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Graduate Student FAQ

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Thesis & Graduation

  • Our Graduate Manager, Sherri Hadfield, is available to answer questions. She can be reached at sherri.hadfield@byu.edu or 801-422-9010. Our Graduate Coordinators are also available for admissions advisement. We have one coordinator for each program, and their contact information is below:

  • When you apply to any BYU graduate program, you must apply through BYU Graduate Studies. Here is the link to the application instructions page through Graduate Studies:

    Application Information

  • Our application deadline for both programs is on February 15th each year.

  • The university requires that we let students know by June 1st, but it is likely that you will know before then.

  • Both of our programs start in the fall. Students without previous linguistics experience start in the summer to take an introductory linguistics course.

  • You may defer for a religious mission, medical, or military reasons. Other than that, you must attend the fall semester you are admitted.

  • The programs are not offered online. Classes are taught on BYU campus, and students must attend in person.

  • Yes, we welcome all majors to apply for both of our programs. If you have not had any previous experience with linguistics, you will be required to take a prerequisite course that gives a brief overview and introduction to linguistics the summer semester before you start the program. You will have to fulfill the language requirement during your program.

  • You only have to take the course if you have not had sufficient experience with linguistics. For example, some of our students are linguistics majors, linguistics minors, TESOL majors, or TESOL minors. These students do not have to take the prerequisite because they have taken linguistics courses before. To verify if you are exempt from the prerequisite, contact the graduate area coordinator for your program:

  • You must be available to take that course in the summer. If you have questions, contact Sherri Hadfield and the graduate coordinators.

  • Tuition usually increases every year at BYU. Here is the link to the tuition rates:

    Tuition Information

  • 8.5 or more credits is considered full-time for graduate students for fall and winter semesters. 4.5 or more credits is considered full-time for spring and summer terms.

  • No. As of Fall 2024 a GRE score is no longer required for those applying to either the Linguistics MA or TESOL MA program.

    Applicants may submit a GRE score if they have one, but again, it is not a requirement.

  • BYU accepts test scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, CAE, and E3PT. Please see the Graduate Studies website (gradstudies.byu.edu/page/english-proficiency) for more information about minimum score requirements. *Please note that for the TOEFL iBT, our department requires a minimum score of 90 (min. 23 in Speaking and min. 22 in Listening, Reading, and Writing). This differs from the University requirement.

  • There is a reading section, a listening section, a speaking section, and a writing section. Each section is out of 30 total points. The test is out of 120 total points.

  • Your TOEFL scores can be no more than 2 years old from the start of the program. (For example, if you are applying for Fall 2017, the latest acceptable scores would be from Fall 2015).

  • This is a special case that is addressed by the graduate coordinators and the graduate manager, Sherri Hadfield. If you feel that you do not need to take the TOEFL, or have a special circumstance, please contact Sherri at sherri.hadfield@byu.edu, 801-422-9010, and she will be able to help you.

  • Yes, our department still requires that you take the TOEFL if your first language is not English, even if you graduated from an English-speaking university. There are exceptions to this, but you will have to contact the department directly so they can evaluate your case.

  • No. You can submit your application before all your letters come in. We can re-notify your professors by email to send them in.

  • No. You can attach unofficial transcripts to your application. Once you are admitted, you will need to send your official transcripts to the address below:
    Graduate Studies
    Brigham Young University
    105 FPH
    Provo, Utah 84602

    • If you are admitted, you will need get them translated and then sent through BYU’s evaluation system. This goes through a company called the IERF (International Education Research Foundation). Here is the site for more information: http://www.ierf.org/byu-graduatestudies/.
    • Admitted applicants with international degrees and transcripts need to go to the IERF website and start an application and request a “Detailed Report” so that they can upload a scanned copy of their completed IERF credential evaluation report. Note: Non-legible scans will not be accepted. This report will provide us with information that includes your degree equivalency, GPA, and coursework. Documents should also include English translations.
    • You will need to submit all of your original documents to them (transcripts, mark sheets, examination certificates, academic records, original diplomas, degree certificates, etc.).
    • There is a fee of $165, and this does not include the translation. BYU has an agreement with the University Language Services to give discounts to applicants. Here is their website: https://www.universitylanguage.com/translations-for-ierf/.
      Here is the link for more info on the application process and how to submit transcripts etc.: https://gradstudies.byu.edu/admissions/transcripts
    • This is the IERF website to begin the application process: http://www.ierf.org/ 

