Explore the mechanisms that allow people to acquire, produce and comprehend language.
Year of entry: 2027 (September)
Applications open 21 September 2026
Investigate the cognitive science of language. This course ask questions about areas ranging from language acquisition to language processing. You’ll also develop practical skills in experimental and quantitative psycholinguistic methods.
Choose from introductory or advanced modules, depending on your experience. This course is fully flexible, if you have a background in linguistics or psychology or not.
Gain access to specialist software and facilities. You'll use web-based platforms, such as PCIbex and Gorilla, in your research training. These will equip you with a versatile skillset that's sought after in both academia and industry. In selective cases, your final project may involve lab work. We have eye-trackers, EEG, ultrasound, electromagnetic articulography, and soundproof recording suites for studies on comprehension and production across diverse populations.
Study under world-leading researchers. You'll be taught by passionate academics, whose expertise covers many areas of linguistics. We’re a stimulating community with a commitment to unravel every aspect of the study of language.
Something I am particularly enjoying about the course is the variety of assessment methods across modules. I find this sense of variety fosters greater motivation and concentration, while also giving the opportunity to learn and showcase a wider range of skills.
The structure of the programme is very flexible to adapt to your prior background, offering both introductory modules (for conversion students) and specialist advanced modules if you have a background in linguistics and/or psychology.
You'll progress to specialist modules in the second semester. Through this, you'll deepen your subject knowledge while also developing your abilities in dealing with controversial proposals, weighing up the evidence, evaluating the quality of the arguments, and articulating your own conclusions.
In addition, you'll undertake practical training in experimental methods and quantitative methods in psycholinguistics. Finally, in collaboration with our staff, you will design and conduct your own psycholinguistic research for your dissertation, which closes the programme and allows you to apply the concepts and skills acquired during the MSc (including experimental design and statistical analysis).
You'll choose from 3 modules in consultation with the programme leader.
Option modules
You'll choose from 3 modules in consultation with the programme leader. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course. For further information, please get in touch.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
You'll prepare and write a research dissertation over Semester 2 and the vacation supervised by a member of staff. You'll submit your dissertation in September.
Previous topics have included:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £12,500 | £27,250 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£6,250 | £13,625 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2027/28 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll be taught with a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and practical training. You'll have approximately three contact hours a week for each module. For some modules you’ll complete collaborative group work outside your classes. You’ll be set essential reading, and will complete weekly assigned exercises.
All modules offer developmental assessments that do not contribute to your final mark. These provide a chance to practice your skills and gain useful feedback on your progress and understanding, before you take the final assessments. A member of the teaching staff will act as your supervisor throughout the degree, to help guide your studies and monitor progress.
All of our modules have Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) websites where all crucial materials—reading lists, handouts, discussion boards—are accessible.
Our e-Lab gives you access to a variety of resources, including specialist linguistics software, corpora of different varieties, and online language-learning materials.
You will be based in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in or close to Vanbrugh College, with some additional teaching in other locations on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
A range of assessment formats are used. You’ll submit exercises or short essays, or take examinations, for your Semester One modules.
You'll graduate with a detailed understanding of one or more core areas in psycholinguistics. This could be first and second language acquisition, language comprehension, or language production, depending on the modules you choose.
As well as this, you'll gain the practical skills needed to investigate language experimentally. This includes:
You'll have designed, ran and reported your own study from start to finish, working alongside researchers at the forefront of the field. This course will prepare you for doctoral study including research and data analysis, user experience research, language technology, educational assessment, and science communication and publishing.
Accelerate your professional network. We'll connect you with the guidance, industry links and experiences to help you stand out and find your career advantage.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, minimum 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478-509, with 444-477 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 60 with 52 in Listening, 53 in Reading, 65 in Speaking, and 59 in Writing |
| TOEFL | 4.5, with 5 in Listening and 4.5 in each other component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Get in touch if you have any questions
If you are new to the field or have only minimal prior background:
If you have considerable prior background:
