The Linguistics Master’s programme at QUB enables you to acquire the research skills and subject-specific knowledge that are essential for driving forward your interest in language-focused research. Our Programme is based in the School of Arts, English and Languages and will be taught by specialists who work on English, French, Irish, Breton and community languages. You are welcome to follow either a broad-based programme encompassing, for example, structural and formal aspects of linguistic organisation (e.g. phonetics/phonology, morpho-syntax, lexis, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, variation and change) and their effects on communication; or you may choose to concentrate on areas such as particular linguistic features in English, French, Irish or Breton, or the role of language policies in relation to minoritised languages or particular types of speech. You will undertake training in research methods so that you can make informed and judicious choices about how to identify, select, capture and analyse linguistic data, and you will learn how to make sense of your data and the results of your analysis. You will choose modules which address key variables in language organisation from theoretical and practical perspectives, and you will have the option to choose modules which complement and enhance your own emerging research interests and focus on the language(s) in which you are interested. In the dissertation, you will explore a specialist topic of your choice using the skills and knowledge you have acquired in the taught components of the Programme. Throughout the Programme, you will have access to scholars who are experts in their respective fields and whose work is internationally recognised in research rankings and impact, and who work collaboratively to provide you with the academic support and guidance to help you make a success of your work with us. Your MA in Linguistics from QUB will equip you with a range of subject-specific and transferable skills which enable you to consider employment in diverse areas, including research in speech and language, education, language policy and heritage, marketing and communication, journalism, translation and interpreting and law.
In the School of Arts, English and Languages at QUB the work undertaken in Linguistics is strongly-focused on social, behavioural, human and economic facets of language and language variation.
Linguistics highlights
Internationally Renowned Experts
External partnerships are key to research and impact by linguists in AEL with, for example: Co-operation Ireland, for research (within the MEITS project) on language and identity in NI; National Museums NI, for an ongoing project on digitised speech corpora and associated impact activities; the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (via the Marie Curie Fellowship held by Carruthers), in a collaboration for the Festival of Storytelling in Eight Languages; the Department of Communities, as a partner (in MEITS and the NI Place-names Project) investigating toponymy, language and identity in NI; local councils in NI, regarding provision of authoritative forms (established by the Place-names project) of place-names for signage; East Belfast Mission in a partnership which explores issues of language and identity in NI (within MEITS), particularly with regard to the Irish language. Through the OS200 project with Lilley, the Place-names Project has external links with the Royal Irish Academy, the Digital Repository of Ireland, the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, the interdisciplinary Fiontar and Scoil na Gaeilge (Dublin City University), and the Irish Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. https://www.meits.org
Linguistics staff in AEL regularly participate in public engagement events: with CCEA (NI’s Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment) regarding provision for English language curricula in schools, and CPD for teachers regarding English Language curricula; with speech clinicians, with the Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia NI, with heritage organisations, at events which explore the social provenance of language data and the linguistic origins of place-names. In 2018, the Modern Languages research group was awarded the QUB Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Research Culture.
You will be taught by staff with research profiles of international standing, with a wide range of interests within the broad field of linguistics.
Student Experience
The QUB MA in Linguistics is distinctive in its coverage of linguistics and language issues in English, French and Irish.
Master’s students will take the compulsory Research Methods 1 and 2, four optional taught modules, and the dissertation; equalling 180 CATS points. Diploma students take all modules except the dissertation (120 CATS points), and Certificate students choose three optional modules (60 CATS points).
Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (usually 2 years) basis. Part-time students typically complete one or two modules per semester. Full-time students typically complete three modules per semester.
The MA is awarded to students who successfully complete six taught modules (120 CATS points) and a 15,000 word research dissertation (60 CATS points).
Entry and exit qualifications are available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing 120 CATS points from taught modules or a Postgraduate Certificate by successfully completing 60 CATS points from taught modules.
Course Details
***Please note that modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications (https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/AcademicAffairs/ProgrammeSpecifications/) ahead of each academic year.***
Research Methods 1: Research Design in Linguistics
This research preparation module focuses on core research design issues in linguistics (particularly the formulation of research questions and the collection of data). Students are trained to identify gaps in linguistic knowledge, to formulate sound discipline-specific research questions, and to explore the diverse linguistic approaches which might fruitfully be applied to these questions. They will be introduced to practical issues in data collection, considering, for example, the medium, size and representativeness of data samples, and the ethical considerations involved in collecting data from different sources. The module will lead into the more analytically focused research methods module in Semester 2 and will lay the groundwork for the dissertation module in Semester 3.
