Linguistics in Clinical Research

עברית

Academic Coordinator: Prof. Natalia Meir (Natalia.Meir@biu.ac.il)

 

Overview

The Department of English Literature and Linguistics at Bar-Ilan University offers a unique MA program in Linguistics in Clinical Research, intended for outstanding students with a BA in Communication Disorders, Psychology, Brain Sciences, Education, Special Education, Speech and Language Pathology, or similar fields, who are interested in getting a deeper understanding of the linguistic basis of their field. The studies greatly deepen the students’ understanding of how language works and deal with issues important to Israeli society, including first and second language acquisition, the cognitive and neural basis of reading acquisition and dyslexia, language assessment in multilingual societies, linguistics characteristics of psychiatric disorders, sign language linguistics, and more.

The program of studies includes courses in general linguistics meant to provide the student with a solid foundation in areas such as phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and psycholinguistics; as well as advanced courses and seminars in specific research areas, such as the acquisition of morphology, syntax and semantics, language and schizophrenia, language and autism, language and reading disorders, specific language impairment, and bilingualism. Students who are interested in conducting independent research may choose research topics that integrate their previous knowledge with the linguistic knowledge that they acquire, making use of the areas of expertise of the faculty members in the department. Some topics of research of previous students are: linguistic characteristics of stories told by bilingual children with developmental language impairments; understanding logical relations and questions in autism; the acquisition of reading and vocabulary in Arabic; Russian-Hebrew bilinguals' syntactic understanding in Russian, and more.

All instruction in the Dept. of English Literature & Linguistics is in the English language; courses in adjunct departments (Brain Sciences, Psychology, Education) are in Hebrew. We encourage students who don't have full control of academic English to apply. Our faculty can advise students in both English and Hebrew, and students' research has also dealt with languages other than English, such as Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and more.

Degrees Offered in this Program

MA with thesis (track A)

For research-oriented students who may want to continue to PhD.

Full requirements for track A:

  • 2 required seminars:
    Psycholinguistics and Research Methods (922)
    Introduction to Syntax and Semantics (987)
  • 1 Required theoretical course (584/587/589/591)
  • 2 Pro-seminars (8xx/9xx)
  • 2 Seminars (8xx/9xx)
  • Linguistics Colloquium (8680)


Additional Requirements:

  • Oral thesis defense
  • Attendance at Department colloquia is obligatory
  • Long papers must be submitted in 2 graduate seminars (seminars= 30 pp.; pro-seminars = 7-8 pp.)
  • All exceptions to the requirements are subject to written approval by the advisor/coordinator/chair

 

MA without thesis (track B)

For students who want to deepen their understanding of language and language processing as they pertain to clinical issues.

Full requirements for track B:

  • 2 required seminars:
    Psycholinguistics and Research Methods (922)
    Introduction to Syntax and Semantics (987)
  • 1 Required theoretical course (584/587/589/591)
  • 2 MA elective courses (5xx) / Pro-seminars or Seminars (8xx/9xx)
  • 3 Pro-seminars (8xx/9xx)
  • 3 Seminars (8xx/9xx)
  • Linguistics Colloquium (8680)
  • Final oral exam (889)
 

Additional Requirements:

  • Attendance at Department colloquia is obligatory
  • Long papers must be submitted in 3 graduate seminars (seminars= 30 pp.; pro-seminars = 7-8 pp.)
  • All exceptions to the requirements are subject to written approval by the advisor/coordinator/chair
  • Students who have not fulfilled all the departmental requirements (all final grades must be in the file) will not be permitted to take the final exam

 

PhD

For outstanding students who develop research projects within the areas of interest of the graduate faculty.

Requirements:

  • A numeric grade is required in 2 seminars; a 'pass' grade is sufficient for the other 4 seminars.

     

Applications

Important Notice: Before your application can go to the Bar-Ilan University MA committee, it must first be approved by the Department of English Literature and Linguistics. Those who register through the university first who are later rejected by the department will not be refunded the initial registration fee. As such, please be sure to contact us first before applying through the university's general online system.
 

Please follow the following steps to apply to the program:

1. Step One: Please send your application to Prof. Natalia Meir via email at natalia.meir@gmail.com, with a copy to the Graduate Registrar, Judie Liri at Judie.Liri@biu.ac.il

Be sure to include in your email which track you are applying for, as well as the following documents:

  1. Up-to-date CV
  2. Scanned formal transcripts of prior studies (all of them), including all the course names, instructors and grades
  3. Scanned diploma(s)

2. Step Two: Should you receive a notice from the Department of English Literature and Linguistics recommending your acceptance (via email from Prof. Meir), you must then apply though the university's general online system.

NOTE : Under the section called "Maslul Limudim", be sure to fill in the appropriate track- this is the track that you were accepted to via email by Prof. Natalia Meir.

 

Important Dates

Registration for the 2025-6 Academic year begins: February 2, 2025

Last day to apply through the department: October 1, 2025

Contacts

For academic questions contact:

Prof. Natalia Meir

For administrative question please contact:
Judie Liri