Linguistics degree
Does Linguistics suit me?
What can you expect from studying Linguistics?
Linguistics is a field of study that focuses on language and languages: you’ll acquire knowledge about the origin, development, functioning and changes in spoken and written language. If you’re interested in the intricacies of languages and areas of application such as digital language change, linguistics is a good match for you.
A linguistics degree program combines linguistic content with knowledge from subjects such as history, medicine and psychology. You’ll learn more about linguistic theories and methods as well as the structure and organization of languages: topics range from language acquisition in children to the comparison of different grammar systems.
Aspects such as the meaning or reputation of languages are also part of studying linguistics. You’ll learn to compare different language families and identify individual dialects. You may also develop and conduct experiments and surveys for this purpose.
Linguistics as a field of study offers many opportunities for further specialization: you may often focus on certain languages and fields of application, for example Indo-European linguistics, psycholinguistics or computational linguistics. Typical degree programs include applied linguistics, intercultural linguistics, comparative linguistics, and empirical linguistics.
What requirements do you need for studying Linguistics?
- Enthusiasm for languages
- Analytical skills
- Social and intercultural skills
- Strong communication skills and expressiveness
- Accuracy
Is Linguistics right for you?
Find out in just 5–10 minutes with the studyamo test whether studying Linguistics is right for you. Free and without registration!
Take the testWhat do you learn while studying Linguistics?
- Phonetics: phonetics and phonology
- Language typology
- Multilingualism
- Sociolinguistics (social dimension of languages)
- Philosophy of language
- Historical linguistics
- Research methods
- Pragmatics (language use in context)
- Word and sentence formation: morphology and syntax
- Languages in society and culture
What career opportunities do you have after studying Linguistics?
With a degree in Linguistics, you can work in the media and cultural sectors: you might find work in libraries and publishing houses, education, public relations, tourism, and cultural organizations.
As a linguist, you can also work in research: you might research human language and its sentence, word, and sound structure. In clinical linguistics, you’ll deal with speech and language disorders, while in computational linguistics you’ll to develop language-based software, among other things.
Compare your options
Unsure of what to choose? At studyamo you can compare all fields of study directly to get a clear view of which one best matches your expectations.