语言学博士培养学生语言科学知识。学生将成为语言学的核心领域的专家-语音，语法和语义-并学习将这一核心与第二语言习得研究相结合。该计划为学生在学术界，工业界，政府以及与语言和第二语言习得有关的许多组织中的职位做准备。毕业生可能会成为研究和教学教授，语言学习计划的管理者以及计算语言研究的顾问。
The PhD in linguistics trains students in the science of language. Students become specialists in the core areas of linguistics-- phonology, syntax, and semantics --and learn to integrate this core with the study of second language acquisition. The program prepares students for positions in academia, industry, government, and a host of organizations concerned with language and second language acquisition. Graduates may become research and teaching professors, administrators of language-learning programs, and consultants in computational linguistic research.