This admissions cycle (for admission in fall 2025), due to budgetary restrictions, we will be able to admit at most one PhD student. Please take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to apply.
Our department offers programs of study for graduate students leading to the degree of Ph.D. in Linguistics, with tracks in General Linguistics or Computational Linguistics. See Graduate Programs for details about the program. For information on the application process, please see our FAQ's. Application instructions appear below. The next application cycle opens on September 1, 2024.
The Linguistics Department does not require GRE scores for applications.
Before applying, please review the UW Graduate School's policies and requirements for prospective applicants.
ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED via the Graduate School web site before the Linguistics Department December 16 deadline for all (domestic and international) applicants. Applications are accepted for the Autumn quarter only. Please note that applicants are responsible for tracking their application materials by logging on to the electronic online Graduate School application. The Department of Linguistics does not offer conditional admission pending submission of some required documents. All required information must be present before an application is considered.
Financial Aid and Assistantships Information
Required Application Materials
If you are an international applicant, please note item 6 below for important information about a policy change regarding the English proficiency requirement.
1. Electronic Application and fee. Apply Online
2. Statement of Purpose: Please write a one or two page statement presenting your objectives as a graduate student as well as any other information you feel would be relevant to your application, including whether you are interested in the General Linguistics Track or Computational Linguistics Track. See FAQ 1 and 10.
3. Sample of Your Work: All applicants should send papers or conference presentations of high quality.
4. Letters of Recommendation: Three letters, preferably from people familiar with your academic work and especially with your work in linguistics courses are required. You will be asked as part of the on-line application process to provide email addresses of your recommenders so they can upload these recommendations.
5. Upload electronic copies of transcripts from prior schools into the online application site either as a PDF file or scan the transcript.. All students who accept an offer into the PhD program must provide an official (sealed) transcript and degree statement (with date of award & title of degree awarded) for verification to Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) unless they graduated from the UW. For more information, see Official Transcripts Requirements.
6. English Proficiency Scores (IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS): Please refer to the following UW Graduate School memoranda on English proficiency requirements for international students. The Graduate School details which tests satisfy the requirement and the minimum scores. Note that international PhD applicants must meet BOTH the UW Graduate School English proficiency requirements detailed in Policy 3.2 and the spoken English proficiency requirements described in Policy 5.2 in order to be considered for admission. If your scores are below the required ones, please consider retaking the test before you apply.
Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements
Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English