Specialties include applied linguistics and the teaching of English as a second language as well as the traditional subfields of linguistics. Psycholinguistics courses are offered through the psychology department.

To earn the M.A. degree, students must complete at least 32 credit hours at the 800 or 900 levels, including one seminar course, and 4 credits of ENGL 998 Master's Paper, in which they are to produce a substantial scholarly paper. Unless the student already has a strong background in linguistic theory, the program of study must include one course in phonetics and phonology (ENGL 893 Phonetics and Phonology) and one in syntax and semantics (ENGL 894 Syntax). Reading knowledge of one foreign language is required. This may be demonstrated by passing a departmental examination or by receiving a grade of B or better in a fourth­-semester college-­level language course. Students whose native language is not English may be exempt from this requirement. The student's course of study must be approved by the program adviser