The way I did it, which may not work everywhere, is:
- Take as many breadth subjects in linguistics as you can, while doing your degree in another faculty.
- Demonstrate through charm and wit and intellect that you would be an asset to the linguistics department.
- If at all possible, do a cross disciplinary postgraduate degree that somehow bridges the gap between the two faculties. In my case, it was a masters in cognitive science.
- Of course, back in my day, interdisciplinary degrees were fashionable; not sure they are still.
- Failing that, see if you can work out an accelerated or diploma course to bridge the gap.
- The more brilliant you show yourself to be, and the more slack your University administration is, the less hoops you will have to jump through to bridge the gap.
- Again: university administrations are not as slack as they used to be .
- All this presupposes that money is no object. If you’re in the States, my best advice would be to get a membership to a university library… 😐