To apply you’ll need to:
Have further questions? How to apply | Entry requirements
Are you interested in the structure, history and evolution of the human language?
Our BA in Linguistics will give you a strong understanding of the essential building blocks of the human language: structure (syntax), sound (phonetics and phonology) and meaning (semantics), along with a grounding in sociolinguistics (for example, differences between region, class, gender) and the variations of language.
You’re free to choose from a variety of modules in your second year, such as psycholinguistics, language acquisition and the acoustic analysis of speech. You’ll develop the practical skill of transcribing languages using the International Phonetic Alphabet, and master qualitative and quantitative social sciences research methods to prepare you for your final year dissertation.
You’ll undertake original data analysis for your dissertation, focusing on an area of linguistics that interests you most: you could examine bilingual brain behaviour, investigate communication disorders and speech therapy, or work with a native speaker of an endangered language.
You can complete your Linguistics degree in three or four years. If you choose to study abroad, this will take place in Year 3 and Year 3 modules will instead be studied in Year 4.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You will be expected to complete a sequence of modules in at least two core areas such as phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics or typology.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
You may also be able to choose modules in Computer Science, Psychology, English Literature and Comparative Literature.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Apply for this degree with any of the following options. Take care to use the correct UCAS code - it may not be possible to change your selection later.
Go global and study abroad as part of your degree – apply for our Linguistics BA with a Year Abroad. Queen Mary has links with universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia (partnerships vary for each degree programme).
Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Queen Mary and what the progression requirements are.
You'll receive approximately eight to 10 hours of teaching per week, comprising lectures, seminars and workshops.
For every hour spent in class, you'll complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
Assessment typically includes a combination of research diaries, poster presentations, class tests and exams. In your final year, you’ll carry out a research project based on real-world data and applying cutting-edge theory, which will bring together everything you have learned.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
If you’re interested in learning another language, you can sign up for a course at Queen Mary’s Language Centre, where you can choose from Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese or Spanish.
| A-Level | Grades ABB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 from three Higher Level subjects. |
| BTEC | See our detailed subject and grade requirements |
| Access HE | We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 18 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not make offers of study purely on the basis of meeting grade requirements. |
| GCSE | Minimum five GCSE passes including English at grade C or 4. |
| EPQ | Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq |
| Contextualised admissions | We consider every application on its individual merits and will take into consideration your individual educational experiences and context. More information on how academic schools and programmes use this information as part of the admissions process, can be found on our contextualised admissions pages. |
| A-Level | Grades ABB at A-Level. Excludes General Studies. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 32 points overall, including 6,6,5 from three Higher Level subjects. |
| BTEC | See our detailed subject and grade requirements |
| GCSE | Minimum five GCSE passes including English at grade C or 4. |
| EPQ | Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq |
| Contextualised admissions | We consider every application on its individual merits and will take into consideration your individual educational experiences and context. More information on how academic schools and programmes use this information as part of the admissions process, can be found on our contextualised admissions pages. |
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
If your qualifications are not accepted for direct entry onto this degree, consider applying for a foundation programme.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
UK students accepted onto this course are eligible to apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
Graduates from the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film go on to work in a variety of roles. Some apply their degree knowledge directly, entering sectors such as journalism, teaching and the creative arts, while others transfer skills gained during study into areas such as marketing and public relations. Some go on to further study, for instance choosing the School’s highly regarded MA in Linguistics.
Recent graduates have been hired by:
You’ll have access to bespoke careers support every step of your degree, including one-to-one academic support. The Linguistics Department runs regular career workshops to help you plan your next step.
Our careers team can also offer:
Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.
Linguistics - BA (Hons)
Linguistics with Year Abroad - BA (Hons)
The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film is friendly and collaborative, bringing a vibrant range of disciplines together. We teach and research on subjects from practical filmmaking to postmodern literature, and from experimental neurolinguistics to Brazilian Portuguese.
This year, Russian and French students have produced plays in their language, linguistics students have presented their research at conferences and film students have directed, shot and edited many short films.
Our work engages the local community through workshops, research projects and public events. We are visited by poets, novelists and outside experts, and we make the most of our location, forging strong links with London’s cultural institutions.
In the 2017 National Student Survey, French and Hispanic Studies received overall satisfaction ratings of 100 per cent – top in the UK. Satisfaction among linguistics students was at 92 per cent. German was ranked first in London and Hispanic Studies and Russian in the top five by the Complete University Guide 2018.
