Venues

Central Campus

Content

Year 1:
You will take the carefully designed introductory course, which introduces you to the principles of theoretical linguistics. You will also study the way we learn language, the regional and social variations of language in general, and of the English language in particular, and methods of communication.

Year 2:
You will take four further semester-long courses (two in the case of some joint honours degrees) looking at linguistic theory and research techniques, the structure of spoken and written English and other languages, and at the evolution of language and the patterns of linguistic change attested to in the world’s languages.

Year 3:
You will study core courses and choose from a range of advanced linguistics modules such as Child Bilingualism, Origins and Evolution of Language, Prosody and Pragmatics. If you are studying a joint honours degree in linguistics with a language you will spend your third year studying or working abroad.

Year 4:
In your fourth year you will continue to choose specialist modules according to your interests. You will also take a specialised research training course before starting your honours dissertation, regarded by many as the most formative experience of their undergraduate career.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements

Standard entry:
4 Highers at ABBB (first sitting) or 4 or 5 Highers at AABB/ABBBB (two sittings) plus English at National 5 at C.

Widening access entry:
4 Highers at ABBB (by end of S6) plus English at National 5 at C. Highers at BBB must be achieved in one sitting S4-S6.