To apply you’ll need to:
Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements
Finances for studying abroad on exchange
Are you interested in the structure, history and evolution of the human language?
Our BA in Linguistics will give you a strong understanding of the essential building blocks of the human language: structure (syntax), sound (phonetics and phonology) and meaning (semantics), along with a grounding in sociolinguistics (for example, differences between region, class, gender) and the variations of language.
You’re free to choose from a variety of modules in your second year, such as psycholinguistics, language acquisition and the acoustic analysis of speech. You’ll develop the practical skill of transcribing languages using the International Phonetic Alphabet, and master qualitative and quantitative social sciences research methods to prepare you for your final year dissertation.
You’ll undertake original data analysis for your dissertation, focusing on an area of linguistics that interests you most: you could examine bilingual brain behaviour, investigate communication disorders and speech therapy, or work with a native speaker of an endangered language.
You can complete your Linguistics degree in three or four years. If you choose to study abroad, this will take place in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You will be expected to complete a sequence of modules in at least two core areas such as phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics or typology.
You may also be able to choose modules in Computer Science, Psychology, English Literature and Comparative Literature.
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Linguistics BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary and what the progression requirements are.
You'll receive approximately eight to 10 hours of teaching per week, comprising lectures, seminars and workshops.
For every hour spent in class, you'll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of research diaries, poster presentations, class tests and exams. In your final year, you’ll carry out a research project based on real-world data and applying cutting-edge theory, which will bring together everything you have learned.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese, Bengali, Catalan, Italian or Spanish.
Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification.
For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq
Our standard contextual offer: Grades BBC Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
Our enhanced contextual offer (for care experienced students, refugee/asylum seekers or students who have completed Realising Opportunities or Access to Queen Mary): Grades BCC Excludes General Studies, Critical Thinking.
More information on how this information is used for a contextual offer can be found on our contextualised admissions page.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
Graduates from the School of the Arts go on to work in a variety of roles. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering sectors such as journalism, teaching and the creative arts, while others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as marketing and public relations. Some go on to further study, for instance choosing the School’s highly regarded MA in Linguistics.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
You’ll have access to bespoke careers support every step of your degree, including one-to-one academic support. The Linguistics Department runs regular career workshops to help you plan your next step.
Our careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Linguistics - BA (Hons)
Linguistics with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
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The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.
We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.
We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.