Linguistics

Entry requirements

A 2.2 degree or international equivalent in one of the following subjects:

• Education
• English Language and Literature
• English Language Studies
• Linguistics
• Modern Languages
• Teaching

You may also be considered with a lower-class degree, or an unrelated 2:2 degree if you have teaching experience.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Study the nuts and bolts of language: sound systems, word structure, sentence structure, and how meaning is conveyed. Learn about the different theories that have been proposed to account for human linguistic ability. In this degree you will learn what human languages share, and where they differ.

Our course will interest you if you want a formal and empirical grounding in all core areas of linguistics, and are keen to evaluate the major theoretical approaches in these disciplines.

You study topics including:

• Theoretical and descriptive phonology
• Syntactic theory
• Pragmatics
• Semantics
• Phonetics

Our optional modules are in the related fields of applied linguistics, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

We are 1st in the UK for research impact in modern languages and linguistics (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021). We are also ranked top 25 in the UK for linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.

If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome to Essex.