Forensic linguistics is a new, but rapidly growing scientific area of study, in which linguistic knowledge and skills are applied to assist criminal investigations and to contribute to solving legal cases. A minor in Forensic Linguistics trains students to apply basic language and linguistic knowledge to a range of topically relevant areas, including dispute of meaning and utterance, speaker/author profiling, voice/text comparison, plagiarism and more.
Forensic Linguistics is a highly relevant minor for a wide range of students; for linguistic students who would like to study the application of linguistics to real-life issues, for criminology students who would like to expand their knowledge into linguistic evidence; and for computing students who would like to apply their knowledge and skills to unique areas and for students with no prior knowledge in linguistics, but would like to know how linguistic evidence is analysed and presented in court.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this minor, a student will be able to:
- Understand basic concepts and theories in forensic linguistics;
- Demonstrate some basic knowledge of a wide range of issues in forensic linguistics not only in the national context but also in the international context;
- Critically observe relevant evidential data, and linguistically describe and characterise it; and
- Demonstrate the knowledge and ability to analyse linguistic evidence in a scientific manner.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must include:
12 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| LING1001 | Introduction to the Study of Language | 6 |
| LING2010 | Sounds of the World's Languages: Phonetics and Phonology | 6 |
| CRIM1001 | The Criminological Imagination: Theory and Understanding | 6 |
12 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| LING2105 | Language and the law: introduction to forensic linguistics | 6 |
| LING3032 | Advanced Forensic Linguistics: Forensic Voice and Text Comparison | 6 |
