Applied Linguistics and TESOL

MA

  • Entry year 2026
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years
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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 100% of research environment ranked world-leading (REF 2021)

  • 3rd in the World QS World University Subject Rankings 2025 (Linguistics)

  • Your gateway to a wide range of rewarding careers

Our MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL opens doors to a wide range of rewarding and intellectually stimulating careers around the world. Whether you’re looking to build on existing experience or enter the field for the first time, this programme will give you a strong foundation in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills - making you a competitive candidate across language-related industries.

Why Lancaster?

  • Linguistics at Lancaster is one of the largest disciplines of its kind in the UK, with expertise across a wide range of language, linguistics and language education fields
  • Internationally recognised for excellence in teaching and research, with 3 specialist laboratories and 11 research centres
  • Earn a degree that combines Applied Linguistics and TESOL, giving you expertise in both areas
  • Enhance your career prospects by deepening your understanding of linguistic theory and its real-world applications
  • No teaching experience? No problem. We welcome students from all backgrounds, including those new to English language teaching

Language in action

Are you passionate about language, how it is learned, and how it can be taught effectively? If you want to explore both the theoretical foundations of language and its practical applications in teaching and learning, our MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL is designed for you.

You’ll develop a strong foundation in second language acquisition and teaching methodologies, while exploring how linguistic theory applies in practice—across areas like digital communication, AI and literacy, language policy, multilingualism, and sociopolitical discourse.

Expert teaching

Lancaster University is home to one of the largest and most dynamic Linguistics and English Language disciplines in the UK. Our MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL reflects the breadth and depth of our world-leading research and teaching expertise.

Our teaching is grounded in the latest developments in applied linguistics, second language acquisition and second language teaching. You’ll gain a solid foundation in research methods and techniques used in both applied Linguistics and TESOL. You’ll develop key skills - from qualitative and quantitative enquiry to methods of data collection and analysis. This rigorous training will prepare you to critically engage with research and apply findings to your own professional or educational contexts.

Tailor your degree

Choose from a wide range of modules and explore your interests in greater depth. These include topics such as:

  • Curriculum design
  • Online language teaching
  • Content-based approaches to education
  • Corpus linguistics in language teaching
  • Pragmatics and interaction
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Language policy
  • Multilingualism

Your academic journey will culminate in a dissertation on a topic of your choice, approved and supported throughout by a member of our expert staff. This is your chance to demonstrate your research skills and specialist knowledge - and to make a meaningful contribution to the field.

Structured support

At Lancaster, we are committed to supporting you every step of the way. If you are returning to education or unfamiliar with UK academic conventions, we will help you develop key skills in academic writing, reading, presentation and critical thinking. We want you to feel confident and well-prepared to succeed.

Broaden your horizons

Beyond the classroom, you’ll be part of a vibrant and inclusive community. You’ll be encouraged to engage with our specialist research centres and take part in student-led events, university societies and academic networks. These opportunities are a great way to build connections, exchange ideas and enrich your experience.

We also offer exciting opportunities to collaborate internationally. You may be able to take part in a summer school or study visit with at one of our partner universities abroad. These experiences allow you to immerse yourself in another culture, broaden your academic and social horizons, and potentially gather data for your dissertation.

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Studying a Master’s in Linguistics, TESOL and English Language at Lancaster University

Discover the key features of studying a master's in Linguistics, TESOL and English Language at Lancaster University. Hear from staff and students, and see the fantastic facilities and equipment, and superb campus setting.

Careers

In addition to subject-specific expertise, you’ll gain the kinds of transferable skills that are immensely valuable across sectors - including critical thinking, research design, data analysis, academic writing, communication and project management. These skills will serve you well, whether you stay in the field or branch out into other areas.

Where can an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL take you?

Graduates from our programme go on to work in diverse roles within:

  • Education
  • Research
  • Publishing
  • Consultancy
  • Language teaching, both in the UK and internationally
  • Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL), as well as other modern languages
  • Curriculum design
  • Language assessment and materials development, helping to shape the way languages are taught in classrooms, online, and in corporate training settings

Our alumni have taken up teaching and coordination roles with respected organisations such as the British Council, private language schools and universities across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

Some have moved into roles such as:

  • Policy or advisory roles, where they contribute to educational reform
  • Language planning and multilingual education strategies
  • Language consultants
  • Supporting international businesses, NGOs and government departments in areas such as intercultural communication, language policy and professional communication

If you’re interested in the publishing and media sectors, the programme opens up opportunities in educational publishing, where our graduates find work as editors, content developers or digital learning designers for leading ELT (English Language Teaching) publishers and education technology companies.

Graduates with strong analytical and writing skills have gone into translation and localisation, where they apply their deep understanding of language and communication to help bridge linguistic and cultural boundaries in a globalised world.

For those who find themselves drawn to academic inquiry, the programme provides excellent preparation for PhD study in Applied Linguistics, TESOL and related fields. Many of our students have pursued doctoral research and academic careers, contributing to cutting-edge work in areas such as second language acquisition, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, language policy and teacher education.

Careers and employability support

Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas. Our specialist Employability team is ready to support you, whether you are starting out your career after leaving higher education or returning to university to open up new career options.

We provide individual employability advice, application support, career events, development opportunities and resources to help you plan and achieve your career goals. We also run a paid internship scheme specifically for arts, humanities and social sciences students.

The Lancaster Award is available to all postgraduate taught students and recognises work experience, volunteering and personal development alongside your studies. Developed with employers, it helps you reflect on key skills, boost your CV and articulate your strengths with confidence.

Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.

Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for Careers and Employability.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

2:2 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a related subject is normally required. We will also consider applications where you have a degree in other subjects and/or extensive relevant experience. In these cases, you should clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills have prepared you for postgraduate study.

English language requirements

We require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5 and a minimum of 6.5 in reading and writing and 6.0 in listening and speaking.

We also consider other English language qualifications and if your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Help from our Admissions team

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.

We also have more details on our website about:

Pre-master's programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master's pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master's degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

Detailed module information for this postgraduate programme will follow shortly. However, if you have any questions please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £12,190 £6,095
International £25,320 £12,660

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Postgraduate online subject taster sessions - Wednesday 22 April

Join us online to hear about postgraduate study at Lancaster, and choose a taster session based on your intended subject.

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Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our  Charter and student policies.