English Language and/or Linguistics MLitt

This is an individually tailored research Master's degree designed for graduates with a good background in linguistics and/or the English language.

Our research Master's in English Language and/or Linguistics is largely based on your own research interests. We'll prepare you for further research within and beyond academia. You'll be fully supported by experts situated in one of the largest centres for linguistics research in Europe.

The individually tailored course contains some taught modules. It mostly consists of smaller, independently conducted research assignments and a larger research dissertation at the end. The topics are chosen by you, in consultation with your supervisor.

Linguistics and Applied Linguistics is split across three Schools:

• School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences
• School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
• School of Modern Languages

We offer supervision in the following areas:

Linguistic theory

• phonetics and phonology
• (morpho)syntax
• pragmatics
• the lexicon
• cross-linguistic variation
• the architecture of the language faculty
• language's place in human cognition
• the philosophy of linguistics

Language variation and change

• dialectology
• (variationist) sociolinguistics
• the sociology of language
• English historical linguistics
• corpus creation (e.g. the Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English)

Language evolution, acquisition, and development

• typical and atypical child (L1) and adult (L2) language acquisition
• cognitive science
• information theory
• psycholinguistics

Our supervisors' current research interests, projects and publications are available from our staff profiles in each of these Schools.

Research centres and institutes

Our links with research centres and institutes provide opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary seminars and interest groups. Our most important connections are with:

• Centre for Research in Learning and Teaching
• Centre for Behaviour and Evolution

A Global Top 125 university (QS World University Rankings 2023), Newcastle is home to 29,000 students from 140 countries.

A founding member of the Russell Group, we are one of only 19 universities in the world – and just three in the UK – to achieve a five-plus QS Star rating for overall excellence (2022).

We can trace our origins back to the School of Medicine and Surgery, established in 1834.

Today, we combine world-leading research with a world-class academic experience.

A global leader with strengths in ageing and health, data, energy, cities, and the creative arts, we’re pioneering solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the world. In the UK’s Research Excellence Framework 2021, 42% of our research was scored as world-leading.

Through 5-star teaching (QS Stars 2022), we educate for life. Students are challenged and supported to learn from world-class experts across more than 185 undergraduate and 300 postgraduate degrees.

Student experience

Students are supported to reach their full potential by our Student Health and Wellbeing services that provide counselling, mental health, disability and specialist learning support, as well as financial support and faith and spirituality support.

We’ve developed an online Academic Skills Kit to support students in becoming effective independent learners.

Our Students' Union is at the heart of the Newcastle experience, offering more than 180 student-run societies and over 60 sports clubs.

A top student city

Multicultural, vibrant and friendly, Newcastle is the capital of North East England – the University’s city-centre campus is at its heart.

A global top 50 and UK top 10 student city, it’s also one of the most affordable in the UK (QS Best Student Cities, 2023).

Newcastle offers top-class sports, a vibrant arts scene, great shopping and exciting nightlife. It’s also close to beautiful countryside and award-winning beaches.