The module begins with an audit of students’ exposure to linguistic sub-fields, and of their skills and interests. Weekly readings of published studies allow students to compare different theoretical and sub-disciplinary approaches to a similar topic. Class discussion centres on an evaluation of the merits of different approaches for the studies’ stated aims and on the data-collection processes suggested by those approaches.
Research Methods 2: Skills in Linguistic Research and Data Analysis
This second research preparation module builds on the core semester 1 module on Research Design by providing students with the knowledge and skills to select and apply data analysis methods. Following the stages of the research process from the organisation of data (into, for example, a corpus or database) to annotation and analysis, it exposes students to a range of linguistic data drawn from various subfields of linguistics and encourages them to reflect on appropriate analytical techniques. Drawing on tutors’ diverse range of expertise, the module will cover quantitative approaches including statistical testing, as well as qualitative approaches such as thematic and discourse analysis, and train students in the use of relevant software. Students will be encouraged to consider the application of these approaches to their own upcoming dissertation research and it is intended that the final few weeks of the module will be flexible in terms of content, allowing students to deepen their knowledge in areas identified as of high priority according to the cohort.
Discourse Analysis: Traditional to Digital
This module introduces students to various ways of approaching Discourse Analysis, a broad sub-discipline of Linguistics which understands language as socially and culturally situated and therefore studies it in contexts of use. It explores key principles in Discourse Analysis which equip the analyst to appreciate context and society in discourse production and reception. It integrates approaches from other sub-disciplines of linguistics which can be employed in Discourse Analysis, such as Pragmatics, Conversation Analysis and Sociolinguistics. Students are equipped with different methods of collecting and analysing discourse in spoken, written and digital contexts. The module teaches students to understand and interpret the findings of Discourse Analysis in light of contextual, cultural and societal factors.
Phonetics and Phonology: Concepts and methods
This module provides a thorough grounding in the concepts and practices on which current work in phonetics and phonology is built, and it provides students with a critical perspective on dominant trends in the discipline. It shows students how theoretical and applied strands in accounts of speech variation can complement one another in order to produce a comprehensive profile of the particular variety of speech under investigation. The module begins by introducing core concepts in phonetics and phonology, and moves on to apply phonetic and phonological analytic methods to speech samples chosen by students, beginning with a group transcription task. Once students have completed a transcription and identified key features therein, the module invites them to select a range of journal articles and existing research sources which deal with the feature(s) in question, and provide a written critical review of the articles they have chosen. The module is assessed by means of (i) performance in the transcription task, (ii) performance in the mini-conference in which students provide an overview of the key phonological elements of their transcribed sample, and (iii) the critical review task.
Sociolinguistics
This module trains students in the discipline of sociolinguistics, taking an approach that focuses on the development of the field over the past sixty years. Acquainting students with different quantitative and qualitative approaches taken in sociolinguistics, it encourages them to assess these approaches and consider the advantages and drawbacks of applying them to their own research projects, and to reflect on how sociolinguistic schools of thought have evolved in tandem with our understanding of language in society.
MML7033 Meaning, Sense, Translation
This module offers practical training in text analysis and translation by applying insights from the broad areas of semiotics and linguistics (including semantics, syntax, pragmatics, and discourse analysis). It is aimed at raising the students’ awareness of the processes of meaning-making and improving their analytical, linguistic, and hermeneutical skills. It draws on the insights from Cognitive Linguistics and its central concept of grammar as imagery, exploring it in the following dimensions: selection (domain, scale and scope), abstraction, perspective, relative salience, and figure/ground alignment.
