Master's degree in Linguistics University of Verona

The Master’s degree program in Linguistics at the University of Verona provides students with advanced knowledge of linguistics, in both its theoretical and applied aspects. This program entirely taught in English (in the case of the English and German modules) and other languages depending on the modules chosen by the students (French, Spanish, Russian, and Italian), is a comprehensive international program with a specific focus on the European context.

The program is enhanced through international lectures and modules held by guest lecturers and professors as part of an interdepartmental initiative with a strong interdisciplinary approach.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will have gained a wide range of skills for the continuation of their studies, such as undertaking a Ph.D., and will be eligible to apply for professional master's (master di II. livello). Graduates will also have gained the necessary language teaching skills to teach Italian as a second language or foreign languages in private and public schools.

Graduates will also be able to analyze theories and methods of investigation for the scientific study of language in all its manifestations (focusing on Italian and other European languages, as well as ancient languages), including the study of language acquisition and language development problems with a practical approach. Moreover, the program includes the study of language sciences, a wide range of philological and literary disciplines, as well as psychological, philosophical, and statistical-computational disciplines. In addition to lectures, seminars and experimental linguistics laboratories are also offered in the course of the program.

This postgraduate program aims to train graduates with a high level of knowledge of the theories, methodologies, and techniques of language investigation, who will be able to apply these in various areas of work for research, teaching, and counseling in the analysis of written and/or spoken materials. Career opportunities for graduates in linguistics, also in the international context, include linguistic counseling in several areas, from the drafting and editing of texts to international cooperation activities, from the linguistic integration of immigrants to the management of plurilingualism, or to the design and assessment of IT tools for the processing of linguistic corpora and verbal communication.

The program promotes the acquisition of soft skills, recognizing an adequate number of ECTS to students who profitably follow the courses specifically proposed by the University or other institutions.

Quality Assurance

The quality of a degree program is the extent to which it achieves its educational objectives and meets the quality requirements of the educational activities offered, which are determined in line with the needs and expectations of students and representatives of the world of work.

This program has adopted a teaching Quality Assurance system in line with the University’s quality assurance guidelines and based on the e ANVUR national quality assurance guidelines, by carrying out the following activities:

• periodic consultations with representatives of the world of work to assess the adequacy of the cultural and professional profiles offered in their courses;
• design of educational contents and planning of resources;
• organization of educational activities and teaching services;
• monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and planning measures to improve teaching and services;
• provision of complete and up-to-date information on its website, relating to the program (professional roles, expected learning outcomes, learning activities).

The above activities are scheduled and interrelated, based on the PDCA principles (Plan, Do, Check, Act).

In a Quality Assurance system, students play a fundamental role: each student can play their part by participating in the Quality Assurance groups of their degree program and in the Faculty-Student Joint Committees or, more simply, by taking part in the Student Survey on teaching, or questionnaires. It’s in this context that specific workshops for student representatives (‘Laboratori di rappresentanza attiva’) are periodically made available to students by the University and the University’s Quality Assurance Board.

The international focus of the program, which is taught entirely in English and the relevant languages of the student's choice (French, Spanish, German, Russian, and Italian), is further enhanced by modules and seminars/workshops in theoretical and experimental psycholinguistics taught or led by international guest lecturers.

The program is organized in a single curriculum. However, in addition to the core modules of theoretical and methodological linguistics, students may take additional modules of a linguistic and philological nature to explore specific domains including Germanic, Slavic, and Romance.

Specifically, the first year of the program includes three modules in theoretical linguistics that provide a solid background at the various levels of language analysis (phonetics/phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics) and a module in teaching and historical linguistics, organized into two sections and dealing with the processes of learning and teaching foreign languages, with a focus on Italian as a foreign language (L2).

The first year also includes a linguistics module of the student’s choice (English, German, French, Spanish, or Russian), a module in a philological discipline of the student’s choice (Romance, Germanic, Slavic), and a module to be chosen between computer science and statistics, both of which focus on methods, data, and tools of psycholinguistic analysis.

