BA Linguistics
Programme Specification (PDF)
Would you like your studies to put you at the centre of the intellectual universe? Are you interested in solving puzzles? Do you find it difficult to decide between the Arts and the Sciences? Would you like to understand how the human mind works? Do you find languages fascinating? If you answered 'yes' to any (or all!) of these questions, perhaps you should think about studying linguistics at UCL.
All our prospectus information is contained in the BA Linguistics entry in the UCL Undergraduate Prospectus, which you should read first. You can also download the Phonetics & Linguistics Undergraduate Prospectus (PDF). Once you've done so, you may wish to return to this page to read about the degree programme in more detail.
What will I learn?
The BA Linguistics gives you an education in various aspects of language. At the core are courses about sentence structure (syntax), meaning (semantics and pragmatics) and pronunciation (phonetics and phonology), but you will also be given the opportunity to explore other themes, such as language acquisition or language processing.
What do current students say about the degree?
"When I came to UCL, I wasn't very sure of what I was going to find here.
Now, after two and a half years, I should say that the experience has
exceeded all my expectations. Why did I come here? Well, I wanted to do
Linguistics and ideally I wanted to do it in a department with an
outstanding reputation, not just in Europe but also worldwide. How do I
feel? The atmosphere in the department is great. It is like a house - even
"physically" - with a very friendly and cooperative relationship between
students and teaching staff.
On the other hand, London is surely one of the top cities in the world,
which means you have access to many activities, both academic and social.
One very important fact about being at UCL is that we are in London - a
place where the weather is not wonderful, but life could be. And, by the
way, Linguistics is fun."
"I chose to study at UCL because of its excellent reputation. I also liked its location - the environment is quite different from some of the campus
universities that my friends go to, and it makes for a highly buzzing and
cultural place. Being in a relatively small department, I've made some
really good friends on my course and all of the lecturers and departmental
staff are really friendly and helpful and are able to teach on a very
personal level.
I would perhaps advise prospective students to live in student
accommodation in order to make the most of the facilities and events on
offer at UCL."
What would I do with the degree?
Many linguistics graduates from UCL carry on studying linguistics at graduate level with a view to pursuing an academic career. Others go on to teach languages, especially English (as a first or foreign language) or embark on a range of other careers, from law, media, computing and speech therapy to all aspects of commerce and industry.
How can I find out more?
Download the complete Phonetics & Linguistics Undergraduate Prospectus (PDF).
If you are an international student, you should explore UCL's international pages.
For further information please email us with your contact
details at or write to us at the following address:
BA Admissions
Department of Phonetics & Linguistics, UCL
Gower Street
London WC1E 6 BT
UK