CEL7025 Name Studies
This module provides an introduction to onomastics with particular reference to place-names in Ireland and Scotland. While the emphasis will be on names as linguistic items, there will be some discussion of other disciplines to which onomastics is relevant (literature, history, archaeology, ethnography, geography, cartography). Topics to be studied include the linguistic structure of names (including generic and specific elements); linguistic strata, language contact, and multilingualism; place-names as a resource for dialectology and historical linguistics; sources and the exploitation of names for literary and socio-political purposes; place-names and the linguistic landscape. Some task-based learning will be involved as Queen’s is home to the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project and houses a large amount of archival material.
Language Revitalisation, Policy and Planning
This module explores issues in language planning and policy, with a specific focus on minoritised languages and cases of language revival and revitalisation. Beginning with an overview of topics in language planning and policy, including standardisation, it demonstrates how sociolinguistic factors are relevant in the consideration of how languages are framed within institutional contexts. The module will allow students to assess examples of real language policy to investigate how this is put into practice.
In later weeks the module moves on to the consideration of minoritised languages specifically, covering a range of case studies that draw on tutors’ expertise in Celtic languages (Breton, Irish, and Cornish, drawing comparisons with Hebrew), on other minoritised languages of France including Occitan, and on indigenous languages further afield. Focusing on speakers’ and activists’ attempts to reverse language shift, it examines these cases as examples of language revitalisation and revival, investigating the linguistic and social consequences of these processes, the role of new speakers, and how voluntary efforts integrate into, or conflict with, language planning processes that occur on a more official level. Students will be encouraged to carry out independent research on cases of language revitalisation around the world and compare these with those discussed in class.
LIB7004 Discourses of Crime and Deviance
This module will analyse crime and deviance in a range of fictional and non-fictional narrative forms, including literary fiction, traditional media, social media, and television and film. Core themes will interrogate questions of crime and deviance in society, addressing key topics such as the status of crime (looking at the reproductive rights campaign in Ireland, for example) and how different contexts of crime interact (investigating how trial by media operates in representations of sexual assault, for instance). We will consider processes such as adaptation and novelisation – thinking about crime fiction in text and on screen – and issues of gender, race, and class. A broad critical language studies (CLS) approach will be taken, new models for textual analysis will be fully explained, and the module will also draw on insights from literary linguistics, cultural criminology and legal studies.
Corpus Linguistics
This module introduces students to the theories, applications and methods of analysis used in corpus linguistics. It enables students to collect their own corpora and use corpus software to undertake analyses based on their own interests. The module gives a comprehensive overview of core practical and theoretical aspects of corpus linguistics and allows students to engage in critical examination of a range of areas of study. Indicative content includes: corpus creation (ethical data selection and acquisition, issues in representativeness and size); corpus analysis tools and techniques (frequency lists, concordances, collocation, data annotation); interpretation and analysis of results (morphology, semantics, pragmatics, discourse, genre, language variation and change); applications: lexicography, pedagogy, translation, stylistics, discourse analysis.
Directed Study in Irish/English/French Linguistics
This module allows students to focus on a language of their choice, in an area selected by the student in consultation with the tutor, by way of directed readings and student discussion groups. Students will be assigned core reading material which they will use as a basis for their own explorations in the given area. Specialist knowledge will be acquired, with reference to Irish or French or English, on specific issues within tutor specialisms.
Dissertation
This dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to conduct a programme of independent and original research into a topic in Linguistics approved by the programme team. Preparatory work on principles of dissertation planning and the consolidation of skills required to complete the dissertation will be covered in RM 1 and RM2 respectively, thereby laying the foundation for progression to the specific dissertation work undertaken by individual students. The dissertation module requires students to identify a viable research issue in Linguistics, design an appropriate methodology for investigating and analysing the issue in question, interpret the findings with reference to relevant existing work in the area, explain the benefits and limitations of the completed work, and outline its implications for future research on the topic. Depending on the particular orientation of the dissertation, students may choose to collect original data or use existing datasets. Where the project requires research with human subjects, students must apply for and be granted ethical approval before commencing fieldwork.
6 (hours maximum) 6 hours per week (seminar-based)
Teaching Times
Teaching times are distributed throughout the working week.
Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:
Learning and Teaching
Your modules in Linguistics will enable you to work with tutors and other students in the context of small, interactive classes. You will be part of the School’s Centre for Research in Linguistics, and you will be invited to attend seminars and activities organised by the Centre.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
Awarding of the qualifications is based on continuous assessment of coursework, performance in practical tasks and in-class presentations, depending on the module. Assessment tasks are undertaken at various points throughout the relevant academic semester.
