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Study linguistics abroad
An in-depth guide to studying linguistics as an international student.
Linguistics degrees abroad
Linguistics is the academic study of language. It focuses on how and why language varies in use and meaning between different groups and social settings.
As a linguistics student, you’ll analyze the rules, structure, and context of language, as well as looking at how it has changed over time. You’ll study how people learn to use language, develop accents, and the connection between sound and meaning.
Studying linguistics abroad is one of the best ways to understand how people use language to communicate in different countries and cultures. You’ll be able to spot differences and similarities between language use in your home and host country, giving you a more in-depth understanding of the field.
Linguistics program structure
You can study linguistics as a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. You’ll learn about the core areas of the field by studying a BA over three or four years. An MA and PhD will require you to narrow your focus and concentrate on a specific branch of linguistics. These postgraduate qualifications take roughly one year and five years respectively to complete.
If you decide to attend university in the US, you’ll select linguistics as your major. This means that you’ll spend the first two years of your degree gaining your general education, before concentrating on linguistics modules in your final two years.
Many universities offer the opportunity to study linguistics alongside another subject, like English, psychology, or a foreign language. This is a useful way of tailoring your degree to suit your interests and ambitions.
You’ll be taught mainly through a mixture of lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Assessment will usually take the form of essays, reports, exams, presentations, and group projects. In your final year of study, you’ll probably need to write a dissertation.
It’s difficult to outline exactly what a linguistics program will look like because of variations between universities. However, there are some core areas of study that will appear in most courses, such as:
- Phonetics and phonology
- Syntax
- Semantics
- Sociolinguistics - gender, ethnicity, class
- Language variation and change
- Cognitive linguistics
- Linguistic theory
Types of linguistics degrees
How to study linguistics abroad
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Linguistics study abroad programs
Linguistics undergraduate programs
Bachelor's in linguistics
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Japanese, TESOL & Linguistics - BA York St John University, UK
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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17,334 USD
Fee in university's local currency 12,750 GBP
- Start date
- September
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English Language and Linguistics - BA (Hons) University of the West of England - UWE Bristol, UK
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 3 years
- Annual tuition fee
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17,674 USD
Fee in university's local currency 13,000 GBP
- Start date
- September
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Language and Linguistics - BSc (Hons) Ulster University, UK
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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19,686 USD
Fee in university's local currency 14,480 GBP
- Start date
- September
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Linguistics - BA Gordon College, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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25,250 USD
Fee in university's local currency 25,250 USD
- Start date
- August, January
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Linguistics - BA Millersville University, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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21,560 USD
Fee in university's local currency 21,560 USD
- Start date
- January, September
Linguistics graduate programs
Master's in linguistics
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Applied Linguistics - MA TESOL University of Portsmouth, UK
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Annual tuition fee
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10,537 USD
Fee in university's local currency 7,750 GBP
- Start date
- October, January
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Applied Linguistics - MA University of Waikato, New Zealand
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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21,486 USD
Fee in university's local currency 30,095 NZD
- Start date
- February, July
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Linguistics and Literary Studies - MA Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Annual tuition fee
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4,651 USD
Fee in university's local currency 3,850 EUR
- Start date
- September
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Applied Linguistics - MA University of Greenwich, UK
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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20,393 USD
Fee in university's local currency 15,000 GBP
- Start date
- January, September
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Language and Linguistics - MA University of Chichester, UK
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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18,490 USD
Fee in university's local currency 13,600 GBP
- Start date
- September
Doctorate in linguistics
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Languages and Applied Linguistics - PhD University of Portsmouth, UK
- Program type
- Doctorate
- Duration
- 6 years
- Annual tuition fee
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11,080 USD
Fee in university's local currency 8,150 GBP
- Start date
- October, February
Future linguistics careers
As a linguistics graduate, you’ll have plenty of career pathways open to you. Your detailed knowledge of language use, meaning, and interpretation could help you excel in a number of roles, including:
- Language consultant
- Speech and language therapist
- Lexicographer
- Languages teacher
- Publisher
- Public relations officer
- Communications officer
- Copy editor
To pursue some linguistic careers, you’ll need to undertake specialized postgraduate programs. Speak with your university’s careers service about the best way to pursue your dream job.
