MA in Linguistics and Communication Sciences (Research)

Radboud University

People communicate by means of language. They do so effortlessly most of the time, which is miraculous given the complexity of language, language processing and communication. Studying this phenomenon asks for a broad multidisciplinary perspective.

What will you learn

The Research Master’s programme in Linguistics and Communication Sciences offers a multidisciplinary perspective on language and communication, fed by linguistic and communication research, with a special interest in cognitive and societal processes. Such a multidisciplinary approach requires advanced research methodologies, including the analysis of big data, machine learning, brain research and advanced experimental techniques. The use of empirical data is the cornerstone of our programme, originating from real-life communication and from detailed experiments. In this way, specific existing theories can be tested and new theories can be developed to understand the richness and complexities of language, language processing and communication.

This programme is intended to prepare its students for a career in research, in particular for PhD positions, although other career options in the fields of Linguistics and/or Communication Sciences are also open to you.

Career prospects

After your studies

The primary goal of the programme is research training, which makes it ideal for those wishing to embark on a research career, for example by embarking on a PhD project. But it also caters for the growing demand from the public and private sectors for people with academic insight and research skills. Many graduates will join research groups in the public and private sector.

This research Master’s aims to train students to become skilled empirical linguists or communications experts with a deep understanding of language and communication. By the end of the programme you’ll:

Have acquired empirical research skills at an advanced level, including a thorough understanding of approaches and techniques that support corpus-based, experimental, and computational research

Be able to describe and apply general knowledge on the historical roots and modern developments within the fields of Linguistics and Communication Studies, and are capable of relating these fields to each other

Have become a specialist in your chosen area of interest within the fields of linguistics and communication studies: the start of your professional profile

Be able to engage in the social debates regarding linguistics and communication issues.

Have acquired English academic writing skills and have practiced writing a publishable scholarly article and a proposal for a PhD project

Have started to build up a professional (inter)national network.