Graduate Application Checklist

Admissions Checklist

Contact Professor of Interest: 
  • Prospective graduate students are strongly encouraged to contact the professor they are interested in working with before submitting their applications. Some professors may not be accepting new students.
Application Fee Waiver Request: 
  • Applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents experiencing economic hardship may request a waiver of the application fee. To request a waiver of the application fee, please send an email explaining your situation to gradinfo@purdue.edu.
  • A list of waivers can be found with the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) How to Apply under the Application Fee section.

Applications for admission must be completed by December 3.

  1. University: All applicants must complete the Graduate online application and pay the non-refundable application fee of $60 (U.S. dollars) for domestic applicants and $75 (U.S. dollars) for international applicants.
    • Detailed instructions and requirements are available on the application and on the How to Apply web page.
    • Degree or Enrollment Objective: Indicate "Linguistics"
      • Select your degree goal based on your final objective (M.A. or Ph.D.). We welcome applications of qualified individuals from other fields (computer science, psychology, foreign languages, etc.).
  2. Academic Documents: You must upload to the online application transcript(s) and/or academic document(s) for every institution of higher education you attended regardless of whether or not a degree was received.
    • Review current/previous academic institution's Documents Required by Country.
    • Transcipts: All transcripts and/or academic documents uploaded to the online application system by the applicant or academic program are considered unofficial.
      • The uploaded transcript and/or academic document may be from the official or unofficial version of the document. An official transcript bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution. An unofficial transcript printed from your current/previous institution(s) student system is not an acceptable document.  For tips about uploading your transcripts into the online application click here.
  3. Academic Statement of Purpose: In this statement be sure to describe your academic and professional goals, your preparation in linguistics, and your background in research and writing.
    • If you are applying for an M.A., please indicate if you expect to terminate your studies with the M.A. or hope to continue to a Ph.D. You may also wish to describe your prior work experiences and cite any published works. (Approximately 500 words.)
    • Please name the professors you are interested in working with and explain why you would like to work with them. It is important that you expand on the extend to which the professors' research interests match your own. This document can be submitted with your online application.
    • Please refer to the Academic Statement of Purpose section of How to Appy for more details.
  4. Personal History Statement: This statement helps us learn more about you as a person and potential graduate students. Please include relevant details on community service, leadership roles, participation in diverse teams, and significant barriers that you overcame to pursue graduate studies.
    • Required of all applicants:
      • Describe how you background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in your graduate studies.
      • Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued.
  5. Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic ability.
    • The online application only accepts online recommendations. An email request will be sent to them directly.
    • Linguistics accepts electronic copies of letters of recommendation. Please sent to the Graduate Coordinator.
  6. Writing Sample: An academic paper written in English, consisting of at least 2,500 words. Your sample may be uploaded to your online application.
    • Required: The writing sample is required of all applicants to the Linguistics graduate programs, both at the M.A. level and at the Ph.D. level.
      • At the M.A. level: include a course paper or other work that you feel represents your general writing ability.
      • At the Ph.D. level: include a sample relevant to Linguistics. This may be written specifically for the application, a term paper for a previouis course, M.A. thesis, or published work. This should demostrate you general writing ability and that you have sufficient understanding of Linguistics to enter at the Ph.D. level.
      • The writing sample should be written in English. If the student does not have a writing sample in English (e.g., international students from non-English-speaking countries), the student can submit a writing sample in the language she/he is seeking to concentrate on (Spanish, French, German or Japanese). If the student has writing samples written in English and in the foreign language seeking to concentrate on, both writing samples will be welcome.
    • Digital Portfolio: Students interested in concentrating in Spanish Linguistics, German Linguistics, or Japanese Linguistics must submit a Digital Portfolio (2-3 minutes with 5 minutes max).
      • The digital portfolio includes a language sample in English and in the foreign language they wish to concentrate. The students can talk about who they are, where they come from, research/teaching interests, why they wish to study at Purdue among other topics. The English and foreign language samples can be recorded in the same audio file.
      • INSTRUCTIONS: Please upload an audio file to your application containing speaking sample in English and in the language you wish to study. PLEASE USE SPONTANEOUS SPEECH, DO NOT READ FROM A TEXT OR WRITTEN SPEECH!

        UPLOADING can be done by editing the "Portfolio" section of your Slate Application, directly under the "Application Checklist." Clicking on "Edit Portfolio" takes you to the "Upload Instructions." There is a list of what audio files will be accepted.  Reading the instructions should answer any questions you have have.  
  7. Testing
    • GRE (Graduate Record Examinations): Not Required
  8. English Proficiency: Linguistics accepts the OGSPS basic requirements as described on the English Proficiency Requirements page.
    International applicants whose native language is not English are required to provide proof of English proficiency for admission to degree, certificate, non-degree, and teacher license graduate programs in one of the following ways:
    • TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
    • IELTS - International English Language Testing System
    • Duolingo English Test

Applications for admission must be completed by December 3.

We look forward to reviewing your completed application for admission to our department.