MSc Psycholinguistics

Institution University of Edinburgh
Method At the institution
Location Edinburgh
Type Masters
Course fee By request

+ Information by E-mail

MSc Psycholinguistics

Entry requirements Entry Requirements The MSc is designed to be accessible to students who have a first degree which includes a significant background in psychology, linguistics or cognitive science. Interested candidates with other backgrounds are encouraged to contact the programme director in the first instance. In addition to the supporting documents requested on the application form, candidates are asked to submit a personal statement.
Academic title MSc Psycholinguistics
Course description The MSc in Psycholinguistics is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of current research in psycholinguistics, and is aimed primarily at students who are considering advanced research in the area. Students are actively encouraged to join in the activities of the Language, Cognition and Communication research group, and to collaborate with staff (many of whom are international experts in the field) and senior postgraduates.

Learning Outcomes

Students who follow this programme will develop an up-to-date knowledge of a broad range of areas relating to the psychology of language. The programme is also designed to help students acquire the statistical and methodological skills that allow them to conduct novel research in the field.

Many MSc dissertations lead to conference presentations or journal publications and typically over half of the students proceed to study for PhDs at Edinburgh or elsewhere.

How You Will Be Taught

The taught component of the MSc consists of a number of seminar and tutorial-based modules, which are assessed by essay or exam. For the dissertation (which centres on original research) students work in close collaboration with members of staff and senior postgraduates engaged in research in similar areas.

Students take 120 credit-points worth of modules, including 8 core modules worth 10 credit points each. A variety of option modules are offered, typically in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and the School of Informatics.

In addition to the taught modules, students complete a dissertation on a substantive issue in psycholinguistics, normally involving experimental work or (occasionally) computational modelling. The majority of dissertation work (worth an additional 60 credit points) takes place over the summer.