Linguistics, BA (Hons)

Linguistics at Cambridge 

This course explores properties which all languages share and which offer insight into the human mind. 

You will study lots of different aspects of linguistics. One day you might be poring over a medieval text for evidence of how the grammar of a language has changed. The next, you may be learning about how the larynx creates sound energy for speech, or how we can record brain responses to language. 

You will also cover a wide range of disciplines. For example, the study of meaning draws on philosophy, the analysis of the speech signal uses methods from physics and engineering, and the study of language acquisition draws on psychology. 

From your second year, you can choose to specialise through optional papers, if there is a particular discipline that interests you.

Teaching and facilities

Teaching

You’ll be taught by experts in their fields. 

Facilities

Based in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, you will have access to: 

• a well-stocked Faculty library 
• Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) facility  
• Media Centre and phonetics lab  
• bespoke language teaching and learning materials at the Language Centre 

Along with all other students at Cambridge, you'll also have access to: 

• our impressive Cambridge University Library, one of the world’s oldest university libraries

Watch the video to find out what a day in the life of a Cambridge Linguistics student is like:

Course costs

When you go to university, you’ll need to consider two main costs – your tuition fees and your living costs (sometimes referred to as maintenance costs).

Your living costs will include costs related to your studies that are not covered by your tuition fees. There are some general study costs that will apply for all students.

Find out more about general study costs.

Other additional course costs for Linguistics are detailed below. If you have any queries about these costs, please contact the Faculty.

Books and set texts

All required reading is held in University and College libraries or available online, but you may choose to buy some books. The costs for these books will vary but will typically be up to £50 per year.

Printing and photocopying

You may need to do some printing and photocopying. The use of the printers in the Faculty costs 5p per A4 sheet in black and white, and 20p per A4 sheet in colour. You may typically spend £20 per year on printing and photocopying.

Field trips and study abroad

Depending on the topic chosen, you may have some additional costs for your dissertation in Year 3, for example for research trips or payment of volunteers. Costs will vary.

Your future career

On the course you will gain transferable skills that are greatly sought after by employers.  

Linguistics graduates find employment in a wide range of professions. Recent graduates have taken up roles at: 

• Google 
• Amazon 
• Facebook 
• the Foreign Office 

Some students have also gone on to postgraduate study at top universities in the UK, Europe and North America.  

The course also provides good preparation for vocational training, in fields such as: 

• speech therapy 
• teaching 
• speech and language technology, for example, developing speech recognition and translation software 
• law 
• translation 
• interpreting 
• forensic linguistics 

Being familiar with a range of languages is a huge advantage in careers where you need to learn unfamiliar languages quickly. For example, this can be very useful in the Diplomatic Service.