Studies & Degrees in Applied Linguistics
Applied Linguistics Study Programs
Applied linguistics uses what is known about language to deal with practical questions. The Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick describes it as an interdisciplinary field that identifies, investigates and offers solutions to problems related to language and communication in all aspects of human life. Typical questions are how foreign languages are best taught and learned, how language ability can be tested fairly, how people communicate across cultures and at work, and how language is used in the media, in health care or in court.
Students first learn how language works: its sounds, grammar and meaning, and how children and adults acquire it. They then apply that knowledge to real language data. Courses usually cover second language acquisition, language teaching methods, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, intercultural communication and research methods. Many programmes include practical work in schools, companies or community organisations. The Applied Linguistics major at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), for example, is built around service learning in the community, schools and workplaces of the city.
Qualifications and levels
Applied linguistics can be studied as a first degree, but it is most often a specialisation at master's level, taken after a degree in languages, linguistics, education or a related field.
- Bachelor's level: UCLA offers Applied Linguistics as one of the majors of its Department of Linguistics. At the University of Warwick, the Department of Applied Linguistics teaches three undergraduate courses: BA English Language and Linguistics, BA Professional and Intercultural Communication, and BA Linguistics with Modern Language. The BA English Language and Linguistics lasts three years, or four with an intercalated year spent on a study abroad programme or a work placement, and the typical A level offer is AAB.
- Master's level: the Master's Degree Programme in Language, Globalization and Intercultural Communication (LAGIC) at the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) is a two-year, full-time programme of 120 ECTS credits that leads to a Master of Arts. At Warwick, the MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) takes one year full-time or two to four years part-time.
- Doctorate: at JYU, doctoral research in applied language studies or applied linguistics is possible within the Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Social Sciences, organised with the university's Centre for Applied Language Studies.
- Short courses: language schools and university language centres run teacher-training and language courses that touch on the same topics. These do not lead to a degree; ask the school what recognition its certificate has.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for applied linguistics. Spain and the United States have three each, and there is one each in India, Australia, Finland, China, Ireland, Ecuador and the United Kingdom. The list includes large research universities such as the Universitat de Barcelona, University College Cork, the University of Melbourne, the University of Madras and Shanghai Normal University, as well as language schools in Granada.
English is the usual language of instruction in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Australia, and also in international master's programmes elsewhere: the LAGIC programme in Finland is taught in English. In Spain and Ecuador, teaching is normally in Spanish, and in Barcelona also in Catalan, so check the language of each course with the school.
Admission depends on the level. For a master's degree, universities ask for a bachelor's degree and proof of language ability. Warwick's MA TESOL requires a 2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent and an overall IELTS score of 6.5, with at least 6.5 in writing and no component below 6.0. JYU takes applications once a year in January through the Studyinfo.fi portal; the next period is January 2027. Students from non-EU/EEA countries pay a tuition fee at JYU, published as €10,000 for the LAGIC programme, and can apply for a scholarship after their first year.
Careers
The most common route is language teaching: teaching English or another language to speakers of other languages, designing courses and materials, and training teachers. UCLA names language teaching, speech pathology, and translation and interpretation as fields in which its graduates apply their knowledge. JYU lists language and communication teaching and consulting, work as a specialist in international affairs or global mobility, and policy and planning work with immigrants and refugees. Warwick reports that graduates of its master's courses have become management consultants, marketing and communication executives, public relations managers and journalists, and that many bachelor's graduates continue to further study in areas such as speech and language therapy, forensic linguistics or computational linguistics.
Some of these professions, speech and language therapy and school teaching in particular, are regulated in many countries and need an additional professional qualification. No official employment statistics are published for applied linguistics as a separate field.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between linguistics and applied linguistics?
Linguistics studies the nature and structure of language in general. Applied linguistics uses that knowledge to deal with practical matters such as language teaching, testing, translation and communication at work.
Do I need a linguistics degree to take a master's in applied linguistics?
Not always. Entry requirements differ by university: Warwick's MA TESOL, for example, asks for a 2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent without naming a subject on its course page. Check the admission criteria of each programme.
How long does a master's in this field take?
One year full-time is usual in the United Kingdom, as with the MA TESOL at Warwick. In Finland, the LAGIC programme at the University of Jyväskylä takes two years and has 120 ECTS credits.