Programme Outline
Content and Structure
Programme of Study
Students taking the MSc/Dip English Language will follow four core courses in the following areas:
- Introduction to Phonology
- Introduction to Syntax
- Introduction to Semantics
- Introduction to Language Research
Students also take four option courses (one in semester 1 and three in semester 2), which are shared with students on other programmes. The list of options available each year will typically include most of the following:
- English Grammar: a Cognitive approach
- English Historical Syntax
- Historical Phonology
- Lexical Semantics
- Northern Englishes
- Middle English
- Scots and Scottish English
- Principles and Applications of Medieval Dialectology
- Reading Old English
- Corpus Linguistics
- Global Englishes
- English Word-Formation
- Figurative Language
- Dialectology of the British Isles
- Pragmatics
- Diachronic Linguistics
With the agreement of the programme director, students can also take a course from the other MScs that are offered in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences or, exceptionally, from another degree programme offered elsewhere in the university. This means that students are able to take an outside course from a wide range of areas in theoretical and applied Linguistics.
Dissertation
Students also write a 15,000-word dissertation in the time from April to September, when formal teaching has finished. Dissertation supervision takes place on a one-to-one basis, offering expert individual tuition in an area of the student's choice.
Modes of study
The programme is available in both full-time mode, over 12 months, and part-time mode, over 24 months.
NB: if applicants already have a good academic background in English Language (for example, if they have studied the subject, or a closely related subject such as Linguistics, at undergraduate level) we typically recommend that they take an MSc by Research in English Language, rather than this taught MSc.
Please contact the taught MSc programme director if you have any queries about this.