Research Master in Language and Communication: Tilburg University

Course Description

The Research Master’s programme in Language and Communication is a two-year course of study offered jointly by Radboud University Nijmegen and Tilburg University. Both universities combine leading-edge research with excellent education. This programme, with its strong emphasis on empirical study, is unique in the Netherlands.

The programme covers the numerous ways in which written and spoken language is used – for example, to persuade, inform, and exchange ideas. Because communication and the use of language are so tightly interwoven, we take an integrated approach. For example, when other, non-verbal cues are taken into account, understanding spoken language is made easier. Such cues may include facial expressions and eye contact. The interrelationships between language and communication have been further illuminated by developments in information and communication technology. These have opened up exciting new areas of research, for example providing insight into ways in which information from both linguistic and non-linguistic sources can be integrated in multimodal messages.

Programme Description

All students registered for the programme receive by means of four so called General Courses an introduction and a basic training in the following four central areas of research of the programme:

• Communication and Information Sciences
• Language and Speech Technology
• Language Variation and Acquisition
• Theory and Structure of Language

Out of these four areas of research the student chooses one main subject and one second subject for further specialization during the rest of the programme.

All students also take four so called Core Courses, which provide them with the tools and techniques for empirical research in language and communication, and six Advanced Courses, which discuss recent developments in the fields of research chosen as main and second subject of their specialization and support students to explore the frontiers of their two areas of specialization.

Career Prospects

The primary goal of the programme is academic training, which makes it ideal for those wishing to embark on a research career, for example by taking a PhD. But it also caters for the growing demand from the public and private sectors for people with academic insight and research skills. Many graduates will join research groups in the public and private sector. These may address a wide range of topics such as advanced Internet and enhancing professional communication in an international context.