PhD Linguistics

Year of entry: 2023

Overview

Degree awarded
Doctor of Philosophy
Duration
3 years [full-time], 6 years [part-time]
Entry requirements
  • A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and
  • A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in a related subject.

Full entry requirements

Number of places/applicants
There is no limit on the number of places available.
How to apply

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. A Personal Statement is NOT required to be submitted. You should select 'Supporting Statement is not required for this programme'.

Application Deadlines

Admission to studying for a PhD is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

To be considered for all funding sources, you need to apply far enough in advance of the relevant funding competition deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed below. For studentships within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (including AHRC NWCDTP and ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your completed programme application by Friday 13 January 2023 unless specfied otherwise in the funding competition information at www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/opportunities/

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

  • For September 2023 entry: 30 June 2023
  • For January 2024 entry: 30 September 2023

Programme options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
PhD Y Y N N

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Discover more about this subject area

Programme description

Our PhD Linguistics programme enables you to carry out research in a field of linguistics that matches the interests of one of our members of staff.

The Department of Linguistics and English Language is an international centre for Linguistics, with 20 full-time members of staff and approximately 15 postgraduate research students.

We are virtually unique in the UK and beyond in the breadth of subject areas and theoretical approaches represented by our members, many of whom are internationally renowned scholars in their specialisms.

Our academics' areas of expertise include:

  • phonetics and phonology
  • morphology
  • syntax (lexical-functional grammar, role and reference grammar, construction grammar, and minimalism)
  • (formal) semantics
  • pragmatics
  • historical linguistics
  • dialectology
  • the linguistics of English
  • language contact
  • variationist sociolinguistics
  • child language acquisition
  • field linguistics and language documentation
  • typology
  • quantitative corpus-based approaches
  • forensic linguistics.

In our research, we combine the advancement of theoretical approaches with a strong concern for their empirical and methodological foundations.

Each member of staff also has a special interest in particular languages and language families, including major European languages, as well as lesser known languages of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Australia.

WE DO NOT, HOWEVER, SUPERVISE PROJECTS WITH A FOCUS ON SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING OR LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY. PLEASE, DO NOT CONTACT STAFF MEMBERS ABOUT SUCH PROJECTS.

Joint supervision arrangements for interdisciplinary projects are available.

Find out more about our Linguistics research , staff members , and what our current postgraduate research students are working on.

Open days

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting us on one of our  open days .

Fees

Fees for entry in 2023 have not yet been set. For reference, the fees for the academic year beginning September 2022 were as follows:

  • PhD (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £4,596
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £20,500
  • PhD (part-time)
    UK students (per annum): TBA

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

The School offers a limited number of bursaries and studentships on a competitive basis, details of which can be found via the links below.

Please note that whilst we do not have closing dates for programme applications, all funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below:

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

  • A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and
  • A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in a related subject.

English language

Students whose first language is not English require one of the following:

  • an overall IELTS score of 7.0 with 7.0 in the writing component, or
  • a TOEFL score of 600 paper-based test or 100 internet-based test, or
  • a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall with 76 in the writing component, or
  • an overall Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III grade of Merit with Merit in the writing component.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see entry requirements from your country .

Other entry requirements

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School. Should you be unable to do this at any point during your programme, a formal case must be made to the Faculty office, together with the full support of your supervisor(s). The University reserves the right to reject such a request where it is considered that your residency could have a detrimental impact on the progression and engagement of your studies.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. A Personal Statement is NOT required to be submitted. You should select 'Supporting Statement is not required for this programme'.

Application Deadlines

Admission to studying for a PhD is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

To be considered for all funding sources, you need to apply far enough in advance of the relevant funding competition deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed below. For studentships within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (including AHRC NWCDTP and ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your completed programme application by Friday 13 January 2023 unless specfied otherwise in the funding competition information at www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/opportunities/

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

  • For September 2023 entry: 30 June 2023
  • For January 2024 entry: 30 September 2023

Advice to applicants

We recommend all research applicants attempt to find a suitable supervisor here at Manchester by browsing the subject website and looking at the staff list . Please, do not contact staff unless you have a project in mind; staff do not routinely assign projects to prospective students.

