Language and Linguistics

MA

  • Entry year 2025 or 2024
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years

Overview

Take your Master's in Language and Linguistics in one of the best Linguistics Departments in the world. We are placed 3rd in the QS World Rankings 2024.

Why Lancaster?

  • Join a department with an international reputation for teaching and research with 3 specialist laboratories and 11 research centres
  • Shape your degree – there is only one core module on this programme giving you the freedom to explore your interests
  • Receive tailored support with academic study skills if you’re an international student or returning to academia
  • Add a whole host of transferrable skills to your CV including data handling, which is sought after across sectors
  • Get the chance to visit one of our international summer schools or work on your dissertation from a partner university

If you want to immerse yourself in the study of language and linguistics, Lancaster is the place for you. With over 40 members of staff specialising in different areas, we’re one of the largest departments in the UK.

Immersed in research

The research we’re carrying out in this area is extremely diverse – and so is this course. From studying the bilingual mind to analysing language, we’ll help expand your expertise. At the same time, you’ll hone your research skills and become confident handling large amounts of data.

With research groups in corpus studies, discourse studies, language testing, and more, there are plenty of opportunities to advance your knowledge in these theoretical and applied fields. As part of our community, you’ll also develop friendly networks with students who share your academic interests.

Shape your studies

There is only one core module for this course so you can completely tailor the programme to your interests. We offer optional modules around different linguistic and language themes:

  • Theoretical and Descriptive Linguistics
  • Language and Cognition
  • Language in Use/Language in Society
  • (Forensic) Speech Science and Technology
  • Language, Variation and Change
  • Language Learning and Teaching

Completing a dissertation is a vital part of the course. You’ll pick an area that interests you while developing skills that will be useful throughout your career. You could explore bilingualism our specialist Phonetics Lab. Or perhaps you’ll carry out psycholinguistics research in our Perception and Learning Lab and our Eye-Tracking Lab.

Careers

By the time you graduate, you’ll have a range of transferable skills sought after by employers across sectors. Your strong analysis skills mean you’ll be a great fit for any role which involves interpreting large data sets.

Our MA Language and Linguistics graduates find rewarding roles in a range of areas including:

  • Language teaching (English)

  • Language consultancy
  • Speech scripting and transcription
  • Forensic linguistic translation
  • Interpreting and intelligence
  • Journalism
  • Media and communication
  • Law and Business
  • Publishing
  • Translation
  • Research

Enjoyed carrying out your own research? Some of our students decide to continue their linguistic and language studies and develop their expertise further with a PhD.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree in a related subject is normally required. We will also consider applications where you have a degree in other subjects, have a 2:2 or equivalent result and/or extensive relevant experience. In these cases, you should clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills have prepared you for postgraduate study.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally 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.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

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 the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Optional

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £11,960 £5,980
International £24,830 £12,415

General fees and funding information

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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.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University 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. View our Charter and other policies.