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Linguistics and English Language Integrated PhD

Develop your knowledge and expertise with our Linguistics and English Language Integrated PhD. You'll also gain experience in research methods and research management.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:


Start date(s):

  • September 2025

Overview

Our Linguistics and English Language Integrated PhD (IPhD) combines taught modules with original research. The course is for those who haven't completed a programme that leads to PhD study. It will suit those with a background in linguistics, English Language or related disciplines. You'll strengthen your knowledge base and research skills before embarking on writing a thesis.

Studying for an IPhD at Newcastle University offers many benefits and advantages, including:

  • a track record in student satisfaction
  • diverse staff expertise
  • activities and events
  • career development
  • funding opportunities

We're one of the largest centres for linguistic research in Europe. This gives you the opportunity to enrich your research. You'll gain exposure to a wide range of methodologies and diverse theoretical perspectives.

We offer supervision in the following areas:

Linguistics is split across three Schools:

Our supervisors' current research interests, projects and publications are available from the staff profiles on each of these Schools' websites.

 

Research centres and institutes

Our links with research centres and institutes provide opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary seminars and interest groups. Our most important connections are with:

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Important information

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

What you'll learn

Year one forms the taught element of the Linguistics and English Language IPhD course. You'll study compulsory and optional modules and select a specialist pathway.

You'll then complete a 60-credit independent research project (15,000 words).

Work experience

You can gain valuable experience in journal editing and conference organisation by joining:

  • the editorial team of the annually published Newcastle and Northumbria Working Papers in Linguistics
  • the organising team of the annual Postgraduate Conference in Applied and Theoretical Linguistics

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.

How you'll learn

Your development

Research groups

Our research groups also facilitate researchers with common interests to share ideas, develop new skills and gain feedback on their work. The groups meet regularly and include: 

  • Language & Cognition Research Group
  • Sociolinguistics Discussion Group
  • Romance Linguistics Circle
  • North East Syntax Seminar
  • Phonetics and Phonology Research Group

In addition to these formal groups, there are a number of informal research clubs that meet on an ad hoc basis. 

Newcastle seminar series in linguistics

Throughout each semester we host a regular seminar series where internationally renowned linguistic researchers give presentations on their recent research.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

  • perform better as a researcher
  • boost your career prospects
  • broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

  • techniques for effective research
  • methods for better collaborative working
  • essential professional standards and requirements

Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme

Your future

Career development

You'll develop your career within a research-led community and benefit from funding opportunities. Our recent MPhil and PhD graduates have gone into a variety of careers, including: 

  • academia
  • education
  • publishing
  • university administration

Additionally, you can involve yourself in a range of activities and events. As a PhD student, you can gain experience in conference organisation.  You'll have the opportunity to get involved in the organising team of the annual Newcastle and Northumbria Postgraduate Conference in Linguistics (Toon Taaks). 

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

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:

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 2025 entry (per year)

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:

Search for funding

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Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Admissions policy

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

How to apply


Using the application portal

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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.


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Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Scott Burdon
Education Administrator (PGT & PGR)
School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6233
Email: pg.english@ncl.ac.uk

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