Applicants for direct admission to the MA or PhD program should normally have completed a B.A. with a specialization in linguistics. Applications are also invited from students with a background in other disciplines. Strong candidates who do not satisfy all requirements may be required to take additional undergraduate courses. Certain candidates may be admitted to a Qualifying Program which permits them to make up the gaps in their background by taking appropriate undergraduate courses. Admission to the Qualifying Program does not automatically guarantee subsequent admission to the MA or PhD.

Admission decisions are based on grades, writing samples, and letters of reference from faculty members who are familiar with the applicant's work and potential.; It is not necessary to submit GRE scores, but these will be taken into consideration if available.

Admission to the department is competitive, and normally restricted to students whose intended research areas relate closely to the research interests of the department. Our acceptance rate is usually below 20% of applicants. In recent years, only candidates with a CGPA of at least 3.5 (on 4) have been admitted.