Resources

In the Linguistic Department

Student Representatives

All students are represented by the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), an elected body which aims to identify the needs and concerns of graduate students and represent them in conversation with the Graduate School. The GSA representatives meet regularly with the DGS. There are also two graduate representatives who attend faculty meetings when issues relevant to the graduate program are discussed. The DGS also holds a general townhall-style meeting once a semester.

Professional Website

Students are encouraged to create a professional website as early in their career as possible, but certainly by the time they start working on their dissertation. The website should include a CV and a description of their research interest. Students may reach out to the Student Technology Collaborative for advice and assistance. Important as it is to create a website, it is even more important to keep it updated, especially when you get close to completion.

Director of Graduate Studies

As already indicated, the DGS is available to meet with students to discuss their progress in the program. The DGS can assist the student in mediating differences with their advisers and any changes to the composition of the committee. If the student is not comfortable speaking with the DGS, they may reach out to the department chair. Such conversations will be kept confidential.

Placement Director

The Director of Graduate Studies is the placement director for Linguistics. Though your adviser and committee members are in the best position to advise you on preparation for the job market, the DGS is also available for consultation. In addition, the DGS in their role as placement director organizes workshops to help prepare you for the job market. These workshops are geared towards academic as well as non-academic jobs.

Reading Groups and Laboratories

There are several reading groups, research groups, and labs in the department, covering various subfields in linguistics. Visit the webpage for more information on each reading group and lab.

Department Alumni List

The department keeps in touch with its alumni through a newsletter that provides periodic updates on issues of interest.

At Yale

The Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the primary office devoted to issues related to graduate studies and has many resources that graduate students can draw on. It houses several different offices that focus on specific aspects of students’ professional and personal life. Some of them are listed below.

The GSAS houses the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD), which is invested in maintaining a caring and inclusive community in support of diversity and inclusion. OGSDD works collaboratively and proactively with every department or program to support students’ needs, and strives to make the graduate student experience personally and academically enriching. We encourage you to take full advantage of the programs that OGSDD provides.

The Office of Career Strategy provides information about a range of career opportunities available to students who graduate with a Ph.D. It recognizes that in addition to specialized expertise in your own discipline your studies also equip you with skill-sets that can be an asset in a range of careers outside of the academy. The office provides information and resources for students interested in exploring different career options.

Yale Health, Mental Health and Counseling covers all aspects of physical and mental well-being and students are encouraged to draw on the resources there. Students may also find the resources at the Good Life Center helpful.

The Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning provides guidance and support that can help you develop as teachers and scholars. Alongside regularly scheduled workshops on specific topics, related to many different aspects of the profession, they also run a Graduate Writing Lab and consultants are available to address individual issues in writing and communicating.

Haskins Laboratories focuses on The Science of the Spoken and Written Word. An independent institution that has formal affiliation with Yale University, it has an international, multi-disciplinary community of researchers, several of whom do research that intersects with the research conducted in the Department of Linguistics. Graduate students and faculty in Linguistics often draw on the resources at Haskins and form fruitful collaborations and mentoring relationships.

Outside Yale

The Linguistic Society of America is the main professional organization for linguists. Its mission is to advance the scientific study of language and its applications and is a valuable resource for anyone interested in language. You can explore its many activities by visiting the website. We strongly encourage you to consider becoming a member.