In the second year, the program includes a module in historical linguistics focusing on the dimensions of linguistic and crosslinguistic diachronic change, and in terms of contact between languages, presented with examples of ancient and modern languages; a linguistics module of the student’s choice (this must be different to that of the first year); finally, depending on the student’s choice, a module in cognitive science or philosophy of science.

The program includes, alongside traditional lectures, seminars and workshops, experimental linguistics workshops (focusing on language acquisition processes, bilingualism, atypical language development, and language disorders), and internships at institutions or organizations involved in the program, or other affiliated companies and organizations.

Modules

Part-time Study

Students who, due to work, family, or health reasons, feel that they can devote only part of their time to study, may study on a part-time basis.

Please note: choosing to study on a part-time basis will not change the normal duration of the degree program for pension purposes. Graduation certificates for part-time students will include both the legal duration of the program – i.e. the standard duration of a degree program – and the agreed duration of the program as a ‘Part-time’ student. Students who choose to study on a part-time basis can benefit from special conditions concerning the duration of their chosen degree program and the amount of the relevant tuition fees. Specifically, they will have the opportunity to learn their degree over a period of time that is twice the normal duration of the program, without being considered ‘fuori corso’ (i.e. attending beyond the normal duration of the program).

The Master’s degree in Linguistics aims to train graduates at Master’s level with solid theoretical and methodological skills in linguistics, in both its general and applied aspects.

Graduates in Linguistics will be expected to:

• be able to analyze theories and methods of investigation for the scientific study of language in all its manifestations, in relation to the Italian language and the main European languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Russian), as well as the classical languages, based on a solid theoretical and methodological background, which will also be useful for further studies (Ph.D. or 2nd level Professional Master’s programs);
• know the stages of learning in relation to foreign languages and Italian as a second language, and be able to recognize the linguistic and cognitive profile of bilingual learners and/or those affected by language and learning disorders, having acquired skills useful for the implementation of an inclusive teaching approach;
• have acquired theoretical knowledge and linguistics-related teaching skills in order to be eligible to apply for specific courses to become a teacher of Italian as a second language, or other foreign languages;
• know and be able to use models of statistical and information analysis for the processing and quantitative and qualitative statistical analysis of linguistic databases and experimental psycholinguistic data;
• know and be able to apply theoretical frameworks and advanced linguistic investigation methods/tools to the processing and analysis of technical texts, which are also useful for editing and proofreading texts in the publishing field;
• know and be able to apply theoretical frameworks and advanced linguistic investigation methods/tools to philological analysis and the interpretation and commentary of ancient texts;
• know and be able to apply psychological, IT-related, and philosophical skills to various fields, from education to research in psycholinguistics and multimedia communications.

In order to achieve these learning outcomes, the program includes the study of language sciences and a wide range of philological disciplines, as well as psychological, philosophical, and statistical-computational subject areas.

Professional profiles and employment and professional opportunities

Language Sciences Researchers or Experts

Professionals in this field are expected to be able to:

• conduct, manage and take part in research activities, and in particular: carrying out bibliographic analyses; conducting field surveys; designing and writing research projects; writing research reports and articles for the scientific community and the general public; presenting and disseminating research findings in front of an audience.
• work as lecturers and language experts in Italian and foreign universities; coordinate and take part in the organization of programs for educational and cultural events.

Graduate’s skills:

• know, assess, and choose linguistic, psychological-cognitive, and teaching-related theoretical frameworks suitable to research projects and activities carried out at the national and international level; to know, choose and be able to apply methods and techniques of textual investigation in the main European foreign languages; to know, choose and use computer tools and apply the methods of statistical analysis for linguistic and psycholinguistic research.
• be able to design and critically analyze pieces of research and projects in the field of language sciences; to be able to communicate correctly and effectively in managing or coordinating research groups;
• evaluate and choose theoretical frameworks and application tools of language teaching, also in the context of bi- and multilingualism;
• assess and put into practice the organizational and management strategies for the coordination of events of an educational and cultural nature, drawing on their literary, cultural, and psycho-linguistic background;

More advanced language analysis, management, and coordination skills can be achieved through further studies, in particular within the framework of PhDs and 2nd level Professional Master's programs.

