The undergraduate curriculum in linguistics is designed to provide an understanding of human language by engaging students in its systematic study and providing opportunities to investigate the importance of language in all areas of human life. Students discover what current research reveals about the fundamental nature of human language, and have the opportunity to contribute to that research; students explore what linguistic findings tell us about human cognitive abilities and social interactions, and may apply linguistic principles to such areas as artificial intelligence and language learning and teaching. While the methods and theories of linguistics are specific to the discipline, undergraduate courses in linguistics address questions that are of key importance in the liberal arts and sciences.