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Phonetics at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 2025
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Open days

22May
The University of Edinburgh - Postgraduate Online Learning Open Days
Postgraduate

Course summary

On this programme you will learn the core phonetic topics of speech production, speech acoustics, and speech perception, and will learn how phonetics relates to many other language-related disciplines. Key research areas This programme will help you gain intellectual and practical skills to engage in phonetics research. Linguistics and English language at Edinburgh has access to a wide breadth of research themes, with the greatest theoretical depth that you will find anywhere. This programme gives you the flexibility to choose courses and research topics to suit your academic interests and goals, alongside studying the core courses in phonetics. The department has multiple overlapping research groups, covering everything from meaning and grammar to language evolution. This programme is unique in allowing you freedom to draw on these resources. Linguistics & English Language is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). What will I learn? You will learn the core phonetic topics of:

  • speech production
  • speech acoustics
  • speech perception
You will also learn how phonetics relates to many other language-related disciplines. The programme has a strong practical emphasis and will provide you with an intensive grounding in:
  • phonetics and related disciplines
  • its methodologies
  • research questions
  • techniques of research
You can also take advantage of the interdisciplinary department and draw on teaching and research both elsewhere in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and within other relevant Schools. Is this MSc for me? Students graduating from our programme will understand basic anatomy and physiology of speaking and hearing, phonetic typology, current theories of phonetics and its relationship to phonology and other parts of grammar, and how to test these theories using empirical data. We offer a strong focus on practical skills: you will learn how to elicit and collect phonetic data, the mechanisms involved in recording sound, how to measure and analyse acoustic components of speech, how to create and analyse perceptual experiments, as well as core elements of scripting and statistical analysis. It is designed primarily for graduates wishing to continue studying phonetics at PhD level, and for those wishing to use phonetics as a tool for investigation in related fields, including historical linguistics, phonology, developmental linguistics, psychology and speech technology. Reputation, relevance and employability Edinburgh has a proud and distinguished place in the teaching of phonetics, it was the first university in Scotland and second in the UK to establish a phonetics department. Our department is now home to one of the largest concentration of language scientists in the UK who are leading research into a wide range of topics. You will benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, having the opportunity to select option courses and attend research seminars across different disciplines. Our students’ research projects are often published in academic or professional journals. Our programme has an excellent reputation amongst employers and further research opportunities. Many of our graduates have gone onto PhD training and we have a high academic job placement record. Find out more about our community The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities throughout the year which you can join. As a postgraduate student you will have access to a range of research resources, state-of-the-art facilities research seminars and reading groups.

Modules

See the University of Edinburgh website for detailed programme information.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on the University of Edinburgh website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Additional fee information

Tuition fees vary between degree programmes. Find the specific fees for your chosen programme on our website.
Phonetics at The University of Edinburgh - UCAS