Applelinguist … the apple that started it all

University of Maryland

Focus / Concentrations:               Theoretical, Computational, Psycholinguistics

Department / College:                   Department of Linguistics

The University of Maryland has three areas of focus: Theoretical Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, and Psycholinguistics. The University of Maryland had a strong presence at the 2010 LSA Conference in Baltimore, but what’s more impressive is that at the 2009 LSA Conference in San Francisco, there were a number of presenters from the University of Maryland with very sophisticated and audience-friendly presentations.

The University of Maryland focuses on syntax, semantics, morphology, psycholinguistics, and computational linguistics. According to the University of Maryland, it has “the most extensive lab resources of any linguistics program, and they are housed together in a large (5000+ sq ft) center that all faculty and students share.” The Linguistics Department at the University of Maryland has numerous brain-imaging technologies, two eye-tracking labs, labs for working with infants and toddlers, and close ties to an on-campus lab preschool, and an array of additional resources for behavioral and computational studies. The University of Maryland is a great place to combine theoretical, experimental, and computational sub-fields.

One of the reasons why College Park is such a strong place to study linguistics relates to its connected to a multi-department network of language science groups, and half a dozen departments. Linguistics students often earn a Certificate in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science in addition to the Linguistics PhD. The Linguistics Department recently won an NSF “IGERT” training grant ($3M) for interdisciplinary graduate training.

Maryland offers five years of funding support to all incoming students and as a department offers some of the highest levels of support of any public university. PhD students can also receive ample travel support.