Linguistics - Language and Cognition
How is language stored in the brain? How do we acquire a foreign language? How can we explain patterns of language use in terms of underlying structures, and also the role of language in society?
The Language and Cognition programme offers training in linguistics which reflects the areas of expertise among linguists at the University of Groningen. In addition to required courses, which cover core areas of the discipline, students may choose from courses in neuro- and psycholinguistics, theoretical linguistics, developmental linguistics, computational linguistics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and communication studies. These are the focus areas of excellent, multidisciplinary research carried out in the Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) and the Groningen Research School for Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (BCN).
The programme is meant for talented students from all over the world who aspire to do research in the field of Linguistics. After finishing the degree, you will have acquired essential research skills and fundamental knowledge of linguistic analysis, language development, and language processing. This programme is a selective admission two-year Research Master's programme that prepares you for entry into a related PhD programme, or other research positions.
- The programme is flexible and research-focused: students can create their own track based on the specializations of our linguistics staff, for example in bilingualism, language processing, acquisition, and discourse analysis
- Our staff are internationally recognized experts in their fields
- A Research Training module offers the opportunity for hands-on research experience in the first year
- In the Research Internship in year two you can work alongside experts in your area of specialization
Job prospects
After graduation, you are well prepared for a career in research. In fact, this track is an ideal stepping stone to a PhD position at a university. You can conduct research in many sub-fields of Linguistics, such as Neuro- or Clinical Linguistics, Language Development, Sociolinguistics or Theoretical Linguistics. Other options are Speech Technology, Discourse and Communication and Computer Linguistics.
During the Research Master's programme in Linguistics you will acquire a wide-ranging set of skills useful in a wide range of domains.
- Analytical skills involve the ability to recognize patterns and link these to theoretical explanations.
- Communication skills, such as writing and giving oral presentations, are part of all coursework and you receive experience and feedback to hone your abilities in these areas.
- Students in our programme further gain experience in working as a team, through course projects but also the required internship.
- A final focus is on methodological skills; through required coursework in statistics and corpus analysis students learn how to analyze corpora of texts to make generalizations based on quantitative findings. Elective modules are also available which train students to design experiments and carry out research in laboratory environments.
Job examples
- Applied researcher
- Information specialist at a public organization (e.g. the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Police Academy, or the Centraal Administratiekantoor)
- Science journalist
- Copywriter
- Project leader
- Educational specialist at a publisher
- Lecturer in secondary education
- Research oriented career in Linguistics
