MA Linguistics: The University of Manchester

Course description

Manchester is an international centre for linguistics and English language. The department is virtually unique in the UK and beyond in the breadth of subject areas and theoretical approaches represented by its members, many of whom are internationally renowned scholars in their specialisms.

The MA in Linguistics consists of the following elements:

• compulsory core course units in Introduction to Grammatical Theory (15 credits), Phonetics and Phonology (15 credits), and Research Methods I and II (2 x 15 credits)
• optional course units (60 credits altogether)
• a dissertation (60 credits).

Alternatives to the compulsory course units in Introduction to Grammatical Theory and/or Phonetics and Phonology may be chosen if students can provide evidence of having covered comparable material in their undergraduate degree.

The optional course units may be selected following specialised pathways, which include Sociolinguistics, the Linguistics of English, Phonetics and Phonology, Syntax and Semantics, Typology, and Romani Linguistics. One or two course units may take the form of Directed Reading units, available after consultation with an appropriated member of staff and the Programme Director. One or two course units may also be taken from a list of MA course units available in other subject areas within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures, or as adapted Level-3 undergraduate course units in Linguistics and English Language, which supplement the course units on offer at MA level.

Course aims

The course aims to give students a grounding in breadth and depth in Linguistics, by exploring the central features of linguistic theory: its history, objectives, principal theoretical frameworks, methodologies, contested areas and uncontested results. Students will gain experience of excellence in teaching and learning at an advanced level, in an environment where they will benefit from the fact that the School is also home to world-leading research in Linguistics.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview: An Upper Second Class Honours degree, or the overseas equivalent, in linguistics or a related subject.

English language: Students whose first language is not English require an overall IELTS score of 7.0 with 7.0 in the writing component or a TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (internet-based test).