In recent years, we have been witnessing exciting advances in the intersection of computing and linguistics, such as LLMs, as well as growing interest in these disciplines among undergraduate students at Duke. We are happy to offer an inter-departmental major (IDM) that allows students to pursue their joint interests in Computer Science and Linguistics.
The IDM in Linguistics+CS consists of a minimum of 14 courses, split evenly between the Department of Computer Science and the Program in Linguistics (i.e., 7 courses in each department).
We expect student interests to be diverse, some interested more in computer science, while others may be more interested in theoretical linguistics, neurolinguistics, or sociolinguistics. There is no one-size-fit-all. The requirements below accommodate all of these interests. We have also annotated specific courses with their relevance to different tracks and developed example semester-by-semester course plans for these tracks.
Linguistics+CS Course Plan
Prerequisite Courses (3 Units) from the following:
- Introduction to Computer Science - COMPSCI 101 OR COMPSCI 102 OR COMPSCI 116 OR equivalent
- Calculus - MATH 111L
- MATH 112 OR 100-level STA course
Computer Science - Academic Requirements
NOTE: 2 of the 7 courses taken to fulfill the Computer Science requirements below MUST be 300-level or above.
Core Courses (4 units) from the following:
- COMPSCI 201 - Data Structures and Algorithms
- COMPSCI 230 - Discrete Math for Computer Science OR COMPSCI 231D - Discrete Math with Functional Programming and Proofs OR COMPSCI 232 - Discrete Mathematics and Proofs
- COMPSCI 330 - Design and Analysis of Algorithms OR COMPSCI 334 - Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science
- COMPSCI 210D - Intro to Computer Systems OR COMPSCI 250 - Computer Architecture
Artificial Intelligence Core Course (1 unit) - one of the following:
- COMPSCI 270L - Mathematics for Artificial Intelligence
- COMPSCI 370 - Intro. Artificial Intelligence
- COMPSCI 371 - Elements for Machine Learning
- COMPSCI 372 - Applied Machine Learning
- COMPSCI 570 - Artificial Intelligence
- COMPSCI 671D - Machine Learning
CompSci Electives (2 units)
2 COMPSCI courses - 200-level or higher from above (if not taken to fulfill the core requirements) OR from the list of electives below. One may be an independent study course which has a substantial emphasis on computer science topics within any department approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS).
- COMPSCI 216 - Everything Data, for various aspects of text and data analytics
- COMPSCI 316 - Intro to Databases
- COMPSCI 375 - Intro to Natural Language Processing
- COMPSCI 376 - Computational Approaches to Language Processing (cross LINGUIST 399)
- COMPSCI 553 - Compiler Construction, for its coverage of the implementation of programming languages
- COMPSCI 527 - Computer Vision
- COMPSCI 575 - Intro to Natural Language Processing (re-numbered from COMPSCI 572)
- COMPSCI 590-02 - Large Language Models (Fall 2025)
Linguistics - Academic Requirements
Core Courses (5 units) from the following:
- LINGUIST 201 - Introduction to Linguistics OR LINGUIST 203 - Elements of Linguistic Structure
- LINGUIST 202 - Languages of the World
- Sociolinguistic requirement - LINGUIST 213FS OR LINGUIST 217FS OR LINGUIST 305S OR LINGUIST 306S OR LINGUIST 308S OR LINGUIST 364 OR LINGUIST 396S OR LINGUIST 409S OR LINGUIST 451 OR LINGUIST 480S
- Neurolinguistic requirement - LINGUIST 216FS OR LINGUIST 336S OR LINGUIST 473S OR LINGUIST 510 OR LINGUIST 595)
- LINGUIST 450S - Junior/Senior Research Seminar in Linguistics (OR junior/senior seminar that includes CS +LIN)
Linguistics Electives (2 units)
May include, but NOT restricted to the following:
- LINGUIST 204 - English Historical Linguistics
- LINGUIST 205 - Law and Language
- LINGUIST 207 - Psychology of Language | Language and cognition, biological bases, animal communication, language pathologies, nonverbal communication, bilingualism
- LINGUIST 209 - Philosophy of Language | Theories of language, signs and symbols, theories of meaning, types of discourse (scientific, mathematical, poetic)
- LINGUIST 213FS - Politics of Language | Political theory, sociology and sociolinguistics approaches to understanding how language policies reflect and produce sociopolitical realities (topics include migration, citizenship, nationalism and decolonization)
- LINGUIST 216FS - Neuroscience and Human Language | Primary research in neuroscience, neurolinguistics, imaging and linguistic theory
- LINGUIST 217FS - Language, Thought and Culture
- LINGUIST 250 - Symbolic Logic | Detailed analysis of deduction and deductive systems
- LINGUIST 303 - Fundamentals of Spanish Linguistics
- LINGUIST 305S - Italian Sociolinguistics
- LINGUIST 306S - Korean Sociolinguistics
- LINGUIST 308S - Bilingualism
- LINGUIST 336S - Issues in Language Development | Topics include critical periods, role of ‘motherese’, infant speech perception, innovative word creation, telegraphic speech, bilingualism, second language learning, cognition and culture, language pathology, focus on methodologies and analysis
- LINGUIST 364 - Gender and Language | Includes cognitive science, cultural anthropology/ethnographic and sociolinguistic research methods
- LINGUIST 396S - Language in Immigrant America | Language in context of immigration to U.S. from 1900 to present, approaches informed by language policy, media studies, literature, memoirs, linguistic anthropology, topics include identity, assimilation, race, bilingual communities, bilingual education, foreign accents, language contact
- LINGUIST 409S - Identity and Linguistic Rights
- LINGUIST 437S - Language Development | Unique human ability: learning language, how young children first learn language, including: 1) how children figure out what sounds their language includes; 2) how infants learn words & their meanings; and (3) what kind of processes help babies figure out the grammar of their particular native language. Methods and analysis based on primary research, experimental and observational data, and new research initiatives.