The MS will be awarded with Distinction to a student who achieves a dissertation and average mark both exceeding 70 per cent.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
Research Methods 2: Skills in Linguistic Research and Data Analysis
Overview
This second research preparation module builds on the core semester 1 module on Research Design by providing students with the knowledge and skills to select and apply data analysis methods. Following the stages of the research process from the organisation of data (into, for example, a corpus or database) to annotation and analysis, it exposes students to a range of linguistic data drawn from various subfields of linguistics and encourages them to reflect on appropriate analytical techniques. Drawing on tutors’ diverse range of expertise, the module will cover quantitative approaches including statistical testing, as well as qualitative approaches such as thematic and discourse analysis, and train students in the use of relevant software. Students will be encouraged to consider the application of these approaches to their own upcoming dissertation research and it is intended that the final few weeks of the module will be flexible in terms of content, allowing students to deepen their knowledge in areas identified as of high priority according to the cohort.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Use a range of data analysis methods and software to investigate linguistic data of different kinds.
• Understand the advantages and drawbacks of different methods of data analysis.
• Select appropriate methods for analysing data according to the student’s own research interests.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Create and develop language corpora and databases; apply and evaluate statistical analysis; develop and apply methods for storing and presenting language data.
Research Methods 1: Research Design in Linguistics
Overview
This research preparation module focuses on core research design issues in linguistics (particularly the formulation of research questions and the collection of data). Students are trained to identify gaps in linguistic knowledge, to formulate sound discipline-specific research questions, and to explore the diverse linguistic approaches which might fruitfully be applied to these questions. They will be introduced to practical issues in data collection, considering, for example, the medium, size and representativeness of data samples, and the ethical considerations involved in collecting data from different sources. The module will lead into the more analytically focused research methods module in Semester 2 and will lay the groundwork for the dissertation module in Semester 3.
The module begins with an audit of students’ exposure to linguistic sub-fields, and of their skills and interests. Weekly readings of published studies allow students to compare different theoretical and sub-disciplinary approaches to a similar topic. Class discussion centres on an evaluation of the merits of different approaches for the studies’ stated aims and on the data-collection processes suggested by those approaches.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Formulate and defend well-informed and discipline-specific research questions
• Design an appropriate dataset to respond to a linguistic research question
• Address the ethical and practical implications of their research design choices
Skills
The module equips students to:
Read case studies and abstracts for theoretical and quantitative or qualitative analytical approaches to similar language questions: identify research gaps, formulate discipline-specific research questions (drawing for example on studies in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, phonetics and phonology, corpus linguistics, syntax, depending on the needs and interests of the group); read case studies for methodological approach: select data, evaluate fit; evaluate ethical and practical issues in linguistic research design.
This dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to conduct a programme of independent and original research into a topic in Linguistics approved by the Linguistics Programme team. Preparatory work on principles of dissertation planning and the consolidation of skills required to complete the dissertation will be covered in Research Methods 1 and Research Methods 2, thereby laying the foundation for progression to the specific dissertation work undertaken by individual students. The dissertation module requires students to identify a viable research issue in Linguistics, design an appropriate methodology for investigating and analysing the issue in question, interpret the findings with reference to relevant existing work in the area, explain the benefits and limitations of the completed work, and outline its implications for future research on the topic. Depending on the particular orientation of the dissertation, students may choose to collect original data or use existing datasets. Where the project requires research with human subjects, students must apply for and be granted ethical approval before commencing fieldwork.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of and ability in:
• identifying and selecting the literature which is relevant to their chosen topic
• identifying and selecting research design and methodological procedures
• undertaking data analysis using appropriate techniques and models
• evidencing their findings
• contextualising their findings with reference to broader theoretical and applied issues
• articulating the significance of their findings for the discipline
Skills
The module equips students to:
Identify opportunities for original interventions in their chosen area of linguistic interest; assemble and apply systematic investigative and analytic methods; formulate an original, evidenced position with regard to the topic under investigation.
