Undergraduate

Linguistics

From sounds and words to how language is used in different societies and cultures, linguistics is the study of language and communication.
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AP Exams
3
Years Full Time
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Careers and further study

This major opens up a world of future study pathways and career opportunities.

Career Pathways

A major in Linguistics provides a foundation for any career that involves language or languages, human social organisation and culture, or the human mind. In addition to research careers, graduates go on to hold careers in language teaching, speech therapy, journalism and broadcasting, translation and interpreting, Indigenous education and support work and information technology, among others. With the spread of language technology and the development of Artificial Intelligence, linguistic expertise is increasingly relevant – AI will not replace human understanding of linguistic structures.
 
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Career Pathways

A major in Linguistics provides a foundation for any career that involves language or languages, human social organisation and culture, or the human mind. In addition to research careers, graduates go on to hold careers in language teaching, speech therapy, journalism and broadcasting, translation and interpreting, Indigenous education and support work and information technology, among others. With the spread of language technology and the development of Artificial Intelligence, linguistic expertise is increasingly relevant – AI will not replace human understanding of linguistic structures.
 
This course could lead to these

Career Opportunities

Alt content Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Educator Alt content Interpreter Alt content Journalist Alt content Primary School Teacher
More career opportunities
This course could lead to these

Career Opportunities

Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Educator

Be involved in planning and running education programs for young children

Interpreter

Facilitate communications between people who do not speak the same language, by your knowledge of languages and cultures.

Journalist

Write and edit news reports, commentaries and features for newspapers, magazines, electronic media and radio or television stations.

Primary School Teacher

Educate primary school children to develop literacy and numeracy skills and help guide their physical, emotional, intellectual and social growth.

Secondary School Teacher

Inspire and teach secondary school students in a variety of subject areas.

Software and Applications Programmer

Ensure computer applications meet user needs by writing, testing and maintaining computer programs.

Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Assist teachers with, or tutor students whose first language is not English to gain english proficiency.

Translator

Convert the writings of one language to another, retaining the precise meaning of the original text.

Education Advisers and Reviewers

You will be involved in research education, develop course curricula and educational materials, and examine teachers' work and curriculum program results in school settings

Education Manager

Help to develop policy, inform course curricula and teaching methods, manage educational systems, recruitment, financial and physical resources

Foreign Affairs and Trade Officer

Develop the policy and operational aspects of Australia's foreign policy and trade interests.

Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professional

Conduct diagnostic tests for patient assessment, provide health advice, develop health and safety promotions, administer pharmaceuticals.

Intelligence Analyst

Collect and analyse data to produce intelligence reports and develop and analyse government and commercial policies for design, implementation and modification.

Media Presenter

Media presenters work across a broad range of media depending on their specialist knowledge and experience.

Media Producer

Plan, administer and review activities concerned with artistic activities including publishing; production of films, television and radio programs; theatre; music and festivals.

Policy Analyst

Guide design, implementation and modification of government and commercial operations and programs through policy.

Program or Project Manager

Coordinate programs, special projects and support services, including management of staff and resources to ensure project completion is on time and within budget.

Research and Development Manager

Plan, administer and review the Research and Development program and activities of an organisation.

Social Worker

Help people manage personal and social problems, either directly or through programs that benefit groups or communities.

Training and Development Professional

Develop, refine and implement training and development programs to ensure staff develop the skills and competencies required in an organisation.

University Lecturer

Inspire and teach tertiary students; lecture and conduct research projects on your area of passion.

Workplace Relations Adviser

Advise on workplace relations policies and problems, and represent industrial, commercial, union, employer or other parties in employment negotiations.

Linguist

Study how languages are structured, learned and used and how they change through time.

Further Study

This major lays the foundation for further study options at honours and postgraduate level. Students may select from a range of Masters programs including teaching, translation and marketing. 
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Further Study

This major lays the foundation for further study options at honours and postgraduate level. Students may select from a range of Masters programs including teaching, translation and marketing. 
Postgraduate study at UWA

Master of Translation Studies

Master of Translation Studies

Complete professionally endorsed translation training between English and one of eight Asian and European languages.

