Master of General and Applied Linguistics (Advanced)

COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of General and Applied Linguistics (Advanced) at Australian National University is a 96-unit postgraduate program designed to provide advanced training in the scientific study of language and its real-world applications. The degree combines core theoretical foundations, research methods, disciplinary specialisations, and a substantial research thesis to develop both analytical and practical expertise in linguistics. Students begin with core courses such as Language Unlocked: An Introduction to Linguistics and The Social Life of Language, which introduce key concepts in language structure and use. They then complete research methods training in qualitative and quantitative approaches to linguistic analysis. A wide range of disciplinary electives allows students to specialise in areas including structural linguistics, sociolinguistics, language acquisition, language teaching, forensic linguistics, language documentation, and language change. Students also undertake a research project component drawn from advanced coursework topics such as phonetics, syntax, semantics, corpus linguistics, and language and society studies. In addition, the program allows a limited number of language study courses across global and Indigenous languages, supporting multilingual development. The degree culminates in a 24-unit thesis (THES8102), completed under academic supervision, which accounts for 100% of the final assessment. Students must secure a supervisor before enrolling in the thesis. Overall, the program builds strong research, analytical, and applied skills, preparing graduates for careers in language teaching, research, communication, translation, and emerging fields such as computational linguistics and language technology.