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English Linguistics MA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, English Linguistics MA (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£16,000

£8,000

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£33,000

£16,500

Duration

1 calendar year

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2025

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 04 Apr 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Applications are welcome from candidates who have at least a second-class Bachelor's degree in English Language or Literature from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

Some prior knowledge of English language studies is expected for the programme.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The MA introduces students to the core areas of the study of English Linguistics, including morphology, syntax, phonetics, phonology, pragmatics, and corpus linguistics. The programme develops students' critical thinking skills through interactive class discussions based on authentic linguistic data to explore how the English language works, facilitating students' growth as a researcher.

Who this course is for

The programme is of interest to those who wish to continue to a research degree in English language or linguistics, those who wish to become teachers or lecturers of English, or those intending to pursue a career in writing, publishing, editing, or communication.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The Department has exceptional resources for the study of English linguistics. Most of the staff teaching on the MA are based at the Survey of English Usage. Research at the Survey over many decades has resulted in several important publications and important studies on the grammar, semantics, and vocabulary of present-day English. The Department also regularly hosts visiting seminar speakers from other institutions. Our degree helps you develop your understanding of the English language from theoretical and practical perspectives through a combination of seminars, group activities, one-to-one tutorials, and special events such as trips to the Oxford English Dictionary and the British Library. Excellent library facilities are provided by the UCL Library, Senate House Library, and the British Library.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

The programme provides an ideal foundation for those wishing to continue to a research degree in English language or linguistics; students who obtain good results in their MA examinations may be considered for the MPhil/PhD programme at UCL (subject to places being available).

Graduates may also become teachers or lecturers of English, or pursue a career in writing and translation, editing or publishing, or marketing and communications . In the Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts, 88.9% of our graduates were in either highly-skilled work or postgraduate-level study.

Employability

This degree will equip you with expert knowledge of a wide range of topics in English Linguistics. It will develop your awareness of how the language choices we make can have an impact in our professional and personal lives, and thus improve your communication skills. It also teaches you to carry out research projects independently, critically analyse data, and consult primary and secondary materials, and therefore become adept at consolidating and presenting information from a variety of sources.

The theoretical and practical knowledge acquired about the English language also greatly helps teachers and educators by giving them a more solid foundation in the subject matter. These are all relevant transferable skills for a wide variety of career destinations.

Networking

The MA in English Linguistics (MAEL) offers students a number of networking events during the academic year. We organise four research seminars every year, when we invite academics from other universities to come to talk to us about their current research. These are wonderful opportunities for MAEL students to find out about research in the wider field of linguistics. These seminars are followed by an informal opportunity for students to talk to the speaker.

The literary section of UCL English offers a further range of seminars conducted by visiting speakers, staff members, and fellow graduate students, which MAEL students are also welcome to attend. In addition, UCL has a very active Careers department which organises events for students on the course. Staff on the course also advise MAEL students which linguistics societies they can join (often for free), e.g. the Philological Society and the International Society for the Linguistics of English, so as to attend their events and conferences.

Teaching and learning

Modern English Grammar, English in Use and Research Methodology are taught in weekly seminars over two terms. The option courses are taught in weekly seminars over one term, either in the First or Second Term. Over the year students write a number of essays, which are discussed in one-to-one tutorials. They also carry out a number of assignments, including presentations during the Spring Term. All students are required to attend the research seminars organised by the Survey of English Usage, which typically take place twice a term.

The programme is taught through seminars and individual tutorials. Student assessment is through a portfolio of essays (two 2,000-word essays on English linguistics), and other written assignments (a number of Research Methodology assignments, and a 4,000-6,000 word essay for either English Corpus Linguistics or English in Use), two, three-hour written papers and the Dissertation.

In the First and Second Terms, full-time students can typically expect between 8 and 10 contact hours per teaching week through seminars. In the Third Term and the summer period students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors. Across the year, students can expect four 30-minute one-to-one tutorials with their personal tutor. Across the duration of the programme, full-time students should spend the rest of their time in independent study, which will include self-study, coursework and dissertation writing. The equivalent of a full-time job.

Modules

The English Linguistics MA offers two pathways for you to choose from:

Pathway One: English Corpus Linguistics:

You will study Modern English Grammar, English Corpus Linguistics, and Research Methodology. Each module is taught over 20 two-hour seminars over the First and Second Term. You will also study two option modules over the First and Second Term. Each option module is taught in 10 two-hour seminars over one term. Option modules vary each year but typically cover subjects such as English Words, World Englishes, Sounds of English, the History of the English Language, and Literary Linguistics. In addition, the English in Use module offered under Pathway Two can be taken as an option in the First Term. You will work on the title of the Dissertation, together with an abstract of the proposed topic, to be submitted on the first day of the Third Term. You will write your dissertation during the Third Term and over the summer.

Pathway Two: English in Use:

You will study Modern English Grammar, English in Use, and Research Methodology. Each module is taught over 20 two-hour seminars over the First and Second Term. You will also study two option modules over the Firts and Second Term. Each option module is taught in 10 two-hour seminars over one term. Option modules vary each year but typically cover subjects such as English Words, World Englishes, Sounds of English, the History of the English Language, and Literary Linguistics. In addition,the English Corpus Linguistics module offered under Pathway One can also be taken as an option in the First Term. You will work on the title of the Dissertation, together with an abstract of the proposed topic, to be submitted on the first day of the Third Term. You will write your dissertation during the Third Term and over the summer.

Part-time students typically take the Modern English Grammar module in the First Year, together with one option module. During the Second Year, students take their second core module (either English Corpus Linguistics or English Language in Use), as well as a second option module. The Dissertation will be written during the summer of the Second Year of study. Part-time students are encouraged to work on their dissertations during the summer following the First Year. Part-time students should discuss their teaching and learning arrangements with the programme convenor as soon as possible to ensure a balanced distribution of modules, compatible with other commitments.

Compulsory modules

Modern English Grammar

Topics in Modern English Linguistics

Research Methodology

Dissertation

Optional modules

English Corpus Linguistics

English Language in Use

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in English Linguistics.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£16,000	£8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£33,000	£16,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study English Linguistics at graduate level
why you want to study English Linguistics at UCL
what particularly attracts you to this programme
how your academic and/or professional background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.