The bachelor’s in Linguistics & Computer Science is designed to provide students with the background for work in the field of computational linguistics or natural language processing. It focuses on the relationship between computer and human language and computational techniques applied to natural language. It includes instruction in computer programming and linguistics and linguistic analysis. The program consists of a core of required courses in computer science, math, and linguistics. Electives can be taken in either department. Students will take courses specific to natural language processing and a practicum in their senior year.
The BS in Linguistics & Computer Science requires a minimum of 108 credit hours to complete the following requirements.
Required Courses: Linguistics (40 credits)
- Ling 332U “Do I talk wrong?" Language Myths in the USA or Ling 232 Language and Society or Ling 432 Sociolinguistics
- Ling 390 Introduction to Linguistics
- Ling 391 Introduction to Applied Linguistics or Wr 227Z Technical Writing
- Ling 421 Applied English Grammar
- Ling 415 Linguistic Phonetics
- Ling 411 Syntax
- Ling 418 Linguistic Morphology or Ling 419 Language Typology
- Ling 414 Linguistic Pragmatics
- Ling 476 Corpus Linguistics
- Ling 409 NLP Practicum
Required Courses: Computer Science (40 credits)
Lower Division (24 credits)
- CS 161 Introduction to Programming and Problem-Solving
- CS 162 Introduction to Computer Science
- CS 163 Data Structures
- CS 205 System Programming and Architecture
- CS 250 Discrete Structures I
- CS 251 Discrete Structures II
Upper Division (16 credits)
- CS 302 Programming Methodologies and Software Implementation
- CS 350 Algorithms and Complexity
- CS 445 Machine Learning
- CS 444 Natural Language Processing
Other Required Courses (16 credits)
- Mth 251Z Differential Calculus
- Mth 252Z Integral Calculus
- Stat 451 Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists I
- Mth 261 Introduction to Linear Algebra
Advisor-approved NLP elective (4 credits)
One advisor-approved NLP elective course (4 credits) must be taken. The possible courses will change as the NLP industry evolves. Some examples may include CS 410 Topic: Adventures in Natural Language Processing (4), CS 410 Topic: Large Language Models (4), etc.
Other Electives
Choose 8 credits from the following:
- CS 305 Social, Ethical, and Legal Implications of Computing
- CS 410 Spoken Language Interfaces
- CS 466 Voice Assistants
- Ling 433 Psycholinguistics
- Ling 416 Discourse Analysis
- Ling 412 Phonology
- Ling 417 Endangered Languages
Additional courses may be approved by an advisor.
Other Requirements
Students must satisfy all university requirements for the BS degree; including the residency requirement; and maintain a 2.5 grade point average in the major. All courses used to satisfy major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and must be graded C- or better.
By the end of the first quarter of admission to the program, students must consult with the advisor to select the appropriate courses.
Total Credit Hours: 108