With its Master Course officially created in 1975 and its PhD in 1979, the Graduate Program in Linguistics at UNICAMP combines its strong tradition with a concern for constant innovation.
Having a very strong theoretical profile, the program also presents a great analytical interest on different linguistic phenomena and language facts, as well as on several languages in addition to Brazilian Portuguese.
The program is characterized by investing in research and on the training of researchers both in recognized areas of Linguistics, as well as in related and interdisciplinary areas, a fact that can be observed in the current areas and research topics offered by the program.
The areas of research currently available are:
(1) Form and Function of Natural Languages, encompassing the fields of Phonetics and Phonology, Grammar, Semantics and Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Indigenous Languages and Historical Linguistics; (2) Classical Studies - area including Latin and Ancient Greek and their literatures, addressed according to different theories; (3) Discourse and Text Analysis, including the fields of Discourse Analysis and Text Linguistics; (4) Language and Thought - area that brings together Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics and Language Acquisition; and finally (5) Language, History and Knowledge, which deals with the History of Linguistic Ideas.
It is a diverse program that aims at putting different areas in contact, leading to the development of research that can greatly benefit from this multidisciplinary exchange.
This feature of the Graduate Program in Linguistics translates into ten research centers, located at the Institute of Language Studies, with the direct participation of faculty and students of the program, as well as several guest researchers.
In this sense, the program encourages its students to become active researchers and participants as they begin their courses and welcomes students not only with a degree in Language and Linguistics, but also in other areas of knowledge.
The Program's variety of research interests is reflected in the topics of more than 1,100 dissertations and theses written since the creation of the Master's and Doctorate degree programs, all of which have been digitalized and are available for public access at the UNICAMP's Digital Library.
The program has historically shown a strong tendency in placing its graduates in tenure-track positions of well-known institutions.
The last few years have also known an increasing participation of students and faculty in international conferences and events as well as in research groups abroad.
In part this results from the maintenance of agreements with numerous prestigious institutions abroad, opening up opportunities for our students to have contact with researchers from other institutions as well as undertaking internships during their course.
The application process happens annually, starting in the middle of the year, through the publication of a notice in the Program's website.
All of those who hold an undergraduate degree can apply and the program does not require the Master's degree for enrollment in the Doctorate program.
Currently, the admission process involves a few steps.
The applicant must, when signing up, include a research project (expectations, and specific instructions for the Master's and Doctorate projects are published in the public notice).
Brazilian and non-English or French native speaker applicants must take a foreign language proficiency test, either in English or French, and if approved, their research project will be evaluated. Non-Portuguese speakers must attest proficiency in the language. If the applicant passes the test, he or she will be called for an interview with a panel of three faculty members.
The Master's degree student is expected to complete the course in 24 months, having a maximum period of 30 months for its completion.
In the case of the Doctorate degree, the student is expected to complete the course in 48 months, having a maximum period of 54 months for its conclusion.
Applicants well ranked in the admission process may be assigned a scholarship when available.