Graduate Linguistic Programs at UAF

Motivated students with previous training in linguistics will find UAF an exciting place to pursue graduate work in linguistics. With faculty expertise in diverse areas ranging from second language aquistion to sociolinguistics to Alaska Native languages, graduates will find plenty of support for their research. Our location in the heart of Alaska provides a unique opportunity for fieldwork with Alaska's 20 Native languages. There are also numerous opportunities for indigenous language maintenance and revitalization work.

There are four options for pursuing graduate work in language areas:

1. M.A. in Applied Linguistics
2. The concentration in linguistic anthropology within the Anthropology M.A. program
3. The Language and Literacy specialization within the M.Ed. in Education
4. The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program (UAF Graduate School)

Faculty and students in the Linguistics Program are able to conduct their research using a variety of research facilities.

• The Alaska Native Language Center offers the most extensive collection of materials on Alaska Native Languages available anywhere in the world. Research scholars from countries such as Russia and Denmark regularly make use of these archives. Faculty associated with the ANLC teach specialized language courses, work on documentation projects, and serve on graduate student committees.
• The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library contains a wealth of material on many aspects of Linguistics.
• The Oral History archives contain audiotapes of interviews and class sessions with visiting Native elders and other sources which are useful for student projects.

Examples of recent and current graduate linguistic degrees pursued at UAF include

• M.A. in Applied Linguistics compiling a pedagogical dictionary of an Athabascan language
• M.A. in Applied Linguistics compiling Athabascan verb paradigms for use by language learners
• M.A. in Applied Linguistics designing curriculum for ASL classroom
• an M.A. degree in Linguistic Anthropology with a thesis describing codeswitching among Russian and English bilingual students;
• a case study on language planning in the Tanana Chiefs region for the Language and Literacy track of the M.Ed.
• a study of agentive/patientive distinctions in Kobuk Inupiaq for an interdiciplinary Ph.D. in Linguistics

If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in linguistics at UAF, contact a linguistics faculty member or send mail to linguist@www.uaf.edu.