This module provides an in-depth exploration of the theoretical foundations of syntax from a modern generative perspective, introducing students to the core concepts and principles that allow us to describe and understand the properties of the syntactic system of human language. The module is designed to equip students with the necessary tools to analyse the structure of sentences and phrases in natural language, and to compare and evaluate alternative hypotheses and analytical options in accounting for empirical observations (data patterns, grammaticality judgements). Whilst the focus is primarily on English, consideration is given throughout the module to language variation – its scope and its limitations, as captured under a parametric model.
Adopting a minimalist approach to phrase structure, the module starts with a thorough grounding in the core structure-building operation, Merge. Students then learn how a simple Merge-based system may be enriched by a principled set of operations and constraints that enable it to account for a wide range of linguistic phenomena in English and beyond, including word order, agreement, and case marking. Methodological and practical skills of syntactic argumentation, reasoning and analysis are developed throughout, including the use of tree diagrams and constituency tests, and students have the opportunity to apply these tools in their assessed work to the analysis of real and constructed data from a variety of languages (including their own native languages where these are not English).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should have developed a sound grasp of the workings of human language syntax, understood through the lens of a minimalist theoretical framework. They should have gained a familiarity and facility with the principles and processes that determine the form(ation) of grammatically acceptable sentences in natural language and be able to demonstrate this through the identification and application of relevant concepts and techniques in the practical analysis of language data.
Skills
Students will acquire the scientific skillset of hypothesis formation and evaluation, using syntactic theory to make and test empirical predictions. Students will also be in a position to start engaging with the primary technical literature in the field, with a view to pursuing their own research project in the area (should they choose to do so for their dissertation).
This module provides an introduction to onomastics with reference to place-names in Ireland. While the emphasis will be on names as linguistic items, there will be some discussion of other disciplines to which onomastics is relevant (literature, history, archaeology, ethnography, geography, cartography). Topics to be studied include the linguistic structure of names (including generic and specific elements); linguistic strata, language contact, and multilingualism; place-names as a resource for dialectology and historical linguistics, sources and the exploitation of names for literary and socio-political purposes; place-names and the linguistic landscape. Some task-based learning will be involved as Queen's is home to the Northern Ireland Place-Name Project and houses a large amount of archival material.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:-
- demonstrate a knowledge of the field of onomastics as a linguistic discipline
- appreciate its potential to contribute to interdisciplinary research
- demonstrate an understanding of the linguistic origin, structure and meaning of place-names with particular reference to Ireland
- exploit place-names as a resource for the study of dialectology and historical linguistics
- understand the relevance of place-names to the fields of multilingualism and the linguistic landscape
Skills
Critical and analytical thinking; linguistic analysis and comparison, research; IT; improving own learning and performance; time management.
This module introduces students to various ways of approaching Discourse Analysis, a broad sub-discipline of Linguistics which understands language as socially and culturally situated and therefore studies it in contexts of use. It explores key principles in Discourse Analysis which equip the analyst to appreciate context and society in discourse production and reception. It integrates approaches from other sub-disciplines of linguistics which can be employed in Discourse Analysis, such as Pragmatics, Conversation Analysis and Sociolinguistics. Students are equipped with different methods of collecting and analysing discourse in spoken, written and digital contexts. The module teaches students to understand and interpret the findings of Discourse Analysis in light of contextual, cultural and societal factors.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to articulate a range of approaches to the theory and practice of Discourse Analysis. Students will be able to adopt a suitable approach to a given discourse context and research question, and have an understanding of research design and methods in Discourse Analysis.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Define discourse and discourse analysis; evaluate and apply the role of each in understanding to social and linguistic variables.
