
MA Language, Culture and Communication
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
29 Aug 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,900 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for UK students | 12 May 2025 for international students
** £10,900: full time | £5,450: part time
Introduction
Whether you're interested in academic research or a career in communications fields like journalism, public relations, marketing or diplomacy, you'll gain the critical skills and theoretical rigour you need to understand how people use different linguistic strategies to communicate in and across different cultures.
At Birmingham, we consider discourse in social, political, historical and cultural contexts across different modes of communication.
We examine ‘culture’ as something that’s created by the stories we tell ourselves about others.
In one seminar, you might learn how to analyse everyday stylised discourse examples (e.g., a political speech) from cognitive-linguistic or socio-linguistic perspectives.
In another seminar you might consider how someone's social status, gender, ideology or ‘cultural’ assumptions are reflected in their interactions with others.
You'll benefit from our varied research interests in the Department of Linguistics and Communication to enhance your understanding of language use.
In the second term there are optional modules you can choose from, allowing you to specialise in areas that capture your interest. Optional modules may include topics from Corpus Linguistics, to TESOL Language Education, to issues in Language and New Media or Language, Power and Identity.
- Critique the concept of culture and how it’s connected to communication.
- Identify linguistic strategies used in different forms of discourse – for example mass media, social media political speeches, business meetings and adverts.
- Develop the critical thinking skills vital for many careers.
- Become part of a World Top 30 Linguistics department that's renowned for research excellence (QS World University Rankings 2024).
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships and Studentships
Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available. To discover whether you are eligible for any award across the University, and to start your funding application, please visit the University's Postgraduate Funding Database
Postgraduate Loans
Government-backed master loans are available to help UK and EU students to finance their studies. For those starting courses after 1 August 2020, loans are available of up to £11,836 for Masters students in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment, and application information are available on the UK government website.
Curriculum
Please visit the course webpage below for up to date information on modules.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
By studying a postgraduate degree in the Department of Linguistics and Communication at Birmingham, you’ll develop transferable skills suited to a range of career paths. These skills include strong written and verbal communication, organisation skills, time management and analysing information.
Linguistics and Communication graduates enter many roles, including:
- Secondary School Teacher
- Digital Communications Officer
- TESOL Tutor or Language Tutor
Employers our Linguistics and Communication graduates have worked for include:
- Regional councils/schools in the UK and worldwide
- Further Education colleges
Get ready for tomorrow, with advice, guidance and opportunities at every step of your studies. From developing new skills to preparing for a PhD, our Careers Network can help you gain an advantage in the job market or advance in your field.
Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one-to-one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters. We also offer subject-specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.
Program delivery
At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in Applied Linguistics.
- Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
- Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching.
- Dissertation – you'll undertake a 15,000-word dissertation in an area that interests you.