Linguistics is the scientific study of patterns in natural human languages. The Linguistics Program, part of the Center for Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Culture, is rather small (only one full-time professor), but there are a variety of courses available, and it's even possible to create a Contract Major focused on Linguistics. Linguistics offers an interesting, and often surprising, perspective on language, and its interdisciplinary nature makes it suitable for people with a broad range of interests. In particular, though Linguistics is categorized as Div.I, many people find the abstract thinking in many branches of Linguistics to be more like Div.III.