This module provides a thorough grounding in the concepts and practices on which current work in phonetics and phonology is built, and it provides students with a critical perspective on dominant trends in the discipline. It shows students how theoretical and applied strands in accounts of speech variation can complement one another in order to produce a comprehensive profile of the particular variety of speech under investigation. The module begins by introducing core concepts in phonetics and phonology, and moves on to apply phonetic and phonological analytic methods to speech samples chosen by students, beginning with a group transcription task. Once students have completed a transcription and identified key features therein, the module invites them to select a range of journal articles and existing research sources which deal with the feature(s) in question, and provide a written critical review of the articles they have chosen. The module is assessed by means of (i) performance in the transcription task, (ii) performance in the mini-conference in which students provide an overview of the key phonological elements of their transcribed sample, and (iii) the critical review task.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to understand the distinctiveness and the complementary nature of phonetics and phonology. They will have acquired advanced knowledge of both areas, and they will understand how each discipline has developed, by means of engagement with existing practice, scholarship and research. By selecting data for and transcribing a speech sample, they will acquire skills in phonetic transcription and in accounting for speech variation using an appropriate range of phonological models. Students will also gain an advanced understanding of the role of techniques and research methods used in the analysis of data. By participation in the group transcription task, students will develop their ability to negotiate and collaborate in the delivery of a common goal; and, by selecting contextual readings which address key variables in the transcription, individual students will acquire and exercise skills in mapping their experience in the subject onto broader disciplinary frameworks.
Skills
The module equips students to:
Recognise differences and complementarities in phonetic and phonological approaches to data; transcribe speech data; describe and explain formal and functional aspects of speech with regard to segmental and prosodic features; select relevant analytic tools, including digital methods for investigating acoustic phenomena.
This module introduces students to the theories, applications and methods of analysis used in corpus linguistics. It enables students to collect their own corpora and use corpus software to undertake analyses based on their own interests. The module gives a comprehensive overview of core practical and theoretical aspects of corpus linguistics and allows students to engage in critical examination of a range of areas of study. Indicative content includes: corpus creation (ethical data selection and acquisition, issues in representativeness and size); corpus analysis tools and techniques (frequency lists, concordances, collocation, data annotation); interpretation and analysis of results (morphology, semantics, pragmatics, discourse, genre, language variation and change); applications: (lexicography, pedagogy, translation, stylistics, discourse analysis).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
• Demonstrate understanding of and critically evaluate the key concepts and terminology of corpus linguistics
• Use corpus tools to conduct corpus-based research at an advanced level
• Show a detailed and critical awareness of the major areas of linguistics in which corpora are used, such as lexicography, pedagogy, translation, stylistics and discourse analysis
• Respond to key debates in the field of corpus linguistics
Skills
The module equips students to:
Select appropriate methods for designing and compiling language corpora; interrogate corpora as a means for addressing key questions in language variation.
This module will analyse discourses of crime and deviance across fictional and non-fictional discourse arena including traditional media, social media, television and film, and literary fiction. A broad critical language studies (CLS) approach will be taken, additionally informed by insights from literary linguistics, forensic linguistics, cultural criminology and legal studies. The module will be organised into core themes (crime in the media/crime in the courtroom/crime in fiction) and will focus on key topics which include trial by media, adaptation, novelization and ‘true crime’. Themes of gender, class, and age will be addressed in these areas. The module will be available to students on the 4th year of the MLibArts programme and students undertaking the MRes in Arts and Humanities, which does not currently offer a taught module from English Language and Linguistics.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will have refined their broad critical understanding of the construction of crime across contexts. Students will engage in a range of historical and social debates, analysing the recurrence of key themes and ideas in areas of critical language studies. Students will relate these key themes to ongoing developments in culturally complex language settings, and through traditional as well as emerging digital mediums.
Skills
During this module, students will have the opportunity to practise the following skills: * Critical analysis of key debates on criminality in several contexts. * Engagement with interdisciplinary debates regarding perceptions of crime and deviance in various contexts, including the media, the justice system, films, and television. * Application of learning to key social and political debates. * Writing critically and reflectively.
Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree (with minimum of 55%) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in English, French or Irish Language and/or Linguistics or related discipline.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 15th August 2025 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.
The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit the link below for more information. http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required.
*Taken within the last 2 years.
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Those who graduate from Linguistics programmes routinely enter careers in academia, school-teaching, speech and language therapy, translation, forensic linguistics, language planning and policy, government administration, and museums, cultural and heritage organisations. This MA will equip you with the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in these areas, and for further study in your preferred area within linguistics.
Employment after the Course
Your MA in Linguistics from QUB will equip you with a range of subject-specific and transferable skills which enable you to consider employment in diverse areas, including research in speech and language, education, language policy and heritage, marketing and communication, journalism, translation and interpreting and law. The MA will also establish a firm foundation for progress to Doctoral-level study.
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
