University of Birmingham - College of Arts and Law
MA in Applied Linguistics (Distance Learning)
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
30 Months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 1,260 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* per module
Introduction
Are you interested in the relationship between language and society? Do you want to learn more about how vocabulary works and the difference between spoken and written language?
Our MA in Applied Linguistics is intended for anyone interested in the application of language research to language pedagogy, and for teachers of English who wish to upgrade their professional standing.
Studying this program by distance learning, you will be provided with a set of interactive course materials to complete in part-time, self-study mode over a period of at least 30 months.
We also offer a full-time, on-campus program for over one year.
Why Study This Course?
- Flexibility – We have multiple start dates throughout the year so you have the option of choosing when to commence your studies with us. You can study at home, in your own time and at your own pace, so you can combine achieving a qualification with other commitments. You also have the benefit of developing your career without having to leave employment.
- Real-life application – you can begin to apply new knowledge and insights to your working life whilst you are still studying. Many students even choose to tackle work-related topics in their dissertations.
- Opportunity to attend our summer school – the opportunity to attend one of our summer schools in Birmingham, Japan, or Korea to learn more about the discipline and meet with academics and other students on the program.
- Access to excellent resources – you will have free access to the 450 million-word Bank of English corpus, and to the hardware, software, and data resources held at the Centre for Corpus Research. You will also have access to online resources such as the Academic Writing Advisory Service and the Bank of Assessed Work to help with transitioning to postgraduate studies. We also have an extensive and growing range of books and journals available through the University's online library.
- Personal tutor – your personal tutor will be on hand to answer questions regarding the content of your programme and give advice on what to read and on writing your assignments.
- Excellent reputation – The Department of English Language and Linguistics is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. The distance programs have been running for more than twenty years and have gained an excellent reputation. The online materials have been developed by experts in the field with a range of research interests and specialties. The University has also been ranked as one of the world's top 50 institutions to study English Language and Literature in the 2023 QS World University Rankings.
Career Opportunities
Postgraduate Employability
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver local support.
In addition to a range of campus-based events and workshops, Careers Network provides extensive online resources and comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of career support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate Employability: English Language and Linguistics
Birmingham's English Language and Linguistics postgraduates develop a broad range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, particularly in relation to verbal and written communication. They also develop crucial skills in organization, time management, analysis, and interpretation of information.
Many of our graduates enter roles for which their program has prepared them, such as becoming a language analyst or data scientist. Others use their transferable skills in a wide range of occupations including teaching, research administration, and events.
Gallery
Curriculum
Modules
You will study three core modules:
- Lexis
- Sociolinguistics
- Discourse Analysis
Optional modules
You will also choose three optional modules from a range which typically includes:
- Corpus Linguistics
- English Language Teaching Management
- Functional Grammar
- Language and New Media
- Language Teaching Methodology
- Language Testing
- Multimodal Communication
- Psycholinguistics
- Pedagogic Grammar
- Second Language Acquisition
- Syllabus and Materials Design
- Teaching Language to Young Learners
Dissertation
In addition to your taught modules, you will conduct a piece of independent research with the support of a supervisor, culminating in a 15,000-word dissertation.
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships and Studentships
Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available. To discover whether you are eligible for any award across the University, and to start your funding application, please visit the University's Postgraduate Funding Database.
Program delivery
Our study materials are produced by academic staff in our department and are available online through the University's 'virtual learning environment'.
They contain aims and objectives, reading lists, summaries of readings, activities and commentaries, discussion and reflection tasks, indexes, and details of assignments required. On joining you are provided with a course handbook that introduces you to the team, provides details of their roles and expertise, and gives all the contact information you will need including email addresses so that if you have any difficulties or questions you will know who to contact for help and guidance.
Although much of the course is delivered through the virtual learning environment, support is always available. You will have a personal tutor and dissertation supervisor to guide you and answer any questions, and you will be able to consult academic staff in Birmingham via Skype.
We also run week-long face-to-face seminars in the summer. These are free, and open to all distance learning Applied Linguistics students.
Each module represents up to 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, assignment preparation, and independent study.