. |
| 2011 | Root categorization provides an insight into the structure of a language. Dr. Armoskaite explored categorization in Blackfoot (Algonquian) and Lithuanian (Baltic). The distinct paths of categorization revealed that the concept of "category" is a feature driven construct rather than a primitive. |
| 2011 | Dr. Jacobs investigated verbs in the Squamish language with control meanings - like "intentionally" or "accidentally" - and demonstrated that these verbs essentially mark either the beginning or the ending of an event. He argued that control meanings are derived from inferences made about whether the beginning or ending of an event is described. |
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Linguistics covers the core areas of phonetics, phonology, semantics, and syntax with the possibility of specializing in First Nations languages, African languages, first language acquisition, and experimental linguistics as well as specialized interaction with other disciplines such as art, computer science, music, philosophy, and psychology in the cognitive systems stream.
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September 2025 Intake
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