Forensic Linguistics Degree Online

Find your future at the intersection of language and law.

Every person has a unique way of communicating – a fact that can prove useful to law enforcement, intelligence and security personnel as they solve crimes and build legal cases.

The forensic linguistics concentration at PennWest California – part of PennWest California’s graduate degree program in criminal justice studies – focuses on oral and written communication as an element of contemporary crime analysis.

Students in the online forensic linguistics program build a strong foundation of theoretical knowledge and research skills as they learn to examine and assess threatening communications, fraudulent documents and other writings associated with serious criminal, civil and national security matters. Then they apply that theoretical framework to real-world situations requiring forensic linguistic training and skills.

Study with recognized experts in this emerging criminal justice specialty.

Faculty in the forensic linguistics master’s degree concentration at PennWest California are criminal justice practitioners with real-world experience in this emerging field. Under their guidance, students develop skills in critical areas of forensic linguistics, including language structure, author profiling and threat assessment, sociolinguistics, and legal and ethical issues.

PennWest California faculty build their instruction around actual criminal cases, as well as literature and research in linguistics, criminology and related fields. Through online presentations and discussions, hands-on projects and a capstone experience, students develop a knowledge base and practical skills they can apply to their careers in criminal justice.

Unabomber Case Papers Donated

James R. Fitzgerald, a pioneer in forensic linguistics, gives UNABOM documents to the Center for Investigative and Forensic Sciences at PennWest California.

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Program Highlights: Forensic Linguistics

Make a Difference: PennWest California’s forensic linguistics graduate program prepares you to contribute specialized knowledge in areas such as threat assessment, violent crime analysis, criminal or civil investigation, and corporate security. It also introduces you to a network of professionals who value the perspective that a trained forensic linguist can offer.

Look Ahead: For the program's capstone experience, students may select the option that best supports their career goals and aspirations (depending on availability):

Complete an internship.
Publish research results or analysis.
Write a thesis to prepare for doctoral studies.
Study abroad.
Apply forensic linguistics training to a foreign language such as Spanish or Arabic.
Complete another approved capstone project with an experienced professor or research scientist.

Learn more about applying

$62K

Median annual salary earned by linguists, according to PayScale.com.

36

Number of credits required to complete the online forensic linguistics concentration.

Degree Benefits

Courses in this program delve into intriguing topics such as language policy and planning in a multi-lingual society; producing, reading and interpreting spectrograms (often mislabeled as “voiceprints”); author profiling and identification based on linguistic cues; and legal and ethical issues, including relevant U.S. court decisions. Students also learn to prepare an analytical report suitable for delivery in a courtroom.

Graduate Outcomes

PennWest California's forensic linguistics master’s degree concentration builds knowledge, skills and abilities in a specialized field. Forensic linguists primarily work as consultants, bringing their expertise to criminal and civil investigations, corporate and national security matters, legal proceedings, and investigations of evidence such as emergency phone calls, suicide notes, ransom demands and fraudulent documents.

Curriculum, Admission Requirements and Related Programs

The forensic linguistics master’s degree concentration gives students a base of theoretical knowledge and research skills, which they learn apply to real-world situations.

Curriculum

Course	Credits
Required Core Courses	6
CRM 700 Advanced Criminological Theories	3
CRM 720 Research Methods in Criminology	3

Concentration Courses	24
CRM 600 Seminar in Forensic Linguistics	3
CRM 610 Forensic Sociolinguistics	3
CRM 620 Forensic Language Structure I	3
CRM 640 Forensic Language Structure II	3
CRM 650 Author Profiling and Threat Assessment	3
CRM 670 Authorial Attribution and Speaker Identification	3
CRM 690 Legal and Ethical Issues in Forensic Linguistics	3
CRM 855 Applied Research in Criminology	3

Capstone Experience (select one)	6
CRM 880 Criminology Thesis*	6
CRM 885 Criminology Internship	6
CRM 890 Criminology Studies Abroad*	6
GRA 662 Prior Learning Assessment (FBI Academy, FLETC, CFE Certification and similar academies and programs)	6

Total	36

*Depending upon availability.

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Admission Requirements

Regular Admission Requirements

Regionally Accredited Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
Official transcripts from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution

International Global Online Applicants must meet the minimum graduate English proficiency requirements. A satisfactory viva voce interview with a member of the graduate faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice may be considered in lieu of the minimum score.

Conditional Admission Requirements

Conditional Admission may be granted with the following modifications of the Regular Admissions Requirements:
- Regionally accredited bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.9 and below will be reviewed for a decision once the following documentation has been received:

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500-word essay supporting application

If admitted, students will be required to earn a 3.0 in their first term to remain in the program

Provisional Admission:
Applicants who have provided unofficial documentation of test scores, prerequisite courses, transcripts or lack of letter(s) of recommendation may be admitted provisionally.

This policy also applies to undergraduate students who apply for graduate admission pending bachelor degree completion. Upon receipt of all official documents, a student will be changed from Provisional Admission to either Regular Admission or Conditional Admission. Provisional Admission students may take classes for one term but will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

How to Apply:

Complete the Graduate School Application
Submit the nonrefundable $35 Application Fee
Submit required documentation by mail or email:
- Mail:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
PennWest California
Box 91
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419

- Email: GRADadmissions@pennwest.edu
- Phone: 724-938-4187

For additional information:
Email: calugo@pennwest.edu
Phone: 1.866.595.6348

Related Programs

A forensics team studies handwritten note.

Rich Curriculum

PennWest California’s forensic linguistics program was developed with input from pioneers in the field, including a former criminal profiler and forensic linguist for the FBI. Program director Dr. John Cencich is a retired U.S. federal agent and former senior international war crimes investigatorwith the United Nations; he holds a Doctor of Juridical Science, the highest degree in law, from Notre Dame and an advanced law degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England.

Convenient Schedule

Coursework in forensic linguistics is delivered online, which allows criminal justice practitioners and other working professionals to earn a master’s degree while continuing to meet their work and family obligations. Most students are expected to complete the 36-credit program in about two years of part-time study.