Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Department of Linguistics

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Accelerated MA

Complete 35 units: 17 credits of graduate coursework and 18 credits of thesis.

Accelerated MA students must take all of:

  • Ling 880 Advanced Linguistic Research for Professional Development (3) – second year
  • Ling 890 Graduate Seminar I (1) – must complete in first year
  • Four additional graduate courses (12). Only two of these four courses should be taken outside the linguistics department. *Consultation with supervisor recommended 

After students have completed the above course requirements, they can then enroll in:

  • Ling 898 MA Thesis (18) – second year
  • Ling 891 Graduate Seminar II (1) – must complete in second year

Students are expected to take most of their coursework in the first year of the Accelerated MA program. Research and writing the thesis should take place in the second year. Although there is no limit on the number of graduate units an undergraduate student can take for credit toward their undergraduate degree (as long as the student is approved by the department to take the graduate courses for credit), students will only be eligible to use a maximum of 10 graduate units, taken during their undergraduate degree, towards the graduate program.

Supervisory Committee

Accelerated MA students should formally declare their Supervisory Committee by the end of their first term. This Committee must comprise of at least:

  • one Supervisor from the Lingusitics Department
  • one Faculty member from the Lingusitics Department

Students may choose to add one more member to their Committee. 

Download the latest APPROVAL OF SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE form here. 

Course Enrollment Process for Accelerated MA Students

Students enrolled in the Accelerated MA program need to download the latest Course Add/Drop form directly from the Graduate Studies website. 

1. Go to the Graduate Studies webpage here.

2. Click on REGISTRATION/CHANGE OF REGISTRATION to automatically download the latest Course Add/Drop form. 

3. Fill out the form with signatures from:

  • your supervisor 
  • the course instructor

4. Email the form to the Graduate Secretary at linggsec@sfu.ca.  They will then send it to Graduate Studies to process and complete the course enrollment.

*Note that Accelerated MA students are charged the undergraduate tuition rate for any graduate course they take while still an undergraduate student. Once they formally declare into the MA program, they are then charged the graduate tuition rate. 

Guildlines for Defence

Policies 

  1. All MA students in the department must complete a thesis/dissertation based on original research, and must comply with University regulations on completing and defending the thesis/dissertation, as specified in SFU calendar entries 1.9 and 1.10.
  2. In accordance with SFU practices and in conforming to recommendations by the Office of Dean of Graduate Studies, all defences should be held at the SFU Burnaby campus, unless there is a valid reason for holding it at the down town campus.
  3. The organizing of a departmental colloquium given by an external examiner is the responsibility of the Colloquium Committee, such an event being independent from the administering of the defence.

Policy on Photocopying of Thesis 

In preparing to submit their thesis, graduate students should print out only one copy using the departmental printer. They can give this copy to the Graduate Program Secretary to arrange for additional copies to be distributed to the examining committee. The students are responsible for the expenses involved in making additional copies.

Program Completion Time Limit

Program Completion Time Limit / Extension Policy Download -->  [pdf ⤓]

  • Graduate students in the Department of Linguistics are expected to complete their degrees within the required time limits as outlined in the SFU Graduate General Regulations:  
    • MA students have a maximum of 9 semesters to complete their program
    • Parental leave, medical/compassionate leave, academic break do not count towards time limit
    • Personal leave will count towards the time limit
    • Extensions will only be granted under extenuating circumstances, and must be supported by the student’s senior supervisor, and approved by the Linguistics Graduate Studies Committee and Dean of Graduate Studies.