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Overview
Best of both worlds
If you love language and want to broaden your career options, the Bachelor of Communication (Linguistics) offers the best of both worlds.
Level
- Undergraduate, NZQF Level 7
Campus
- Auckland, Manawatū, Wellington
Distance learning
- Available
Duration
- 3 year(s) full-time. Available part-time.
International
- Available for international students studying in NZ
In the Bachelor of Communication (Linguistics) you will explore how the brain manages language and the unwritten rules of interaction.
At the heart of our lives
Language is at the heart of communication. Linguistics is the study of human languages. It helps you understand how language has evolved, how it is structured and how it is used today to communicate in a range of setting.
While studying linguistics, you might for example:
- examine murderers’ text messages
- provide a commentary for a sports match
- construct an alien language
- listen to global hip hop to track the influence of African-Americanisms, and
- observe people talking to dogs.
Skills sought-after by employers
You will learn transferable skills that employers seek. You'll gain excellent written and oral communication skills and an ability to understand the subtexts of communication from others.
Employment opportunities
85% of graduates are employed within six months of graduation. These graduates are employed across nine different industry categories with more than 60 different job titles.
Gain a relevant qualification
Massey University’s linguistics major offers courses that specifically examine language in New Zealand and the Pacific, ensuring relevant, local context. Other courses like forensic linguistics will help you understand corporate-related areas such as intellectual property and authorship identification. You will enjoy studying towards an interesting, relevant qualification.
Careers and further study
Careers
This degree gives you a skill-set that is attractive to employers, but also provides flexibility for career pathways.
Careers could include work as a technical or specialist writer, in market research and analysis. Large technology companies seek graduates to work on natural language processing, speech analysis and data collection.
Your highly sought-after skills will also be useful for roles in communication, writing for the web and editing. In fact with any position that deals with language.
Skills you will learn:
- analytical skills
- logical thinking
- ability to produce clear communication
- ability to diagnose communication effects and processes
- ability to advise on the role of specific language strategies as part of a broader communication strategy
- ability to understand language structures at the root of all languages, not just English. This will enhance cross-cultural communication and foreign language learning.
International students
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
Entry requirements
University admission
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Programme admission
Required
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Prior learning, credit and exemptions
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
- review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations
- contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
If you do not have the entry requirements
English language and foundation courses
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
- English Language Proficiency
- Foundation Certificate in Academic English
- Foundation Certificate in Advanced Academic English
- Full Foundation - Certificate in Foundation Studies
Summer School
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
Courses and planning
Credit summary
360 credits
- Core courses – 120 credits
- Major courses – 120 credits
- Minor courses – 60 credits
- Electives – 60 credits
Ensure that overall, you have:
- Not more than 165 credits at 100 level (including no more than 45 credits of 100‑level electives)
- At least 15 credits of electives at 200 level or above
- At least 75 credits at 300 level overall
- An approved combination of major and minor
Courses for this specialisation
Compulsory course
| 172235 | Linguistic Analysis of the English Language | 15 |
| 45 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 172232 | Language and Society in New Zealand | 15 |
| 172236 | Forensic Linguistics | 15 |
| 172237 | Language, Discourse and Power | 15 |
| 172239 | Language and Culture | 15 |
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 172333 | Discourse and Institutions | 15 |
| 172335 | Language and Identity | 15 |
| 172336 | Languages of the Pacific | 15 |
| 172338 | Language, Diversity and Mediated Communication | 15 |
Planning your programme
Planning overview
Full-time study in your first year comprises eight 15-credit courses, for a total of 120 credits. We recommend studying 60 credits per semester. You may also wish to take some courses at summer school but ensure you include those that are required for the next level of courses.
Although you are asked to nominate your BC major and minor when enrolling, please be aware that you can change these once you are enrolled.
No course can be credited to a major and a minor.
This major
Completing a major is compulsory. The Linguistics major requires 120 credits including at least 60 credits at 200 level and 60 credits at 300 level.
Minors
Completing a minor is compulsory.
Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.
The Linguistics major is from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. That means you can choose a minor from the list of majors the Massey Business School offers:
- Communication Management
- Digital Marketing
- Journalism
- Public Relations
A Linguistics minor (for students who are studying a different degree)
If you are not studying a Bachelor of Communication and wish to complete a minor in Linguistics see the Bachelor of Communication regulations for requirements.
Fees and scholarships
Fees and finance
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student homepage login
A good fit if you:
- have a curious mind
- love to know how things work
- are interested in the ways language can help or hinder successful communication in both social and professional spheres.
Meet our students
“
Linguistics gave me a greater appreciation and understanding of language, ideologies and motivations. My study through Massey has been one of the cornerstones in catalysing my career.
” Olie Body
Founder, Managing Director, Wā Collective, Aotearoa NZ
Accreditations and rankings
Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.
Massey is ranked in the world’s top 150 universities for communication and media studies, by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking.
Massey University's communication programme is ranked #1 in New Zealand, and in the top 150 universities in the world, by ShanghaiRanking.
Massey University is ranked #1 in New Zealand and in the top 150 universities globally for business administration and finance by ShanghaiRanking.
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Regulations
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
Undergraduate programmes
Applying and enrolling
Applying for the programme
Check you are ready
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
Choose your programme and click on Apply now
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
Receive and accept an Admission Offer of Place
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
Enrolling in courses
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
- prerequisites (courses you have to do before the one you are enrolling in)
- corequisites (courses you have to do at the same time as the one you are enrolling in)
- restrictions (courses that you cannot enrol in if you are completing or have completed another identified similar course)
- location – for instance some distance-based courses still have an on-campus element, so double check that the way the course is taught is suitable for your situation.
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
What are courses and credits?
What are courses and credits?
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
- See the ‘Courses for this programme’ section for the list of courses.
- Courses search
Understanding course numbers
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
- sub-degree courses are '0' (i.e. xxx.0xx)
- undergraduate study begins at 100-level, (i.e. xxx.1xx)
- as you progress through 200- and 300-level courses this number changes to 2 and 3 respectively. The higher the number that starts the second three digits, the higher the level of study
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
About electives
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Workload and time management
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
Scholarships and awards
Scholarships related to this programme
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.