Linguistics and Communication Sciences (Research)

Entry requirements

1. A completed Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies, in Linguistics, in a modern language or a related area.
   Your average grade during the second and third years of your BA studies has to have been at least a 7.5 and your Bachelor’s thesis had to have received a grade of at least 8.0. Your Bachelor's thesis or a dedicated research proposal will also need to demonstrate that you’re sufficiently talented for scientific research.
2. Proficiency in English
   In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets the conditions, listed on our website.
   
   
3. Strong motivation
   You have to be able to demonstrate your motivation for and affinity with international academic research. A selection committee will evaluate the motivation of each applicant separately.

* Applicants are considered to be a native speaker of English if they are from Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA or South Africa.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The research Master’s programme in Linguistics and Communication Sciences offers a multidisciplinary perspective on how the fields of linguistics and communication studies complement one another with a strong focus on empirical research. You’ll study real language in real-life situations and use your observations to develop possible theories and testing them against everyday reality. You’ll discover the richness of both language and communication and be well prepared to conduct original research on language related issues. This programme is initially intended to prepare its students for a career in research, in particular for PhD positions although other career options in the field are also open to you.

Radboud can provide you with an exceptional opportunity to explore new avenues of knowledge and the chance to work alongside specialists who are leaders in their field internationally. The university has experts in language variation and language diversity, language technology, sign language, intercultural communication, persuasive communication, optimal communication and the ways in which language can be processed. These specialists work closely with colleagues in the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (FI BCB).

What will you learn?

• Gain a theoretical background in language and communication, as well as statistics and methodology
• Choose elective courses focusing on a wide variety of topics, including psycholinguistics, technology or language acquisition
• Get extensive experience in designing, conducting and presenting your own research projects

Career prospects

This Masters programme provides you with an excellent basis for further research. Most of our graduates go on to do a PhD, either in Nijmegen, Tilburg or abroad. Many of our graduates also work in research institutes, government and the commercial sector.

If you have any questions, email us here: study-information@ru.nl

Learn more via the Radboud University contact form.

Information for international students

Application deadlines

Non-EU/EEA students

• The deadline for non-EU/EEA students who wish to apply for a scholarship is 31 January prior to the September intake. For the requirements and selection procedure for scholarships, please check our scholarship overview.
• The deadline for those not applying for a scholarship is 1 April for non-EU/EEA nationals for the September 2026 intake. You can apply for the September 2026 intake from 1 October 2025.

EU/EEA students

• The application deadline for EU/EEA students with housing assistance for the September 2026 intake is 1 May, and the deadline without housing assistance is 1 July. You can apply from 1 October onward for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The application deadlines for Master’s starting in February are 1 November for non-EU/EEA citizens and 1 December for EU/EEA citizens.

Fees and funding

Radboud University offers 3 different scholarships that are open to prospective Master's students from non-EU/EEA countries and who want to follow an English-taught Master's programme.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers talented, highly motivated, non-EU/EEA students with outstanding study results the opportunity to be awarded a partial scholarship for an English-taught Master’s programme.

NL Scholarship (for prospective students)

The NL Scholarship (formerly known as Holland Scholarship) is a partial scholarship for non-EU/EEA students who want to do their Master’s in the Netherlands.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

The Fulbright Commission, sponsored by Radboud University, is offering scholarships for talented American students to study at Radboud University.