Where you can study
International students
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Specialise in Linguistics for your Bachelor of Arts at Massey
Cultivate your personal and professional development
Linguistics is the study of language, including:
- its structure and meaning
- how it is learnt and used
- what our language says about who we are and where we come from.
From interacting with friends to communicating with colleagues, language plays a fundamental role in both our public and private lives. This includes written and spoken communication, problem-solving, and social and cultural awareness. Our lecturers will encourage you to develop a deeper understanding of your own self-identity and social interactions.
A powerful communications tool
Language is the most powerful tool for connecting with and understanding the evolving diversity of people and cultures.
Massey’s BA (Linguistics) puts a strong focus on personal and applied language use, ethnographic analysis, and language forms and structure. This major will help you develop vital personal and career skills.
Specialist language studies and options available
We have a variety of courses on offer. You could find out more about the role of language in:
- forensic situations
- digital communities
- social media
- mother-tongue maintenance
- second-language learning.
Our courses are taught by lecturers who are actively researching.
A Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics is a good fit if you:
- enjoy learning languages or have a curiosity about language
- enjoy subjects such as English and drama.
Planning information
If you study full time, in the first year you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school if you wish. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
You need to pass five courses at 300-level for your BA. One of these (230310) is in the compulsory core and three are required for your major. If you are not taking a double major or a minor, you will need to take one 300-level elective course to meet this requirement.
About this major
A Linguistics major consists of 120 credits (eight courses).
You will start your studies with one or more of the 100-level linguistic courses which provide a general background to language study and a base for more advanced courses to build on. At the advanced level you study specific themes and concentrate on specialised areas of linguistics.
Some courses offered in alternate years
The following courses are offered every second year:
- 172232 Language and Society in New Zealand
- 172236 Forensic Linguistics
- 172237 Language Discourse and Power
- 172239 Language and Culture
- 172330 Sounds and Structure
- 172337 Historical and Comparative Linguistics
Minors
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.
A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
A Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics) with a minor
You may choose a minor from the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business or Bachelor of Science. If the minor is from another degree the regulations of that qualification will apply.
All BA majors can be taken as minors and there are also some additional minor-only subjects.
A linguistics minor (for students who are studying a different degree)
If you are not studying towards a BA (Linguistics) and wish to complete a minor in linguistics see the BA regulations for requirements.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.
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 qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may be no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses you can enrol in
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Core courses for the Bachelor of Arts
As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.
Linguistics courses
Compulsory courses
Course code: 172133 Introduction to Language Studies 15 credits
Introductory skills of analysing language, at the level of discourse, morphology, syntax, semantics and phonology.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172234 Phonetics 15 credits
A study of the sounds of language and an introduction to the acoustic analysis of speech.
View full course detailsCompulsory course selections
Course code: 172232 Language and Society in New Zealand 15 credits
An introduction to sociolinguistics with particular reference to New Zealand: focussing on language and social interaction, regional and social variation in language use, bilingualism and the status of minority languages, and the sociolinguistics of te Reo Māori.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172233 Language Learning Processes 15 credits
An introduction to approaches and theories in applied linguistics with particular focus on language learning processes.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172239 Language and Culture 15 credits
An examination of the interrelationship between/of language and culture through a study of various elements of language, language use and language acquisition in a wide range of cultural contexts.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172330 Sounds and Structures 15 credits
Introduces theoretical approaches to phonology and syntactic/grammatical structures and their interfaces.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172337 Historical and Comparative Linguistics 15 credits
An advanced study of historical language change and language relationships. The course examines reasons for and types of language change, and methods for reconstructing earlier language forms.
View full course detailsSubject courses
Course code: 172131 Language and Communication 15 credits
An introduction to language with particular emphasis on spoken communication.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172231 Linguistics for Speech Therapists 15 credits
This course examines the morphology, grammar and discourse structure of spoken language with an emphasis on speech therapy
View full course detailsCourse code: 172235 Linguistic Analysis of the English Language 15 credits
An introductory course in linguistic analysis of the English language covering the fundamental concepts of morphology, phonetics, phonology, and syntax.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172236 Forensic Linguistics 15 credits
An introduction to the study of forensic linguistics, focussing on a variety of business and legal contexts and related ethical issues.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172237 Language, Discourse and Power 15 credits
An introduction to critical discourse analysis, exploring how language is used in the reproduction of social inequalities.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172333 Discourse and Institutions 15 credits
A critical examination of public and private-sphere discourses in institutional contexts through linguistic theories and methods.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172335 Language and Identity 15 credits
An advanced sociolinguistic study of how language is used to represent and construct aspects of identity relevant to particular social interactions, including the individual’s ability to negotiate multiple forms of identity and belonging.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172336 Languages of the Pacific 15 credits
An examination of the three major language subgroups spoken in the Pacific, focussing on their formal elements, the relationship between language and society, and the linguistic consequences of the encounter between Pacific peoples and speakers of non-Pacific languages.
View full course detailsCourse code: 172338 Language, Diversity and Mediated Communication 15 credits
An examination of one-to-many communication in the Web and mediated contexts, focussing on globalised and transcultural communication of linguistic perspectives.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics), outside of university admission regulations.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
If you have already completed a bachelor degree
If you have already completed a bachelor degree you may replace 230111 Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry or 230112 Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking with courses of your choice. You will need to apply for replacement courses via a Special permission request in your portal and you will need to attach evidence of your completed degree with the request.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Fees and scholarships
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.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
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 can find their National Student Number in the student portal.
- Student loans (StudyLink)
- Fees Free
- Student portal
Scholarship and award opportunities
Search our scholarships and awardsFees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Language is vital to human communication. The study of linguistics helps you understand the development of language and can lead to an array of careers. We have graduates working in a range of diverse sectors in many varied roles including:
- education: ESOL teacher, language teacher, literacy adviser, university lecturer
- business, administration and law: communications adviser, interpreter/translator, forensic document analyst
- government departments: policy analyst, researcher, cultural adviser, immigrations officer
- publishing, journalism, media and advertising: writer/editor, advertising consultant
- IT: computer analyst/programmer.
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.
Related study options
Linguistics – Graduate Certificate in Arts
Use language to drive your career. With Massey’s Graduate Certificate in Arts (Linguistics), you can study linguistics without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Linguistics – Diploma in Arts
Build on your understanding of how language works. Massey’s Diploma in Arts (Linguistics) will teach you the concepts and structures in languages and cultures around the world.
Linguistics – Bachelor of Communication
If you love language and want to broaden your career options in communication, the Bachelor of Communication (Linguistics) offers the best of both worlds.
Linguistics – Graduate Diploma in Arts
Use language to drive your career. The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Linguistics) will give you the equivalent of an undergraduate major in linguistics without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Linguistics – PGCertAppLing
Opening opportunities for work and research in language teaching and other language-related professional areas.
Without Specialisation – Master of Applied Linguistics
Take your career to the next level with Massey’s Master of Applied Linguistics. Help make second-language teaching more accessible in a multilingual world.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz