Linguistics

This Linguistics PhD programme from University of Bristolis the study of human language, how it functions in the brain and how it is used in society. Studying linguistics allows you to develop your understanding of language, and therefore learn more about people, both as individuals and societies.

The Linguistics PhD programme from University of Bristol has a strong research focus on sociolinguistics, which is the study of language in society. We are deeply interested in how the study of language sheds light on social issues, both present and past, and we use a broad range of methods and approaches, including qualitative and quantitative analyses of recordings, surveys, corpora, and historical documents. We examine language variation and change, using both present-day and historical data.

We also adopt critical approaches that study the attitudes, belief systems and policies that influence the way people use language on a daily basis. As a PhD student, you will be able to apply all these approaches to your own data and develop your knowledge collaboratively with us as a team.

In thre team, we have published extensively on many different language situations around the world, and our skills and expertise cover several languages: Catalan, English, Esperanto, French, German, Irish, Occitan, Portuguese, Scots, Spanish and Welsh. We also welcome working with students on other languages.

Career opportunities:

People with a PhD in Linguistics go on to work in a range of fields, in both the public and private sectors. Linguistics graduates often apply their skills to careers in the media and civil service, as well as policy-making organisations and NGOs.

Courses include

• MPhil: a standalone, one-year (full-time) research degree. Students will undertake their own research project, concluding in a 25,000-word dissertation. Students may have the option to audit units from our taught master’s programmes if relevant.

• PhD: a research project undertaken across four years (full-time, minimum period of study three years), culminating in an 80,000 word thesis. As well as having the option to audit taught units, there may be the potential for PhD students to teach units themselves from their second year of study.
• The MPhil and PhD can be studied part-time and via distance learning.