  • IERF evaluations will be sent directly to BYU electronically. You should put your address down to get copies of the report for yourself and to get your original documents back from IERF.

  • We usually send out housing info shortly after the admission decisions have been made. Graduate students, much like married students, do not need to live in BYU-approved housing. They do need to accept and live the Honor Code, but they can live where they want.

  • Once a student is officially admitted, they will received email notification that there has been a change to their admittance status in Slate. When they click on that update and are notified that they have been admitted, they will accept or decline admission in Slate.

  • The letter we send out to our new admits lists an advisor and their email address. Newly admitted graduate students should contact their advisors by email to schedule an appointment.

  • We give all of our graduate students scholarship funding each semester. Although we do not decide the exact amount until a few weeks before each semester, we usually scholarship 40-60% of tuition for each student.

  • You will apply for scholarships through our website. For more information and to access the application, visit:

    Graduate Scholarships

  • Scholarships are awarded by credit hour, and the only classes that count towards your scholarship are your program classes. Classes that are not on your program of study will not be counted towards your credit hours for your department scholarship.

  • You do not have to be a full-time student to receive a scholarship. The scholarship will apply to any classes within your program, regardless of your full- or part-time status.

  • You can always re-submit a scholarship application or contact our office if you change classes. If the scholarship money you received looks wrong, please contact the Linguistics Department and we will try to fix the error. You can call us at (801) 422-2937, or email us at lingoffice@byu.edu.

  • We only offer one scholarship to each student each semester or term. You can always apply for university scholarships or scholarships from other organizations. For further financial support you can always apply for FAFSA/financial aid and see if you qualify.

  • US Citizens:

    Yes, you must be accepted into a graduate program and have at least 2 day-continuing credit hours during fall and winter semesters. For the spring and summer terms you must have either a combined total of 1 credit spring and summer, or a minimum of 2 credits for the following fall semester. Graduate students can work up to 28 hours a week in the fall and winter. During the spring and summer break you can work full time if your department has hours for you.

    International Students:

    Yes, but international students are a little different. You must be accepted into the graduate program and have at least 9 day-continuing credit hours fall and winter semesters, unless on an approved vacation break through International Student Services. International graduate students must have either a total of 4.5 credits each term for spring and summer, or be on an approved vacation and have a minimum of 9 credits for the following fall semester. International students need to be careful not to work over 20 hours a week or they will violate the regulations on their legal status, which results in their loss of the right to work in the US. Only on a break can they work full-time (more than 20 hours).

  • Yes, you need to get up to the 200 level in one language and the 300 level in the other. If your transcript shows courses of those levels, that fulfills the language requirement. Otherwise, you can take an OPI exam (Oral Proficiency Interview), or you can take one of the Challenge Exams on campus (which are available for a wide variety of languages). Note: This requirement can also be completed along with other course work, during the duration of your MA program, but it does not count towards the overall program requirement of 33 credits.

  • If English is your second language, you have already met this requirement. If English is your native language, you will need to prove competency in another language the same ways you can with the Linguistics MA program (see above). This requirement may be fulfilled while taking program coursework, but those language credits do NOT count toward the total credits needed for the program.

