- Degree awarded
- Master of Arts (MA)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We normally expect students to have a First or Upper Second class honours degree or its overseas equivalent, typically in a subject relevant to Linguistics or in Linguistics.
The application form includes a personal statement section in which you must demonstrate your knowledge of and interest in the subject (no more than 500 words).
- Number of places/applicants
- There is no limit on the number of places available.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | Y | N | N | N |
Course overview
Explore all aspects of theoretical and descriptive linguistics at one of the UK’s leading Linguistic departments.
- Develop written and oral communication skills, computing skills, intercultural awareness and research methods for your future career.
- Study in a profoundly multi-lingual city with access to excellent linguistic research facilities, including psycholinguistics and phonetics laboratories with facilities for signal analysis, speech synthesis, laryngography and electropalatography.
- Prepare for your career in linguistics research through either industry or academia.
- Study in a UK top-10 University for Linguistics (QS World University Subject Rankings 2026) and at a university ranked in the global top 50 for Arts and Humanities (Times Higher Education 2026).
Our students. Real experiences. Visit the Students Stories page to hear from our students as they share what it’s really like to study here.
Open days
The University holds regular events throughout the year, including webinars and the annual on-campus Master's Expo, all of which offer the opportunity to find out more about our facilities and courses from our academic and admissions staff.
We also attend a number of education fairs both in the UK and overseas throughout the year.
For more details on how you can meet us, visit out events page .
Fees
Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 were as follows:
-
MA (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £13,700
International, including EU, students (per annum): £29,900
The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.
Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .
Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
International student CAS deposit
Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
- Learn more about - student finance options for UK students.
- Learn more about - fees and finance for international students.
- Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Contact name
- PG Taught Admissions
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 306 1259
- MASALC@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/linguistics-and-english-language/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.