MA in Linguistics: Language Variation and Multilingualism
Nijmegen, Netherlands
MA
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Apr 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,695 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Application deadline with scholarship: 31.01.2026| Final deadline for EU students: 01.07.2026| Deadline for EU students who want to get assistance with housing: 01.05.2026
** Institutional tuition fee EU/EEA: €14,084.00 | For non-EU/EEA students: €18,873.00
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
The Master Language Variation and Multilingualism at Radboud University explores linguistic diversity and multilingualism from theoretical, sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives, thereby allowing students to have a full grasp on these topics and their relation. Courses generally offer a nice mix of theoretical and practical knowledge: they for instance situate insights from linguistic and language acquisition theory within the context of everyday communication and contemporary language use. For those with sufficient language proficiency, students can also integrate language-specific linguistics courses in Dutch, German, French and Spanish from the Masterlanguage programme, which offers linguistics courses in English, Dutch, Italian, French and Spanish that Radboud organises in collaboration with other Dutch universities. Language Variation and Multilingualism offers you the opportunity to pick and choose those courses that interest you the most, thereby allowing you to create the profile that you desire.
Why study Language Variation and Multilingualism?
- This specialisation offers plenty of opportunity to create your own programme.
- You will be part of a truly international classroom with students from all over the world, speaking and learning different languages.
- This programme offers the opportunity to do an internship, possibly abroad, in (the second half of) your programme.
- We can ensure that you will get plenty of one-on-one time with your thesis advisor.
- The programme is connected to the top-quality research carried out at the Centre for Language Studies (CLS). Students at Nijmegen can also benefit from world-renowned research institutes present on campus, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the Donders Insitute, both of which conduct language and linguistics-related research.
- In the Keuzegids Masters 2024 students rate this programme above average compared to the national average.
Radboud Scholarship Programme
The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers talented, highly motivated, non-EU/EEA students with outstanding study results the opportunity to be awarded a partial scholarship for an English-taught Master’s programme.
NL Scholarship (for prospective students)
The NL Scholarship (formerly known as Holland Scholarship) is a partial scholarship for non-EU/EEA students who want to do their Master’s in the Netherlands.
Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships
The Fulbright Commission, sponsored by Radboud University, is offering scholarships for talented American students to study at Radboud University.
Deadline is 31 January
Language Variation and Multilingualism is taught at the Faculty of Arts. It has a course load of 60 EC* (one-year). Courses are typically 5 EC, the obligatory internship is 10 EC and the Master’s Thesis is 20 EC. The programme offers you the opportunity to pick and choose those courses that interest you the most, in addition to two obligatory 'backbone courses' of the programme. If your relevant language proficiency is good enough, you can also choose language-specific courses.
Curriculum
Courses
The programme of Language Variation and Multilingualism consists of 60 EC. You’ll follow three compulsory courses and will be able to choose elective courses of 15 EC. Throughout the year you’ll do an internship (10 EC) and will complete your Master’s programme with a Master’s Thesis (20 EC). Here you can find an overview of the courses of the Master's programme Language Variation and Multilingualism.
After your studies
This programme prepares for jobs in which linguistic knowledge is applied. Language Variation and Multilingualism offers you an intensive learning experience in both linguistics and/or a particular second language. This will further enhance your language skills and may allow you to pursue a career working in both your native language and the second language.
Possible occupations
- Variety of occupations in language policy
- Variety of occupations in language testing
- Communication consultant
- Journalist
- Translator
- Variety of occupations in language technology
- Developer of educational materials
- Researcher