Courses available
Although it is not possible to take papers taught by the Linguistics Department in Part IA of the MML Tripos, the 'Structure and Varieties of [language x]' papers in some languages, and their equivalents in other departments, may provide the opportunity for preliminary study in linguistics. Consult the web pages of the relevant language department.
MML Part IB candidates may take any of the four Section A (Part I) papers of the Linguistics Tripos.
MML Part II candidates will be able to choose one or more of the papers in Section C of the Linguistics Tripos. Papers are listed in the MML schedule as Papers Li.6-Li.18, and will not count as 'borrowed' papers when taken within the MML Tripos.
The MML Year Abroad
There is also the possibility of doing a Linguistics Project or a dissertation on a linguistics-based topic during the year abroad
The Optional Dissertation in the MML Tripos
Under the regulations for the MML Tripos it is possible to substitute a dissertation for one exam paper. Details can be found here. Please note that deadlines for this are different from those for the optional dissertation in the Linguistics Tripos. Candidates considering substituting a Linguistics paper should seek advice from the Department at an early stage, as we do not recommend a dissertation without prior experience relevant to the paper being substituted.
Switching to Linguistics
You can switch to the (two-year) Part II Linguistics Tripos after Part IA. If you switch to the Linguistics Tripos at this point you will do two years in the Linguistics Tripos, Parts IIA and IIB.
After MML IB, you can switch to the Linguistics Tripos for one year to concentrate exclusively on linguistics, taking the Linguistics Tripos Part IIA. Alternatively, you can remain within the MML Tripos to combine one or more linguistics papers with work on language skills and papers dealing with literature or with the history and structure of particular languages. Depending on funding, however, it may be possible to do two years in the Linguistics Tripos, taking Parts IIA and IIB.
Since the MML year abroad is a component of MML Part II it is not, other than in exceptional circumstances, possible to switch to the Linguistics Tripos after the year abroad.
If you are an undergraduate in another Faculty, you need to consider whether the arrangements (if any) for borrowing linguistics papers into Part II of your existing Tripos match your interests, or whether they would be better served by changing to Linguistics. If you do switch the possibility remains of taking one paper (one-year candidates) or two papers (two-year candidates) from your present Tripos if such papers are listed in Section D.