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BA (Hons) Linguistics
Understanding the science of language through theory, use, and function.
Year of entry: 2026/27
Show year of entry: 2025/26
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10thin the UK for graduate prospects in linguistics
1stin the UK for the quality of our linguistics research
9thin the UK and world top 100 for linguistics
Language is a window into the mind. It is how we express ourselves, and is the essence of what makes us human.
In studying linguistics you will be learning the science behind how we communicate. You’ll engage with the study of language on a conceptual level as well as the detailed level of raw linguistic data. You'll study syntax, semantics, phonetics, phonology and sociolinguistics, taught by world-leading academics whose expertise covers a range of areas of linguistics.
The combination of theory and practice will stimulate your critical thinking skills, foster your originality, and enable you to become a uniquely skilled analytical thinker and problem-solver. Your knowledge and understanding of how a language works, and how we communicate, will give you a solid foundation for many careers. This flexible course gives you opportunities to customise your studies from the second year onwards.
Get a head start in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at York
At York, you'll benefit from being able to take TEFL modules in-house, as part of your degree. The work you complete in your TEFL modules can help you prepare for a qualification. This teacher training programme, also offered in-house, can qualify you to teach English to non-native speakers.

Why did I choose York? A great many reasons! It’s amongst the best for linguistics in the UK, and the diverse course appealed to me. I also love the city and a visit to the beautiful campus sealed the deal!
Course content
You’ll focus primarily on spoken language data, using tools from the core areas of linguistics: syntax, phonetics and phonology, semantics, and sociolinguistics. You'll learn to notice and describe fine-grained details - the kind of detail that the human brain subconsciously pays attention to - while at the same time developing an eye for the underlying pattern in a set of data. ​
The course builds from developing core skills in analysis and linguistic investigation, to applying these skills in advanced-level modules by the final year. There are opportunities to customise your programme of study from the second year onwards according to your own interests.
You'll be able to take elective modules from other departments over the course of your degree. All electives are offered subject to departmental approval and timetable availability. You may also take certain language courses offered by Languages for All (LfA) as electives, but there may be restrictions on which LfA levels can be taken at each stage of your degree. Ask us for further details.
Year 1
In your first year, alongside your core English Languages and Linguistic modules, you can choose to study a new language, develop your skills in a language you already know, add another English Language module, or choose an elective from another department.
Core modules
- Understanding Language in the Real World
- Language and the Mind
- Syntactic Structures
- Phonetics and Phonology
- English Past and Present
Option modules
You will study one option module. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
- Structure of English
- Either an English Language or elective module.
The options available to you will be confirmed later this year. For further information please get in touch.
Elective modules
You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.
Academic integrity module
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Learning outcomes
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Learning outcomes for this course
- Select and deploy appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods acquired through the study of the nature, use, and acquisition of language to gain a holistic and multifaceted understanding of a range of issues in the cognitive and social sciences.
- Approach with confidence intricate, complex and unfamiliar linguistic phenomena, discern relevant patterns and convey their significance to a variety of audiences.
- Propose creative and principled solutions to linguistic problems and contribute them effectively to interdisciplinary teams, forming a bridge between humanities and scientific disciplines.
- Communicate clearly and effectively to specialists and the general public the nature and relevance of linguistic questions and controversies, the pivotal significance of language for human cognition, and the ways in which knowledge of language influences behaviour.
- Synthesise and critically engage with arguments from a variety of standpoints, showing clear reasoning and an understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity.
- Identify and formulate novel questions and work effectively on them individually and as part of a larger team, taking on different roles both in research and management across a range of work environments collaborating and interacting effectively with other team members.
- Show sensitivity and perceptiveness concerning aspects of social, cultural, and political realities where language plays an important role and be able to highlight the relevance of linguistic issues to policy-making in a globalised and interconnected world.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees
UK (home) | International and EU |
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£9,535 | £26,900 |
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.
Fees for subsequent years
- UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
- International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).
More information
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
Additional costs
Set texts are available from the Library or online, but you may wish to buy your own copy for some modules. These typically cost between £10 and £30.
Funding
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
- UK government loans
- UK scholarships and bursaries
- International scholarships
- Country-specific funding
- US loans
Departmental Scholarship
Find out more about funding specific to Languages and Linguistics.
York, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial
Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.
* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching format
A combination of lectures, seminars, and practicals.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
Lectures | 5-6 hours per week |
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Seminars | 5-6 hours per week |
Workshops | 5-6 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
Our dedicated Language and Linguistic Science facilities are used to deconstruct and analyse language. We have three main areas:
Psycholinguistics lab
Comprising two experimental booths with black-out blinds so you can measure pupil response using the world’s most precise video-based eye trackers. Two additional workstations are used for behavioural experiments. These are equipped with multiple E-prime software licences, devices for recording response times and technology for controlling auditory stimuli. The lab also has a generous multi-purpose computer laboratory with access to linguistics software for experimental design and coding.
Speech lab: Articulograph and ultrasound
Using ultrasound imaging and electromagnetic articulography, you can track the movement of the tongue and lips in real-time to analyse speech.
Recording studio
Our professional recording studio can produce clear, quiet, professional recordings suitable for academic use.
Teaching location
You will be based in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science on Campus West. Your contact hours will be on Campus West.
About our campus
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 - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
Standard: essays, reports, exercises, closed and open exams, individual/group presentations, dissertations (MSci only) Non-standard: group and individual projects (eg group-collaborated wikis, coding project)
Careers and skills
Effective communication, critical thinking and project management skills are central to most careers. The study of language and linguistics at York equips you with these skills and others, which translate readily into any work context. Read more about employability skills.
Our graduates have an excellent record of pursuing fulfilling paths after graduation. Learn more about graduate career destinations.
Apart from your knowledge of linguistics, you will leave with the confidence and skills that come from successfully completing a demanding course and participating fully in university life.
There are specialist careers that lead directly from your degree, after additional postgraduate training, including: clinical linguistics (speech and language therapy), forensic linguistics (forensic speech science), teaching (primary and secondary), teaching English as a foreign language, academic research and higher/further education.
Career opportunities
- Data science
- Language technology
- Speech and language therapy
- Publishing
- Marketing
- Teaching
- Research (academia)
Transferable skills
- Effective communication skills
- Intercultural awareness
- Critical thinking
- Project management
- Independent learning
- Data analysis
- Problem solving
- Teamwork
Entry requirements
Qualification | Typical offer |
---|---|
A levels | AAB |
Access to Higher Education Diploma | Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher |
BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD |
European Baccalaureate | 80% overall average |
International Baccalaureate | 35 points |
T levels | We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels. |
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Scottish Highers - AABBB
Advanced Highers - not required for entry
We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Alternative offers
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
Criteria | Adjustment |
---|---|
Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
Contextual offer | BBB |
EPQ | If you achieve C or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
MOOCs | If you successfully complete our online course Accents, attitudes and identity do let us know, as you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about MOOCs. |
English language
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) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
IB English | A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level) |
Cambridge CEFR | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
Oxford ELLT | 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component |
Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component |
Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
LanguageCert Academic | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component |
Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
If you haven't met our 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.
Next steps
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions
Related courses
If you want to study English literature alongside linguistics, see our English and Linguistics course.
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