Showing content for section Overview
Overview
Go beyond grammar and vocabulary and understand how language works in the real world with this Master's degree in Applied Linguistics.
You’ll uncover the mechanisms behind human communication, delve into the process of language acquisition, learn a range of research methods and analyse how language influences various professional environments.
This course will help you think about how language shapes our interactions at work, in courtrooms or during crises. You'll study topics like analysing language patterns, using language data for teaching and research, understanding how we learn second languages, and even applying linguistic skills to forensic investigations.
By delving into these areas, you'll develop valuable skills that can be applied to various careers. Whether you're interested in teaching, research, law, civil service, publishing or communication roles, this MA equips you with the tools to thrive in a wide range of professional settings.
Looking to explore linguistic theories and uses of language in teaching and beyond?
You may be interested in our MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
Or, do want to focus on teaching English to speakers of other languages?
You can also choose to study our MA TESOL.
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
September 2026 / January 2027 start
- A 2:2 honours degree or equivalent.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.5.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees (September 2026 / January 2027 start)
- Full-time: £9,700
- Part-time: £4,850 per year
- Full-time (distance learning): £9,700
- Part-time (distance learning - 2 years): £4,850 per year
- Part-time (distance learning - 3 years): £3,230 per year
- Full-time: £18,600
- Part-time: £9,300 per year
- Full-time (distance learning): £9,700
- Part-time (distance learning - 2 years): £4,850 per year
- Part-time (distance learning - 3 years): £3,230 per year
If you're an EU student you may be eligible to receive our EU Scholarship.
Modules
Full-time
Core modules
You'll learn to choose the right analytical tools, justify their use, and evaluate how language shapes and reflects the social contexts in which it appears.
On this module, you'll analyse real and simulated data to evaluate how linguistic choices influence power, credibility, and decision-making, including interactions with vulnerable or multilingual individuals.
You'll develop practical tech skills, create and evaluate teaching materials, and explore how corpus methods can support linguistic research—gaining both analytical insight and transferable skills for a range of language-focused careers.
On this module, students engage with real and simulated case materials to analyse stylistic patterns, discourse features, text structure, and idiolectal markers across digital and written communications.
Optional modules
You’ll explore leading theories and models explaining successful language learning, considering how individual differences intersect with social, cultural and linguistic environments.
You’ll reflect on your own unique language journey to help you rethink teaching practices. Gain tools to evaluate multilingual language policies and program design grounded in evidence-based best practices for dual language, ELL and foreign language education contexts.
On this module you'll critically analyse professional written, spoken, and audio texts to understand what makes them effective
You'll develop detailed audience profiles and adapt your messages to meet their needs with clarity and impact
You'll reflect on the report writing process to enhance your communication skills, and apply key theories of persuasion to spoken texts to influence and engage confidently
Through practical exercises, you'll gain the ability to craft compelling, audience-focused communication across professional contexts, combining analytical insight with practical application.
You'll develop a proposal, choose appropriate methods, and carry out in-depth research, building your skills in critical inquiry and independent study.
Part-time
Core modules
You'll learn to choose the right analytical tools, justify their use, and evaluate how language shapes and reflects the social contexts in which it appears.
On this module, you'll analyse real and simulated data to evaluate how linguistic choices influence power, credibility, and decision-making, including interactions with vulnerable or multilingual individuals.
You'll develop practical tech skills, create and evaluate teaching materials, and explore how corpus methods can support linguistic research—gaining both analytical insight and transferable skills for a range of language-focused careers.
On this module, students engage with real and simulated case materials to analyse stylistic patterns, discourse features, text structure, and idiolectal markers across digital and written communications.
Optional modules
You'll develop a proposal, choose appropriate methods, and carry out in-depth research, building your skills in critical inquiry and independent study.
You’ll explore leading theories and models explaining successful language learning, considering how individual differences intersect with social, cultural and linguistic environments.
You’ll reflect on your own unique language journey to help you rethink teaching practices. Gain tools to evaluate multilingual language policies and program design grounded in evidence-based best practices for dual language, ELL and foreign language education contexts.
On this module you'll critically analyse professional written, spoken, and audio texts to understand what makes them effective
You'll develop detailed audience profiles and adapt your messages to meet their needs with clarity and impact
You'll reflect on the report writing process to enhance your communication skills, and apply key theories of persuasion to spoken texts to influence and engage confidently
Through practical exercises, you'll gain the ability to craft compelling, audience-focused communication across professional contexts, combining analytical insight with practical application.
1 year full-time (distance learning)
Core modules
You'll learn to select and justify appropriate analytical tools, apply them to real-world texts, and critically evaluate how language patterns relate to the social activities and contexts in which they occur.
On this distance learning module, you will analyse real and simulated data to evaluate how linguistic choices influence power, credibility, and decision-making, including interactions with vulnerable or multilingual individuals.
You'll develop practical tech skills, create and evaluate teaching materials, and explore how corpus methods support linguistic analysis—building both analytical and transferable skills for professional and academic contexts.
On this distance learning module, you'll engage with real and simulated case materials to analyse stylistic patterns, discourse features, text structure, and idiolectal markers across digital and written communications.
Optional modules
You’ll explore leading theories and models explaining successful language learning, considering how individual differences intersect with social, cultural and linguistic environments.
You’ll reflect on your own unique language journey to help you rethink teaching practices. Gain tools to evaluate multilingual language policies and program design grounded in evidence-based best practices for dual language, ELL and foreign language education contexts.
On this distance learning module, you'll examine a range of factors that can influence the effectiveness of communication and provide strategies to overcome communication problems.
From developing a proposal to choosing research methods and conducting independent study, you’ll strengthen your skills in inquiry, analysis, and academic writing.
Part-time distance learning (2 years)
Core modules
You'll learn to select and justify appropriate analytical tools, apply them to real-world texts, and critically evaluate how language patterns relate to the social activities and contexts in which they occur.
On this distance learning module, you will analyse real and simulated data to evaluate how linguistic choices influence power, credibility, and decision-making, including interactions with vulnerable or multilingual individuals.
You'll develop practical tech skills, create and evaluate teaching materials, and explore how corpus methods support linguistic analysis—building both analytical and transferable skills for professional and academic contexts.
On this distance learning module, you'll engage with real and simulated case materials to analyse stylistic patterns, discourse features, text structure, and idiolectal markers across digital and written communications.
Optional modules
You’ll explore leading theories and models explaining successful language learning, considering how individual differences intersect with social, cultural and linguistic environments.
You’ll reflect on your own unique language journey to help you rethink teaching practices. Gain tools to evaluate multilingual language policies and program design grounded in evidence-based best practices for dual language, ELL and foreign language education contexts.
On this distance learning module, you'll examine a range of factors that can influence the effectiveness of communication and provide strategies to overcome communication problems.
From developing a proposal to choosing research methods and conducting independent study, you’ll strengthen your skills in inquiry, analysis, and academic writing.
Part-time distance learning (3 years)
Core modules
You'll learn to choose the right analytical tools, justify their use, and evaluate how language shapes and reflects the social contexts in which it appears.
You'll develop practical tech skills, create and evaluate teaching materials, and explore how corpus methods support linguistic analysis—building both analytical and transferable skills for professional and academic contexts.
Core modules
On this distance learning module, you will analyse real and simulated data to evaluate how linguistic choices influence power, credibility, and decision-making, including interactions with vulnerable or multilingual individuals.
On this distance learning module, you'll engage with real and simulated case materials to analyse stylistic patterns, discourse features, text structure, and idiolectal markers across digital and written communications.
Optional modules
You’ll explore leading theories and models explaining successful language learning, considering how individual differences intersect with social, cultural and linguistic environments.
You’ll reflect on your own unique language journey to help you rethink teaching practices. Gain tools to evaluate multilingual language policies and program design grounded in evidence-based best practices for dual language, ELL and foreign language education contexts.
On this distance learning module, you'll examine a range of factors that can influence the effectiveness of communication and provide strategies to overcome communication problems.
From developing a proposal to choosing research methods and conducting independent study, you’ll strengthen your skills in inquiry, analysis, and academic writing.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
How you'll spend your time
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to spend in on-campus or in online lectures and seminars and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change.
Teaching
Teaching on this course is delivered through:
- Seminars
- Lectures
- Tutorials
- Independent study
- IT suite sessions
- Practical workshops
- Guest speakers
Our teaching team brings a wealth of academic and professional expertise to this course, offering students a rich, research-led learning experience. Staff have specialist backgrounds across key areas of language study, including sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, providing students with deep insight into how language is acquired, used and shaped in different contexts.
Many members of the team also have significant experience in forensic linguistics, having contributed to the development of approaches to legal language analysis. Their active research spans a broad range of applied linguistics topics, ensuring that teaching is informed by the latest thinking in the field.
How you're assessed
The following assessment methods are used on this course:
- Reflective diary
- Critical literature review
- Report
- Evaluation
- Oral presentation
- Research project & dissertation
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Term dates
September start
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.
January start
Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, but they normally run over a longer time period.
January-start courses normally run between 14–18 months, beginning in January and ending in the spring / summer of the following year. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.
Careers development
This course develops the communication, analytical and cultural awareness skills that employers value across a wide range of sectors. As global workplaces continue to expand, there is increasing demand for graduates who can navigate linguistic and cultural diversity with confidence.
Graduates gain highly transferable skills such as language analysis, cross-cultural communication, research and problem-solving.
These skills prepare graduates for careers in areas such as education, research, language consultancy, law enforcement, the civil service and publishing, equipping them to contribute effectively in diverse and evolving professional environments.
Graduates of this course could go into roles such as:
- Teaching
- Research and innovation
- Law
- Civil service
- Publishing
- Technical writing
- Copywriting
- Lexicology
- Marketing
- Advertising
Graduates of this course could also take on professional qualifications such as:
- Postgraduate research programmes in linguistics or related fields
- Legal linguist or forensic linguist training programmes
- Professional editing or publishing courses
- Technical writing workshops or certifications
- Marketing courses focusing on language and communication strategies
- Advertising certifications in copywriting or branding strategies
- Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) certification
Career planning
During your course you'll have expert career support from your tutors and from our Careers and Employability Centre, which you can access for 5 years after you graduate.
You'll benefit from:
- Networking events
- Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
- 1-to-1 appointments
- CV and cover letter advice
- Interview preparation and practice
- Workshops to enhance your employability skills
- Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
- Support starting your own business
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video and phone from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. If you choose to study on-campus, you'll also get face-to-face support. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Additional learning support on this course includes:
- Learning Development Tutors
- Library Support
- Personal Tutors
- Office Hours with Lecturers
- 2-week Pre-Induction Programme
- In-Sessional English Programmes
- Careers & Employability Service
- HYDRA Support and Training
- Online Course Developers and IT Technicians
- Student Engagement Officers
- Academic Enrichment Programme
How to apply
Ready to apply?
Start this course in September 2026
On-campus
Distance learning
Start this course in January 2027
On-campus
Distance learning
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of 1024ºË¹¤³§, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.
Finalising this course
All our courses go through a rigorous approval process to make sure they’re of the highest quality. This includes a review by a panel of experts, made up of academic staff and an external academic or professional with specialist knowledge.
This course is in the final stages of this process and is open for applications. If any details of the course or its approval status change after you apply, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and will be here to discuss your options with you.