Find out more on the how to apply page.

Interview requirements

The University requires an interview for all applicants to whom we consider making an offer.

Interviews will be conducted by two academics, usually the proposed main supervisor and the subject PGR Director (or an assigned representative).

The interview can be either face-to-face or via conference call or email.

The interview serves several purposes, allowing us to:

  • get a better picture of your ability to carry out the proposed doctoral project than the research proposal on its own;
  • tell you what the proposed supervisor(s) can bring to the project;
  • discuss with you directly any potential problems with the practical aspects of your studies and explore solutions together.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Programme details

Programme description

Our PhD Linguistics programme enables you to carry out research in a field of linguistics that matches the interests of one of our members of staff.

The Department of Linguistics and English Language is an international centre for Linguistics, with 20 full-time members of staff and approximately 15 postgraduate research students.

We are virtually unique in the UK and beyond in the breadth of subject areas and theoretical approaches represented by our members, many of whom are internationally renowned scholars in their specialisms.

Our academics' areas of expertise include:

  • phonetics and phonology
  • morphology
  • syntax (lexical-functional grammar, role and reference grammar, construction grammar, and minimalism)
  • (formal) semantics
  • pragmatics
  • historical linguistics
  • dialectology
  • the linguistics of English
  • language contact
  • variationist sociolinguistics
  • child language acquisition
  • field linguistics and language documentation
  • typology
  • quantitative corpus-based approaches
  • forensic linguistics.

In our research, we combine the advancement of theoretical approaches with a strong concern for their empirical and methodological foundations.

Each member of staff also has a special interest in particular languages and language families, including major European languages, as well as lesser known languages of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Australia.

WE DO NOT, HOWEVER, SUPERVISE PROJECTS WITH A FOCUS ON SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING OR LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY. PLEASE, DO NOT CONTACT STAFF MEMBERS ABOUT SUCH PROJECTS.

Joint supervision arrangements for interdisciplinary projects are available.

Find out more about our Linguistics research , staff members , and what our current postgraduate research students are working on.

Special features

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Find out more about the Graduate School

Graduate School

All of our postgraduate students become members of the Graduate School when you start at Manchester. It has dedicated facilities for students and offers opportunities to collaborate with other postgraduates.

Teaching and learning

Supervision will involve regular meetings with two supervisors, of which records will be kept.

Research Panels (consisting of at least three academic staff, including the supervisors) are held once per semester to monitor progress.

Supervisory arrangements at Manchester are governed by a Code of Practice .

In addition, you will be supported by a strong research culture in the department and excellent opportunities for research training, including general research methods in the arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as subject-specific masterclasses, reading groups and a PhD seminar series for the discussion of ongoing work, and an annual postgraduate conference in Linguistics.

Coursework and assessment

The PhD involves three years of full-time study or six years of part-time study, and the preparation of a thesis of not more than 80,000 words that makes a significant contribution to knowledge.

A satisfactory PhD topic is one that a suitably qualified and properly supervised student can bring to completion within the permitted timeframe.

Please note that the first year of the full-time programme and the first two years of the part-time programme are probationary. This means you will be required to show evidence of satisfactory progress to proceed with the programme.

Facilities

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Alan Gilbert Learning Commons Fly Through

We have a Psycholinguistics Laboratory as well as a Phonetics Laboratory with facilities for signal analysis, speech synthesis, laryngography and electropalatography, a large collection of specialist software and linguistic corpora, and, in The University of Manchester Library, one of the largest holdings in linguistics in the UK.

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.

Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.

The Graduate School offers dedicated state of the art facilities to research students, including common rooms and workstations.

Find out more about facilities for Linguistics students.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future.