Linguistics Lancaster University

Language is central to human behaviour, human societies and human creativity. Discover how language works and how it shapes the world around us in this fascinating subject that crosses science and humanities.

Whether investigating the link between language and thought, the way language is learned by children, how language is used to spread disinformation online, or language as evidence in criminal investigations, you’ll address the most important topics in linguistic research using the very latest tools and techniques.

Why Lancaster?

• Study with the best. Linguistics at Lancaster is ranked 2nd in the world by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

• Learn from experts. Our lecturers are world-leaders in fields like corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, discourse analysis and (forensic) speech science

• Explore language use across a broad range of contexts. Focus on core areas of linguistic theory like phonetics, phonology, grammar and pragmatics and study language in connection with politics, health, business and law

• Gain valuable work experience. Make the most of volunteering opportunities or work on a live research project through our paid internships

• Benefit from world-leading facilities. Depending on your interests you might use our phonetics lab, eye-tracking lab, perception and learning lab, or EEG lab

• Experience a supportive environment. Our friendly staff are here to support you throughout your studies. All students are assigned an academic adviser who is there to get to know you personally and provide guidance on a range of issues

Answering fundamental questions

You’ll address fundamental questions concerning the nature of language and ways of studying it before applying this knowledge to understand language use across a range of real-world contexts.

• Where does language come from and what is it made of?

• How is language represented in the mind/brain and how is it related to culture and society?

• How do the world’s languages vary and how does the language you speak shape your experiences?

• How is language learned and how can it be impaired?

• How can technology be harnessed to study patterns in the way language is used and changes?

Real-world applications

Linguists at Lancaster pride themselves on the practical applications of their research as well as its academic significance. Research in phonetics, grammar, semantics and pragmatics informs work in politics, law, media, medicine and technology.

You might explore the role of language in creating social identities and inequalities, authorship analysis and speaker identification in forensic casework, the language of advertising and digital social media, the way we talk about illness or the development of synthesized speech systems and AI.

Through such explorations, you’ll learn to ask critical questions about the language around you and gain skills required by a range of employers.

Develop a specialist skill set

This course will provide you with a skill set that opens doors to a range of exciting and rewarding careers. You will develop transferable skills that include a capacity for critical thinking, an ability to gather, organise and analyse large quantities of data, and an aptitude for generating new and innovative ideas - skills valued by current and emerging industries.

You’ll have the chance to develop specialist skills in the lexical and grammatical analysis of real and constructed languages, the acoustic analysis of speech, and computer programming for language technologies.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.

A levels

AAB

Access to HE Diploma

36 Level 3 credits at Distinction plus 9 Level 3 credits at Merit

Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in place of one A level, or equivalent qualification, as long as any subject requirements are met.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDD

BTEC in combination with A levels

A level at grade B plus BTEC(s) at DD, or A levels at grade AB plus BTEC at D

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 HL subjects

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

We are happy to admit applicants on the basis of five Highers, but where we require a specific subject at A level, we will typically require an Advanced Higher in that subject. If you do not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone, we will consider a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers in separate subjects. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.

T levels

Distinction overall

GCSE requirements

English Language grade 4/C.

We will also look at your overall GCSE profile when considering your application as a whole.

We do have flexibility when considering GCSE requirements. Go to our GCSE information for more details.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component for this programme. English language qualifications for undergraduate study.