Career prospects: public and private research centers, universities, Italian and foreign cultural institutes.

Technical Text Consultants

Professionals in this field will be expected to be able to:

• offer advice on drafting texts and, in particular, provide lexicological, textual, and stylistic information for drafting a wide range of technical texts: compiling lexicographic tools; drafting materials in the field of language teaching; drafting critical editions with linguistic comments; choosing the most effective communication tools for drafting texts in the field of communication, including multimedia.

Graduate’s skills:

• assess and choose theoretical and historical-descriptive frameworks of linguistics, in synchrony and diachrony; be able to indicate the correct lexical and textual choices, computer tools (software) and semiological analysis, appropriate teaching tools, and methods;
• be able to indicate the most appropriate linguistic choices when drafting multilingual texts of an administrative, informative and cultural nature;
• know and be able to use the models of multimedia communication and the fundamental concepts of general psychology and cognitive science;
• know and be able to assess the stages of language learning in both typical and atypical contexts (e.g. language and learning disorders, or bi-/multilingualism) and be able to apply the theoretical-methodological principles of inclusive language teaching to the drafting of teaching materials.

Career prospects: publishing houses and educational institutions in a multilingual context, public and private facilities, library facilities and archives, advertising agencies, insurance agencies.

Proofreading Consultants

Professionals in this field will be expected to be able to:

• offer advice on revising texts in Italian and the main European languages; specifically, to refine and improve the stylistic rendering of a wide range of texts, from technical to literary texts to linguistic-philological commentaries;
• provide consultancy within international organizations and institutes that deal with contacts, in the broadest sense, between different languages and cultures (from politics to economics, the tourist industry, and the reception of foreigners) for the improvement and adaptation of informative, administrative, and language teaching texts.

Graduate’s skills:

• know and apply meta-linguistic analyses to Italian and the main languages of Europe in the textual dimension, both ancient and contemporary;
• know and put into practice linguistic-literary and philological concepts for the revision of linguistic comments;
• know and be able to indicate the appropriate lexical and textual choices, as well as knowing and being able to implement computer tools (software) and semiological analysis for the revision of technical texts in the publishing and communication sector; know and be able to apply the most appropriate teaching tools and methods in multilingual contexts; be proficient in at least two of the main languages of the European Union;
• be able to indicate the best linguistic choices, in terms of vocabulary, text, and stylistic register, for the revision of multilingual technical texts, such as information materials and texts for the teaching of foreign languages.

Career prospects: language industry, Italian and foreign universities, public and private Italian and foreign institutions and organizations, publishing houses, communication, and advertising companies.

Linguists and philologists

Professionals in this field will be expected to be able to:

• conduct and design linguistic research lines in all areas relevant to the program of study; analyze and read textual data in synchrony and diachrony; translate and interpret ancient and modern texts; draft philological commentaries; draft language-related texts for the scientific community and the general public alike;
• teach Italian in Italian cultural institutes in Italy and abroad, and in private educational institutions; teach foreign languages in private institutions, in Italy and abroad. Graduates who have acquired sufficient credits in specific fields of study are eligible to take the admission test to enroll in teacher training courses to become secondary school teachers in Italy, as established by current legislation. If a Master's graduate does not have 24 CFU (credits) in the areas of anthropology, psycho-pedagogy, and teaching methods, they can take specific courses to make up the credits required for admission to the teacher training course.

Graduate’s skills:

• evaluate and choose linguistic criteria and parameters for innovative research projects in the language sciences; be able to critically analyze linguistic and textual data in a synchronic and diachronic perspective;
• be able to communicate research results effectively;
• know and be able to evaluate the stages of typical and atypical language learning; know how to put into practice specific teaching tools for the teaching of Italian as a second language, and in a perspective of inclusive teaching;
• know and apply metalinguistic analyses to the main European languages; know, choose and be able to apply theoretical frameworks, methods, and tools for teaching foreign languages, according to up-to-date standards.