The human capacity for language is at the heart of the study of linguistics. The field encompasses the nature of different languages and the nature of language as a cognitive and social phenomenon. It asks questions such as: How do we communicate? In what ways are languages different and similar? How do we learn language? Why does language change over time? What is the relationship between mind and language? The Master of General and Applied Linguistics offers the opportunity to explore these and many other questions through an especially broad selection of topics. The program will provide you with a solid grounding in linguistic theory, analysis and associated methodologies, and offers the opportunity to study language as a cognitive, social and historical process. Students can also study a broad range of languages as part of the degree.

Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.

The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row.

Learning Outcomes

1. apply established theoretical frameworks critically and creatively at an advanced level to the description, analysis and explanation of linguistic data and language use;
2. identify sources of linguistic data, and evaluate the reliability of those sources and their relevance to theoretical issues;
3. research complex language phenomena using a variety of sources and techniques, and communicate this research to both specialist and non-specialist audiences; and
4. apply a sophisticated understanding of language and its use to real-world language contexts.