Linguistics, Applied Linguistics MPhil, PhD

• phonetics and phonology
• (morpho)syntax
• pragmatics
• the lexicon
• cross-linguistic variation
• the architecture of the language faculty
• language's place in human cognition
• the philosophy of linguistics

• dialectology
• (variationist) sociolinguistics
• the sociology of language
• English historical linguistics
• corpus creation (e.g. the Diachronic Electronic Corpus of Tyneside English)

• typical and atypical child (L1) and adult (L2) language acquisition
• cognitive science
• information theory
• psycholinguistics

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

Your attendance at Newcastle is flexible, depending on your fieldwork or if you are away collecting data. You'll have regular meetings with your supervisory team, supported by email and Skype.

You'll have opportunities to take part in seminars across the disciplines of:

• linguistics
• applied linguistics
• speech and language sciences
• education

This allows you to engage with staff and fellow students. Many of our students already have well-developed professional careers and are inspired to explore research questions arising from their experience.

You'll work with supervisors who are responsible for guidance and advice. They will be your first point of contact if you have any academic issues. If you are based in the UK and wish to maintain your professional employment, part-time study is a flexible option.

You can choose to enter the annual competition for ESRC-funded studentships through the ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership. You should contact us well in advance of the February deadline if you are planning to apply.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Thesis
• Viva

The Linguistics or Applied Linguistics MPhil involves research leading to the completion of a 50,000-word thesis. This is ideal if you do not need formal training (eg established scholars). You could also use the MPhil as the first stage of registering on the PhD.

The PhD is an independent, supervised research project. This leads to the production of a 100,000-word thesis. You'll develop your own ideas and explore the field of knowledge to which your thesis topic relates. This involves:

• critical engagement with relevant literature
• selection and/or collection of data
• analysis and interpretation of the data within a specific theoretical framework
• further development of that framework

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• wellbeing
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Home fees for research degree students

For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.

For 2025-26 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2025 by UKRI.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You will be eligible for a scholarship worth 15% off the international fee. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.