- LINGUIST 451 - Language and Society | Language as social practice, including language and social identity (such as ethnicity, social class, age, gender), variation in language (including dialects, accents, registers), multilingualism, languages in contact (including pidgins, creoles), intercultural communication, language in education and media
- LINGUIST 471S - Language and Politics | Examination of the interfaces between language, migration, and socio-political structures in the newly independent nations of Eurasia. While these interfaces have long historical antecedents in nation-state formations, their manifestations in the post-national, post-communist era are novel and complex. Understanding these new dynamics requires viewing language from a political-sociological perspective that takes into account the interplays between the local, the national and the global.
- LINGUIST 473S - Neuroscience and Multilingualism | Healthy subjects and lesion-deficit studies, imaging methods and analysis (including BOLD fMRI and resting state, PET, MEG, EEG/ERP, eye tracking studies, fundamentals of languages and linguistic theory
- LINGUIST 480S - Critical Discourse Analysis | Central theories, frameworks and methodologies of CDA with analysis of real-world discourse and texts, ethical implications
- LINGUIST 510 - Brain and Language | Focus on imaging studies (fMRI [including BOLD and resting state], PET, MEG, EEG/ERP), functional connectivity, analysis of data and methods, theory and controversies
- LINGUIST 595 - Music, Language and Dementia | Neuroscience data on cognitive processing of languages and music in healthy subjects and pathology. Specific attention given to the interaction of language(s) and music in the brain, music therapy and dementia, and multilingualism and dementia. Topics include the role of languages and music in building cognitive reserve, linguistic breakdown and cognitive decline in healthy aging and dementia, cross-cultural studies of pitch and timbre perception across languages of the world, possible benefits of multilingualism in healthy aging, interactions of singing and memory, integration of auditory and visual neural systems in language and music.
Navigating the IDM in Linguistics+CS
Why take the following courses?
| COURSE | TITLE | RECOMMENDED BECAUSE: |
|---|---|---|
| COMPSCI 216 | Everything Data | Of its coverage of various aspects of text and data analytics. |
| COMPSCI 316 | Intro to Databases | Of its coverage of various data query languages and data management/analysis techniques. |
| COMPSCI 330 | Design and Analysis of Algorithms | It is a quintessential COMPSCI course, required by the COMPSCI BS and BA degrees. |
| COMPSCI 334 | Formal Languages and Automata with Applications | Of its coverage of formal languages. |
| COMPSCI 370 | Intro to Artificial Intelligence | Of its coverage of knowledge representation and logic. |
| COMPSCI 371 | Elements for Machine Learning | Of its coverage of data analysis techniques. |
| COMPSCI 372 | Applied Machine Learning | Of its coverage of data analysis techniques. |
| COMPSCI 553 | Compiler Construction | Of its coverage of the implementation of programming languages. |
Specialization Sample Course Plans
For Students in Cognitive Neurolinguistics
A Sample Semester-by-Semester Course Plan
For the COMPSCI core requirement, this sample plan chooses COMPSCI 330, COMPSCI 316, and COMPSCI 371. Other alternatives are possible, too. This sample course plan includes prerequisite courses in MATH and STAT as well.
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For Students in Sociolinguistics
A Sample Semester-by-Semester Course Plan
For the COMPSCI core requirement, this sample plan chooses COMPSCI 334, COMPSCI 316, and COMPSCI 370; COMPSCI 330 is still recommended as an elective. Other alternatives are possible, too. This sample plan includes prerequisite courses in MATH as well.
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Because this IDM is a permanent Departmental IDM, students may declare it similarly to any other major. To add, drop, or change a major, complete the Academic Plan Change form.
Note: Spring semester of your sophomore year is considered the ideal time to apply. Students have until the Friday before Spring Break to declare an IDM major. After that deadline, students must declare a traditional major first, which can potentially be switched to an IDM major.
Questions?
If you have questions about declaring an IDM in Computer Science, reach out to the CompSci DUS Susan Rodger for more info and general advice. Email her at dus@cs.duke.edu.
Or alternatively, meet with Dr. Rodger during her office hours. She holds both virtual and in-person office hours. You can find her drop-in hours on this page(link opens in a new window/tab) (requires authentication).
Eligibility for specific substitutions may vary by academic plan. A consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies is required before final approval can be granted to receive credit for a substitution.
See the CS Course Substitutions Guide for possible course substitutions which have been pre-approved by the DUS.
Departmental Graduation with Distinction
A program for Graduation with Distinction (GWD) in Computer Science is available. Candidates for a degree with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction must apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and meet certain criteria.
See the CS Graduation with Distinction webpage for additional information, resources, and how to apply.