The Program

The Linguistics Department offers a 15-credit Certificate in American English Linguistics to students who complete a program of courses focused on the structure, usage, and dialects of American English. This Certificate is open to anyone, matriculated and non-matriculated students, regardless of whether they have been admitted to a degree program at UMass Amherst. The requirements can be completed entirely in the classroom, or with a combination of online and classroom courses. For online course offerings, see http://www.umassonline.net/.

You can direct inquiries about the Certificate to the Linguistics Department certificate coordinator, Magda Oiry. You don’t have to apply for admission for the Certificate, but it would be nice for you to let us know that you intend to pursue it. Once you have completed the requirements, you must contact the certificate coordinator to arrange for award of the Certificate.

Required courses

Course Catalog Number	Course Title	Credits	How offered
LINGUIST 101	People and Their Language	4	Online and classroom
LINGUIST 201	How Language Works: Introduction to Linguistic Theory	3	Online and classroom

Elective courses

A total of 8 credits chosen from:

Course Catalog Number	Course title	Credits	How offered
LINGUIST 350	Syntax and Dialects of English	3	Classroom
LINGUIST 370 (formerly 390C)	The Sounds of Englishes	4	Classroom
LINGUIST 401	Introduction to Syntax	3	Classroom
LINGUIST 389 (formerly 390D)	Introduction to African American English	4	Classroom and online
LINGUIST 411	Introduction to Language Acquisition	4	Classroom

The Certificate requires 15 credits based on the number of credits received at the time the course was taken. Substitutions and variations will be considered. Contact the certificate coordinator, Magda Oiry.