MSc TESOL and Applied Linguistics
Belfast, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,500 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international fee
Key Summary
About: The MSc in TESOL and Applied Linguistics at Queen's University Belfast trains novice and practicing teachers and those interested in language policy or research. It explores how language is learned and taught across education and society. The programme links to the Centre for Language Education Research and uses continuous coursework assessment (no exams).
Career Outcomes: Graduates work in language teaching, curriculum and materials development, assessment and policy or progress to research or doctoral study. Queen's offers Degree Plus, Researcher Plus; students can apply for NICER and Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. Career opportunities include teaching, assessment, policy advising and research.
Find out what it means
The MSc in TESOL and Applied Linguistics is a professionally-oriented higher degree for those who intend to pursue a career in language teaching (i.e., novice as well as practicing teachers) or careers in other professional areas related to language advocacy, policy, or research. The programme provides students with the opportunity to develop deeper, contextualised understandings of the flexible and dynamic ways that language is learned, taught, and used in education, media, workplaces, and in greater society. It enables participants to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to devise and teach language, in addition to equipping students with the essential research and analytical skills to stay current with rapid developments in language teaching and other robust areas of applied linguistics.
Through the range of modules, you can also focus on certain pedagogical aspects of TESOL and Applied Linguistics, including, materials development, bilingual education, language assessment, or you can learn about broader intersections of language in society such as social justice, the impact of digital literacies and communication. One of the key features of the MSc TESOL and Applied Linguistics is that the programme is linked directly to the Centre for Language Education Research which means that students can benefit from a rich research culture to augment their course activities.
Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages and Applied Linguistics - January intake highlights
Student Experience
- Small-group teaching: The academic team is internationally recognised for its range of teaching and research in language education and Applied Linguistics.
- Flexibility: Diploma and Certificate options are also available.
- Credit transfer: Students who have completed other masters-level awards, e.g. PGCE, within the last 10 years are eligible to credit transfer. The credit transfer application must be submitted at the same time as the online programme application as retrospective applications are not accepted.
- Disciplinary-focused assessment: There are no examinations. Assessment is based on continual assessment of coursework, e.g. written assignments, online discussion forum tasks, presentations, role plays, online and digital projects.
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.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Master's 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.
Course Structure
SStudents must successfully complete a minimum of 80 CATS from the selection of core TESOL and Applied Linguistics modules.
Students will normally take three taught modules in spring semester (60 CATS), followed by an independent research module in the summer semester (60 CATS). The programme will then be completed with a further three taught modules in the autumn semester (60 CATS).
Students will have the opportunity to resit failed modules once, at the next available opportunity—usually at the end of the following semester.
Students who do not pass all modules by the end of a semester will be given academic advice on how best to manage their workload. In particular, students who have failed all taught modules in a semester will normally be advised to defer all or some of their resits in order to ensure a manageable and balanced academic load. Opportunities to resit or defer assessments will be discussed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual progress and circumstances.
Progression after each semester will be determined by the Board of Examiners at the relevant stages.
The MSc programme includes exit pathways at both Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate level. A Postgraduate Diploma can be awarded for successfully completing a minimum of 120 CATS, including a minimum 60 CATS from the selection of core TESOL & Applied Linguistics module s, but less than 180 CATS total in modules on the programme.
A Postgraduate Certificate can be awarded for successfully completing a minimum of 60 CATS, including a minimum 40 CATS from the selection of core TESOL & Applied Linguistics modules, but less than 120 CATS total in modules on the programme.
Core Modules
- An Introduction to Research Methods: Children, Young People and Education (20 credits)
- Independent Research module (IRM) (60 credits)
- TESOL: Principles and Practices (20 credits)
- Contemporary Issues in Applied Linguistics (20 credits)
- Language Awareness (20 credits)
- Bilingualism, Literacy and Disciplinary Literacy Development (20 credits)
Optional Modules
- E-learning: Concepts and Pract (20 credits)
- Leadership: Theoretical Perspectives (20 credits)
- Leadership in Practice (20 credits)
- Leadership for School Improvement and Change (20 credits)
- Behaviour Change in Education and Supervising Others (20 credits)
- Social Justice in Special Needs Education and Inclusion: A Capability Approach (20 credits)
- Epistemic Injustice: The Ethics of Knowing in Special Educational Needs/ Inclusion (20 credits)
- Deconstructing Special Needs Education and Inclusion (20 credits)
- Fundamental elements of behaviour change (20 credits)
Queen’s University Belfast is ranked 174th in the QS World University Rankings 2027
Graduates have found their degree very beneficial in gaining employment in a range of teaching institutions worldwide, international agencies and examination bodies, and to gain promotion in their current workplace. Others progress to further doctoral-level studies and research.
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Prizes and Awards
Teachers working on classroom-based dissertation projects may apply for the Northern Ireland Centre for Educational Research (NICER) award.
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.