Department of Linguistics

Program Heads: Elizabeth Zsiga, Ph.D. 

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Computational Linguistics (CLI) is the scientific study of language from a computational perspective. It is an interdisciplinary field which draws on linguistic theory (phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) and computer science (artificial intelligence, theory of computation, programming methods), as well as, to a lesser extent, other disciplines such as philosophy, cognitive science, and psychology. CLI is a lively and intellectually vital scientific discipline, generating advances that shed new insight on models of human linguistic abilities, as well as creating opportunities for practical tools that can be of tremendous benefit to society.

Established in connection with Georgetown's pioneering research in the 1950's in Russian-English machine translation, Computational Linguistics at Georgetown offers a novel, theory-based, technology- aware program of study which prepares students for teaching and research in linguistics and computational disciplines as well as research and development positions in the growing field of information technology. 

The M.S. program requires 24 credits of coursework (8 courses), proficiency in one foreign language, and a Master's Thesis.  To complete a Master's Thesis, the student must submit a proposal to his/her advisor and to the Graduate School.  The thesis will be mentored by the faculty advisor with or without additional readers.  Upon completion, the Master's Thesis must be deposited in the Graduate School.  Students currently enrolled in the previous 36-credit MS in CLI should consult with their advisors. 

In particular, the M.S. coursework involves 4 required core courses (at least 2 in Linguistics and 1 in Computer Science), followed by another 4 elective courses that may be drawn entirely from computer science or linguistics, or a combination. Students may choose between completing 24 credit hours and a Master’s Thesis, or 30 credit hours and a Master’s Research Paper.  The language requirement may be satisfied by passing a programming languages proficiency examination.

The Ph.D. program requires 54 credits of coursework (18 courses), proficiency in one foreign language, a Qualifying Review, a Second Qualifying Paper (QP2), an Oral Examination, and a dissertation (see degree requirements, Ph.D.). Roughly half of the student's total Ph.D. coursework must be in computational linguistics (including courses in Computer Science and Cognitive Science).