MA in Language and Cognition (research)
University of Groningen
Key Information
Campus location
Groningen, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,314 / per year *
Application deadline
01 May 2024
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* EU/EEA students: €2,314 | non-EU/EEA students: €16,000
Introduction
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 program 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 excellence, 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 program 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 program is a selective admission two-year Research Master's program that prepares you for entry into a related Ph.D. program, or other research positions.
Are you curious if you are eligible for the Research Master's program? Check the entry requirements. While admission for the second semester is possible, we advise most students to begin in the fall so that they can follow the course sequence with their cohort.
Why study this program in Groningen?
The program is research-focused, reflecting the specializations of the linguists on staff at the University of Groningen Our lecturers are internationally recognized experts in their fields A Research Training module offers you the opportunity for hands-on research experience in your first year of study A research internship (25 ECTS) in the second year can be used to work with experts in your area of specialization.
Curriculum
Year 1
- Other electives from Master's Programs (optional)
- Basic Statistics (5 EC)
- Corpus Linguistics (5 EC)
- Discourse Analysis (10 EC, optional)
- Language Development (10 EC, optional)
- Linguistic Analysis (10 EC)
- Research Training 1 (5 EC, optional)
- Writing: Context, Process, Text (10 EC, optional)
- Debates in Linguistics (10 EC, optional)
- Designing your Research Project (5 EC)
- Designing your Research Project (10 EC)
- Language, Brain, and Cognition (10 EC, optional)
- Methodology and Statistics for Linguistic Research (10 EC, optional)
- Research Training 2 (5 EC, optional)
- Seminar/Summer School/Winter School 1 (5 EC)
Year 2
- Research Master Placement Linguistics (20 EC)
- Seminar/Summer School/Winter School 2 (5 EC)
- Research Master Thesis Linguistics (30 EC)
Program options
- Master's Honours Programme (honors program)
- Master's placement (specialization)
Study abroad
- Study abroad is recommended
Students have the opportunity to choose an internship location abroad or at the University of Groningen. Students have followed their internship/courses at the following locations:
- Sociolinguistics Research Lab (SLRL), University of Victoria (BC, Canada)
- Brain and Cognition Lab, University of California (UCSD) (San Diego, USA)
- University of North Carolina (USA)
- Bilingualism & Language Development (BiLD) lab, State College, Penn State University (Pennsylvania, USA)
- CUNY Graduate Center (New York, USA)
- Laboratory for developmental studies, Harvard University (Boston, USA)
- Digital Pebble Ltd, University of Bristol (UK)
- University of York (UK)
- University of Southampton (UK)
- Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge (UK)
- Centre Language and Education (Leuven, Belgium)
- Laboratoire des Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique (Paris, France)
- Saarland University (Saarbrücken, Germany)
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Leipzig, Germany)
- Zentrum für Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft (Berlin, Germany)
- Department of Modern Languages, University of Helsinki (Finland)
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Job prospects
After graduation, you are well prepared for a career in research. In fact, this track is an ideal stepping stone to a Ph.D. position at a university. You can conduct research in Linguistics, such as Neuro- or Clinical Linguistics, Language Development, or Theoretical Linguistics. Other options are Speech Technology, and Communication and Computer Linguistics.
During the Research Master's program in Linguistics, you will acquire a wide-ranging set of skills useful in a wide range of domains. These include:
- Analytical skills
- Presentation skills
- Writing skills
- Methodological skills
- Statistical skills
- Corpus analysis
- Experimental design
- Working in a team
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
- An educational specialist at a publisher
- Lecturer in secondary education
- A research-oriented career in Linguistics