  • Graduate students have priority registration over undergraduate students. Registration always opens at midnight, but the date may change each semester. For current registration dates, visit:

    Registration Dates
    1. Go to the BYU homepage at http://www.byu.edu.
    2. Log on to myBYU by clicking on “myBYU” at the top right side of the homepage. Then when it brings you to a “Sign In” page, enter your net ID and password. (If you do not have a Net ID, go to the BYU website as listed above and click on the “myBYU” tab. Then follow the instructions to set up your Net ID.
    3. Click on the “MyMap” link located under the “School” drop-down menu, on the right side of the page.
    4. Click on the “Register” link on the right side of the top bar on the page. It says “Student Summary”, “Plan Courses” and then “Register”. Clock on the “Register” tab.
    5. Click on the semester or term for which you are registering and then click on “Add a Class.”
    6. Select the correct term or semester if you did not do so already and click “GO.” Then select the teaching area of the class you would like to add (for example, select “LING – Linguistics” to add a Linguistics class or "ELANG – English Language" to add an English language or English teaching class) and then click “GO.”
    7. Select the course you would like to add, and again click “GO.”
    8. When the desired course has been found, click the “A” to the left side of the section you would like to add to your schedule. (If no “A” appears under the A column, there are not seats available in the class, so you may need to click “W” to waitlist. Otherwise, you might see a “P,” which means you need a permission-to-add code to enter the class. Email our office to get those codes).
    9. After adding a class, return to the main “Register” page of MyMap. Repeat steps 5-8 to add additional classes to your schedule.

  • When you go to the registration page and you are on the page to add a class, you will see a “P” instead of an “A” next to the class section. Click on the “P”, and you can enter the code to add the class.

  • The hold on your account is a requirement the IRS made to all international students to provide their SSN or ITIN. You will have to clear the problem on your side. Follow these instructions:

    1. Go to www.mybyu.edu.
    2. Under "Personal" select "Personal Information". (If this does not appear for you, select the search bar in the top right corner and type "Personal Information", hit enter, and then click on "Personal Information" in the search results.)
    3. In the “Identifiers” tab, you will be required to enter your SSN. If you don’t have one, check the box that has a message about not having a SSN. After doing that, the hold will be cleared and you will be able to register for classes. Sometimes the system takes up to 5 minutes to clear a hold, so allow that time before you try registering again for classes.

  • The Department of Linguistics supports the university-level statement on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for academic and professional purposes. The department also expects students, faculty and staff to follow the Academic Honesty Policy. In addition, the department expects graduate students to follow the Graduate Studies Statement on Use of AI.

    The department encourages its instructors to clearly delimit what their expectations are with respect to the use or non-use of generative AI in their classes, and their students are encouraged to follow those expectations. Use of generative AI that is not consistent with the expectations of a given instructor is considered a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy.

  • The master’s thesis option involves writing and defending a thesis, which is traditional in many master's programs. The project option involves doing a project and then presenting their project to their committee, rather than writing and defending a thesis.

  • ETDs (Electronic Theses/Dissertations) are uploaded in Grad Progress.  For detailed instructions on formatting and uploading your ETD, go to “Resources” on your Grad Progress page.

  • Deadlines are posted in the Grad Handbooks and on the Graduate Resources page here. They are also emailed out to all graduate students at the beginning of each semester/term. 

  • If you do not get your ETD uploaded and approved by the deadline for the semester, you will not graduate and will have to enroll in an additional semester for at least 2 credits (usually thesis credits).  These additional credits are not covered by the department scholarship.

  • The link to apply is found on Grad Progress under Tools.

  • After your committee marks you as ready to defend in Grad Progress, contact them all to find a date and time that will work for everyone. Email that information along with the full title of your thesis to Sherri Hadfield (sherri.hadfield@byu.edu) at least 2 days prior to the time you want to defend, and she will schedule a time and room for you.

  • You are required to take at least 2 credits during the semester you defend. (The only exception to this is that if you defend Spring term, you only have to take 1 credit.) These are usually thesis credits. Any thesis credits above the 6 credits required for the program are not covered by the department scholarship.

  • If you are enrolled that semester in credits other than thesis credits that are on your program of study, you must pass those courses. Other than that, there is nothing else you need to do to graduate after you have successfully defended your thesis and your ETD has passed all approvals.