Linguistics MA

Overview

This Master's in Linguistics is characterised by its flexibility. It equips you with the research skills necessary for independent study in linguistics.

The common subjects the course covers include:

• theoretical and general linguistics
• descriptive linguistics
• applied linguistics
• combinations of these specialisms

The course has two specialist pathways leading to different awards:

• MA Linguistics: English Language
• MA Linguistics: Language Acquisition

The pathways allow you to focus on your area of particular interest. This could range from:

• lexical innovation
• sociolinguistics
• computational linguistics
• child language acquisition
• psycholinguistics

By the end of this Linguistics Master's, you'll understand and be able to engage with ideas at the forefront of linguistic research. You'll address linguistic questions and problems currently being debated.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

What you'll learn

Whichever pathway you choose, you gain:

• research skills necessary for independent study in linguistics and English language
• the skills to critically engage with current work in the subject area
• confidence to address linguistic questions and participate in current theoretical debates
• advanced knowledge of a range of issues in the subject area
• mastery of the methods and skills required to obtain and interpret relevant research data

All pathways involve selecting modules covering the two central linguistic disciplines of phonology and syntax.

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

English Language Taught Pathway modules

Compulsory modules

• Research Methods in Language and Linguistics (20 credits)
• MA Linguistics Dissertation  (60 credits)

Optional modules

You'll take one of the following 20 credit modules/module combinations:

• Generative Syntax (20 credits)
• Syntactic Analysis AND Phonetics and Phonology  (20 credits in total)
• Issues in Phonological Theory 1 (20 credits)
• Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (20 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Phonology (20 credits)
• Melody in Language (20 credits)
• Advanced Pragmatic Theory (20 credits)

You'll take 40 credits from the following  modules:

• Language and Society (20 credits)
• The Social History of English (20 credits)
• Lexical Innovation (20 credits) 
• Metropolitan Sociolinguistics (20 credits)
• English Historical Semantics (20 credits)

You must also take 40 credits from the following list of additional modules:

• Generative Syntax (20 credits)
• Issues in Phonological Theory I (20 credits)
• Lexical Innovation (20 credits)
• Topics in Multilingualism (20 credits)
• Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (20 credits)
• Melody in Language (20 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Phonology (20 credits)
• English Historical Semantics (20 credits)
• Language and Society (20 credits)
• Foundations in Second Language Acquisition (20 credits)

With the DPD’s permission, students can take relevant postgraduate modules, up to a maximum of 40 credits, offered by other Schools. Students must seek permission from the other School prior to registering on the module. Students are expected to select modules having a credit value of not less than 50 and more than 70 in any one semester.

Language Acquisition Taught Pathway modules

Compulsory modules

• Research Methods in Language and Linguistics (20 credits)
• MA Linguistics Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional modules

You'll take one of the following 20 credit modules/module combinations:

• Generative Syntax (20 credits)
• Syntactic Analysis AND Phonetics and Phonology  (20 credits in total)
• Issues in Phonological Theory 1 (20 credits)
• Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (20 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Phonology (20 credits)
• Melody in Language (20 credits)
• Advanced Pragmatic Theory (20 credits)

You will take 40 credits from the following modules

• Advanced Topics in Child Language Acquisition (20 credits)
• Topics in Multilingualism (20 credits)
• Learning and Learnability (20 credits)
• Origins and Evolution of Language (20 credits)
• Foundations in Second Language Acquisition (20 credits)

You must also take 40 credits from the following list of additional modules:

• Generative Syntax (20 credits)
• Issues in Phonological Theory I (20 credits)
• Lexical Innovation (20 credits)
• Topics in Multilingualism (20 credits)
• Minimalist Syntax: Data and Theory Building (20 credits)
• Melody in Language (20 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Phonology (20 credits)
• English Historical Semantics (20 credits)
• Language and Society (20 credits)
• Foundations in Second Language Acquisition (20 credits)

With the DPD’s permission, students can take relevant postgraduate modules, up to a maximum of 40 credits, offered by other Schools. Students must seek permission from the other School prior to registering on the module. Students are expected to select modules having a credit value of not less than 50 and more than 70 in any one semester. 

Language Acquisition Research Pathway modules

Compulsory modules

• Information Skills (10 credits)
• Qualitative Methodology in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (20 credits)
• The Making and Unmaking of Knowledge (10 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Child Language Acquisition (20 credits)
• Research Methods in Language and Linguistics (20 credits)
• MA Linguistics Dissertation (60 credits)
• Language and Society (20 credits)
• Learning and Learnability (20 credits)

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

Core teaching on this Linguistics MA will be through:

• interactive lectures
• seminars

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Case study
• Dissertation
• Essay
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• Practical lab report
• Poster
• Research paper
• Written examination
• Written exercise

Student support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

 

Your future

Careers

The Linguistics MA equips students with the skills required for a wide range of careers, in areas such as: 

• education  
• information technology 
• lexicography 
• language planning 
• media and journalism 
• publishing 
• speech and language therapy  
• translation and interpretation 
• advertising, branding and marketing 
• heritage management 
• management and research 

Further study

Our MA in Linguistics programme provides an excellent foundation for doctoral research. 

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics is a lively and diverse community. We have over 700 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates.

We are based in the Percy Building. Our purpose-built postgraduate suite has dedicated computer clusters, meeting rooms, a kitchen and a lounge.

Linguistics researchers also have access to the LingLab. This space provides access to linguistics and experimental software, such as:

• CHILDES
• ELAN and CLAN
• Praat
• SONA
• LabVanced
• Gorilla
• ShinyApps

There is also a range of specialised equipment available for loan or use, including professional-quality recording equipment:

• a portable eye tracker
• a portable ultrasound machine
• a portable electroglottograph
• ultrasound tongue imaging
• multiple sound booths
• iPads

Finally, the lab also has access to several linguistic corpora, including:

• DECTE
• Transana
• ICE-GB Corpus of English
• ICE-GB Great Britain Sound Files
• BYU Corpora

We have two postgraduate research student study rooms. The larger room was recently upgraded with more workstations and a soft seating area. We have a Resource Centre and two on-site clinics:

• Tavistock North East Aphasia Centre
• Children's Speech and Language Therapy Clinic

The School also houses the Language Resource Centre. It has an extensive range of language learning facilities and resources, including:

• access to 24 satellite television channels from around the world
• listen and record facilities for speaking practice
• interactive language learning software
• an international film collection of over 800 titles

The award-winning Philip Robinson Library has an extensive audio-visual collection.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days
• webinars

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events