MASTER OF ARTS ENGLISH LINGUISTICS

Flags Great britain an USA

Length of study: 4 semesters

Type: Master of Arts

Numerus clausus (NC): none

Starts of studies: winter term I summer term

Language of instruction: English

The English Linguistics Master’s degree program offers a unique combination of a clear focus on teaching students a broad range of methods in empirical linguistic research on the one hand (e.g. corpus linguistics, experimental linguistics, analyzing quantitative language data) and giving them the opportunity to explore the fascinating and multi-faceted topic of language variation on the other hand (social, regional, psycholinguistic, and diachronic variation). The program enables students to become proficient in the handling and analysis of data (data literacy) as well as to develop a keen sense of language.

Students take classes in linguistics (historical linguistics, psycho- and socio-linguistics, regional variation, semantics, pragmatics, English as a world language, English in the post-colonial world) that emphasize the application of field-specific empirical research methods (working with corpora, designing experiments and collecting experimental data, analyzing linguistic data). In addition to these, students can individually shape the course of their studies by choosing from a variety of electives in Anglophone Literatures and Media; Natural Language Processing; Digital Humanities; and Phonetics.

Why study English Linguistics at Trier University

  • Hands-on
  • Interdisciplinary
  • International
  • Research-focused

 

Course content

The curriculum consists of (1) compulsory modules, (2) compulsory elective modules, and (3) elective modules. It concludes with a Master Thesis.

In the MA-program English Linguistics students acquire in-depth knowledge about the structure and use of the English language as well as the complex phenomena of language variation found in English and the models and theories used to explain them. In addition to this, they will learn to apply a wide range of empirical methods in the context of hands-on research projects. This will enable them to understand and discuss subject-specific literature and carry out their own research projects. Possible topics for projects include: intrusive /r/ in the spoken BNC, interpreting compounds in and out of context, cross-linguistic morphological processing. In addition to this, the degree program includes a research-based or vocational internship as well as opportunities to study abroad. Students can choose from four different electives to complement their studies in linguistics: Anglophone Literatures and Media; Natural Language Processing; Digital Humanities; Phonetics.

Important Information On Taking LING 804 Statistics For Linguists

Plan

Prerequisites

The requirements for studying English Linguistics (single-subject Master’s degree) at Trier University are:

 

  • Bachelor's degree in English Studies, American Studies, General Linguistics, or an equivalent degree. Equivalency is determined by the examination board (Prüfungsausschuss) in individual cases.
  • Module with at least 10 CP from the area of English Linguistics*  **
  • Proof of English language proficiency in accordance with § 4 Abs. 2 of the current Einschreibeordnung (enrollment regulations) of Trier University.

 

* If your transcript of records does not include explicit references to classes in English linguistics even though they were part of your studies, you may upload additional materials to prove this.

** Please understand that we define English linguistics as “the linguistic study of the English language”. General linguistics classes that were only taught in English but did not actually cover anything about the linguistics of the English language in particular cannot be counted as classes in English linguistics.

Internships & abroad

Students complete a six-week full-time academic or professional intership in Module 6 during their third semester. The internship gives students the opportunity to apply and refine the skills they acquired during their studies, expand their network, and gain perspective on their future career options with a degree in linguistics. There is a broad variety of fields for students to complete their internships in, including: work in speech processing, academic publishers, university-level teaching in the form of “Tutoraten”, gaining experience in organizing academic conferences, preparing academic publications, participating in a research project at Trier University or a partner university, participating in summer schools or academic conferences with their own submissions.

Career prospects

Schülerinnen und Schüler
Laptop auf dem Schreibtisch mit Notizbüchern und Kopfhörern

Graduates of the English Linguistics Master’s Degree program have extensive training in empirical methods in (English) linguistics, which enable them to work in:

  • academic research
  • AI, Speech Processing, and Technical Editing
  • translation services
  • publishers, media, public relations work
  • marketing, education/teaching, theaters, libraries or museums

Application

You can apply simply via the online portal of Trier University within the application deadlines.

For information on the module structure see here: “Study_Plan_MA_English_Linguistics.pdf”

You can find information on what classes to sign up for here

Application

You can find information on how to apply here