Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Specialise in Without Specialisation for your Master of Applied Linguistics at Massey
The Master of Applied Linguistics provides professionals in all areas of second-language teaching (including Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) with a combination of professional and research skills which is increasingly important in both domestic and international settings.
Get real-world skills
You’ll use theories, methods and problem-based approaches that address real-life language issues in our globalised, and digitally mediated world.
Draw on Massey’s research strengths
Massey’s research strengths include:
- heritage language learning
- mother tongue maintenance
- online second-language communities
- distance/online language learning
- sociocultural adjustment of international students and their teachers to their presence in New Zealand universities
- language learning and emotion
- bi/multilingualism
- oral proficiency
- teaching and assessment
- language education policy.
Research opportunities
In the Master of Applied Linguistics, you’ll complete a research report (60 credits) or thesis (120 credits). Recent areas of student research include:
- investigating needs of non-income-earning students in community English classes
- the development of teacher identity among student teachers in Thailand
- navigating cultural conflict and dissonance in the immigrant ESL classroom
- the role of motivational beliefs in self-regulated learning for Kanji acquisition
- vocational tertiary students’ imagined experiences of learning English with native speakers in an Indonesian rural setting
- perceptions of Bhutanese students, parents and teachers of their learning progress in a New Zealand secondary school
- a case study of teacher beliefs and student attitudes on L1 use in multilingual classrooms.
A Master of Applied Linguistics in Without Specialisation is a good fit if you:
- work in second-language teaching including TESOL
- are passionate about teaching and learning languages
- are curious about how we learn and teach languages
Planning information
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
All courses are 30 credits each unless otherwise indicated.
The Master of Linguistics is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part, before moving to the second, etc.
Coursework pathway
At least a B grade average is required in the Part One courses (120 credits) for progression to Part Two - Coursework Pathway.
Research pathway
At least a B+ grade average is required in the first 60 credits of courses completed in Part One for progression to Part Two - Research Pathway.
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 Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate 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.
Part One: Coursework Pathway (120 credits) or Research Pathway (60 credits)
Course code: 272702 Second Language Learning Theories and Processes 30 credits
A critical examination of theoretical perspectives accounting for second language learning processes.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272703 Contemporary Approaches to Language Teaching Methodology 30 credits
A critical survey of different approaches and methods used to develop language skills.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272704 Contextualising Curriculum and Materials Design 30 credits
A study of the principles, practice and contextualised nature of curriculum and materials design.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272706 Discourse Analysis 30 credits
An advanced exploration of key theoretical and analytical frameworks in discourse analysis and how to apply these to empirical data in a range of discourse genres.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272707 Language Documentation 30 credits
A practical introduction to language documentation to support language community goals, foregrounding the ethical responsibilities of researchers, while critically reflecting on how language documentation outcomes are communicated to community, academic and general audiences.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272715 Current Issues in Applied Linguistics 30 credits
A critical examination of current issues in applied linguistics research from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
View full course detailsPart Two
Course Pathway
Course code: 272873 Research Report 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study.
View full course detailsResearch Pathway
Course code: 272816 Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272817 Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 60 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsCourse code: 272899 Thesis 120 credits
A supervised and guided independent study resulting in a published work.
View full course detailsEntry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
To enter the Master of Applied Linguistics (Without specialisation) you will:
- have been awarded or qualified for a bachelor degree with at least a B grade average across the 200-300 level courses, or
- have been awarded or qualified for a postgraduate diploma in second language teaching or a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics, or equivalent, with at least a B+ grade average for entry to the Research Pathway, or at least a B grade average for entry to the Coursework Pathway.
If you have a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics as outlined above, you may apply for credit towards Part One of the qualification in accordance with the limits specified in the Recognition of Prior Learning.
You will need to provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
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, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Fees Free website.
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
With a Master of Applied Linguistics you’ll be prepared for careers in language teaching, research and practice in national and international multilingual contexts.
You’ll be supporting those who operate in multilingual contexts, such as migrants and former refugees and international students in New Zealand. Our graduates are employed as educators, consultants and practitioners.
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 – Bachelor of Arts
Learn about how language works and how people use it. Grow your ability to lead cross-cultural interactions and drive social change in an increasingly communicatively diverse world.
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.
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz