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Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog

Computational Linguistics, MA
Degree Awarded: Master of Arts in Computational Linguistics
 
Chairperson: Francisco Ordóñez , Social and Behavioral Sciences S-233, Francisco.ordonez@stonybrook.edu
Program Director: Jordan Kodner, Social and Behavioral Sciences N-247, jordan.kodner@stonybrook.edu
Department Administrator: Brian Frank, S-201 Social and Behavioral Sciences, (631) 632-7777, brian.frank@stonybrook.edu
Graduate Coordinator: Michelle Carbone, S-201 Social and Behavioral Sciences, (631) 632-7774, michelle.carbone.1@stonybrook.edu
 

The Stony Brook Linguistics Department, in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a leading center for research and training in all areas of modern linguistics. The Department offers graduate training that leads to the M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics, the M.A. in Computational Linguistics, and the M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

The department has a long-standing focus on theoretical linguistics, with core research areas in syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology,phonetics, and language acquisition, and particular strength in Computational Linguistics. Departmental research includes both theoretical issues- how the human language capacity is organized - and computational ones - how language is processed and computed by humans and what the computational complexity of natural language is. In addition to the full range of theoretical and computational areas of linguistics, faculty have expertise in a wide range of languages/language areas including, East Asian, Germanic, Romance, Semitic, Slavic and signed languages.

The MA in Computational Linguistics focuses on core competencies in programming, algorithms and data structures, mathematical linguistics,linguistic theories of sound and grammar) and the computational analysis of natural language. Students will also have practical experience with existing software solutions and tool kits that are widely used in the Computational Linguistics industry.

Admission Requirements

Admissions Deadline: MA Computational Linguistics: May 1

For admission to all graduate program in the Department of Linguistics, the following, in addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements,are normally required:

  1. Baccalaureate Degree: Students must present evidence that such a BA or BS degree will be awarded by the time they begin graduate work. A final transcript is required prior to registration.
  2. Minimum grade point average of 3.0: A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (or its foreign equivalent) on a 4-point scale is required.
  3. Recommendations: Three letters of recommendation are required.
  4. Graduate Record Examination (GRE): The GRE is not required for the MA LIN, the MA CompLing, the MA TESOL, and the PhD in Linguistics.
  5. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  6. Writing Sample:

MA CompLing: The writing sample may take one of two forms: (a) a short paper written for a previous course, ideally related to language,mathematics, or computation, or (b) a 2-page document describing a completed or ongoing programming project, including a link to an online repository hosting the code.

  1. Foreign Language Requirement:

MA programs: Native speakers of English must provide evidence of at least one year (or six credits) of study of one language other than English at the college level with a grade of C or better. Students who are seeking New York State certification will need to satisfy additional requirements for foreign language study before receiving certification.

  1. English proficiency (for students whose native language is not English):
  • MA Comp Ling: 250 (computer), 90 (iBT TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS)

Please note that non-native speakers who are seeking New York State certification must achieve a speaking component score of 28 (iBT) or the equivalent.

Note: For all programs, students who do not meet the above requirements may be admitted conditionally. Their status will be reviewed after their first semester of graduate study.

Degree Requirements

The MA in Computational Linguistics is a 36-credit coursework degree consisting of multiple components.

Core courses:

(12 credits, required):

Formal methods:

(1 of the following: 3 credits):

Advanced Linguistics:

(1 of the following not taken as another requirement: 3 credits)

Electives

Students must take four elective courses for 12 credits. Electives can not be taken as a Core or Advanced Linguistics course offered above.

Electives can be taken in Linguistics or other departments, with approval of the Program Director.

Final project

Students must also complete a final project as part of LIN 595 . (6 credits)

Courses that appear in more than 1 category multiple cannot be used to satisfy multiple requirements at once. For example, if LIN 522  is taken aspart of the core sequence, it cannot be used to satisfy the linguistics requirement.