Course summary

Do you find language and communication fascinating? Do you enjoy solving puzzles? Would you like to learn about the languages of the world, and in doing so learn about how the human mind works? Do you have broad interests, from the language arts through the sciences? Students on Linguistics degrees at UCL investigate the world’s languages in order to understand the fundamental nature of human language, how the human mind gives rise to it, and how human social abilities combine with language abilities in communication. Students study the sound patterns (Phonetics and Phonology) and grammatical structures (Syntax) of the world's languages, and how meanings are expressed through words and grammar (Semantics), and through social aspects of use (Pragmatics). The flexible degree structure allows students to purse a range of option modules that relate the study of linguistics to broader questions – child language development, multilingualism, animal communication, language evolution, sociolinguistics, and neurolinguistics. We also offer an International Route (a 4-year programme) which includes a year abroad in the third year at one of our partner institutions.