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Study linguistics abroad
Get a fully personalized list of linguistics programs that match your eligibility and aspirations.
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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Linguistics - BA University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 3 years
- Annual tuition fee
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23,111 USD
Fee in university's local currency 32,280 NZD
- Start date
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American Sign Language: Linguistics and Deaf Cultures - BA California State University, Long Beach, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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16,338 USD
Fee in university's local currency 16,338 USD
- Start date
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Applied Linguistics - BA Portland State University, USA
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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23,709 USD
Fee in university's local currency 23,709 USD
- Start date
- -
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Arts: Linguistics - BA University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 3 years
- Annual tuition fee
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20,047 USD
Fee in university's local currency 28,000 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Linguistics and Philosophy - Dual BA (Hons) Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Program type
- Bachelor's
- Duration
- 4 years
- Annual tuition fee
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23,985 USD
Fee in university's local currency 20,609 EUR
- Start date
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Associate in linguistics
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Linguistics - AAOT Lane Community College, USA
- Program type
- Associate
- Duration
- 2 years
- Annual tuition fee
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11,500 USD
Fee in university's local currency 11,500 USD
- Start date
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Diploma in linguistics
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Advancing University Studies: Linguistics - DipAdvUniStud University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Program type
- Undergraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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20,068 USD
Fee in university's local currency 28,029 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Linguistics - Dip (Arts) Massey University, New Zealand
- Program type
- Undergraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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19,567 USD
Fee in university's local currency 27,330 NZD
- Start date
- -
Linguistics graduate programs
Master's in linguistics
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Applied Linguistics - MAppLin Massey University, New Zealand
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 18 months
- Annual tuition fee
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22,202 USD
Fee in university's local currency 31,010 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Applied Linguistics - MA TESOL University of Portsmouth, UK
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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21,390 USD
Fee in university's local currency 15,500 GBP
- Start date
- -
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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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20,700 USD
Fee in university's local currency 15,000 GBP
- Start date
- -
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Linguistics - MA University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Annual tuition fee
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25,836 USD
Fee in university's local currency 36,086 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Applied Linguistics - MA University of the South Pacific, Fiji
- Program type
- Master's
- Duration
- 2 years
- Annual tuition fee
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14,857 USD
Fee in university's local currency 14,857 USD
- Start date
- -
Doctorate in linguistics
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Languages and Applied Linguistics - PhD University of Portsmouth, UK
- Program type
- Doctorate
- Duration
- 3 years
- Annual tuition fee
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22,494 USD
Fee in university's local currency 16,300 GBP
- Start date
- -
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Linguistics - PhD University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Program type
- Doctorate
- Duration
- 3 years
- Annual tuition fee
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5,083 USD
Fee in university's local currency 7,099 NZD
- Start date
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Diploma in linguistics
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Academic English Studies and Linguistics - GradDipArts University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Program type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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25,093 USD
Fee in university's local currency 35,048 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Applied Linguistics - PGDip Massey University, New Zealand
- Program type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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22,202 USD
Fee in university's local currency 31,010 NZD
- Start date
- -
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Linguistics - PGDip Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Program type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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23,271 USD
Fee in university's local currency 19,996 EUR
- Start date
- -
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Arts: Linguistics - PGDipArts University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Program type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Duration
- 1 year
- Annual tuition fee
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19,474 USD
Fee in university's local currency 27,200 NZD
- Start date
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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.