Fees and scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this major. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or your desired course.

Domestic Fees

Undergraduate – Commonwealth supported students

Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points.

Course Credit Points
192
Average Annual Fee - 2020
$9,094.47
Typical Fee Range - 2020
$6,684.00 - $11,155.00

Eligible Commonwealth-supported students can use the HECS-HELP loan scheme to pay their tuition fees.

Fee calculator

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.

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Cost of living

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

Cost of living

International Fees

Undergraduate – onshore students

Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points.

Course Credit Points
192
Total Course Fee - 2019
$161,600.00
Total Course Fee - 2020
$164,800.00
Fee calculator

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.

Search Scholarships

Cost of living

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

Cost of living

Admission requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers, mature-age applicants and those with previous tertiary study. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements

Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

Indonesian Secondary School Leaving Certificate (STTB SMA)
  • 8
International Baccalaureate
  • 27
Singapore-Cambridge A-Levels
  • 8
UWA Foundation Programme (UWAFP)
  • 66
Western Australian Universities Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 60
Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY)
  • 270
Trinity College Foundation Program
  • 75
Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 80
Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 320
Below you’ll find a list of admission equivalencies for this course's Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
Indonesian Secondary School Leaving Certificate (STTB SMA)
  • 8
International Baccalaureate
  • 27
Singapore-Cambridge A-Levels
  • 8
UWA Foundation Programme (UWAFP)
  • 66
Western Australian Universities Foundation Program (WAUFP)
  • 60
Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY)
  • 270
Trinity College Foundation Program
  • 75
Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) 2016 onwards
  • 80
Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT)
  • 320
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Admission requirements

For applicants with recent secondary education, information on admission criteria is available on our entry standards page.

Admission requirements

English competency

English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

English competency

How to apply

Ready to apply for this major? Follow the steps and you’ll be on your way to joining us at UWA.

Course details

What sets the human species apart is our capacity to communicate with one another through language. How do we use languages in different societies and how do they relate to our different cultures? Does the language we speak shape the way we think? What does language tell us about social structures and their history? How do we learn a language as children and as adults? This Major answers these questions and more.

About The Course

This major aims to give you the broadest possible grounding in contemporary linguistics and enables you to specialise in your areas of interest. This major includes both fascinating theoretical research and practical field-orientated projects. You'll have the opportunity to work on a variety of linguistic topics including grammatical descriptions and dictionaries of Australian Aboriginal languages, analysis of Australian English and Romance languages, the study of meaning in language and the relation between language and society.
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About The Course

This major aims to give you the broadest possible grounding in contemporary linguistics and enables you to specialise in your areas of interest. This major includes both fascinating theoretical research and practical field-orientated projects. You'll have the opportunity to work on a variety of linguistic topics including grammatical descriptions and dictionaries of Australian Aboriginal languages, analysis of Australian English and Romance languages, the study of meaning in language and the relation between language and society. You do not need to know a second language or 'be good at languages' to excel in Linguistics. Many excellent linguists speak only one language; all you need is a healthy curiosity.
Linguistics

Quick Details

Status
  • Available 2020
Locations
  • Albany (Regional campus)
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Weekly contact time
  • 12-15 contact hours, plus at least twice as much of your own study time
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-LINGO
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
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Linguistics

Quick Details

Status
  • Available 2020
Locations
  • Albany (Regional campus)
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Weekly contact time
  • 12-15 contact hours, plus at least twice as much of your own study time
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-LINGO
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
TISC Codes
  • UWART
  • UWBPH
Honours Available
  • Yes
Degrees course is available in
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Faculty
  • Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education - Arts

Emily Taplin

Emily Taplin
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Emily Taplin

Emily Taplin
Studying Linguistics has shown me how complex and abstract language is, and given me an appreciation of how incredible it is that we learn and use it so easily every day. The lecturers and tutors are always there to assist students and their passion is definitely contagious.

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Course Structure

Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.

Popular combinations

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Course structure details Other combinations

Put theory into practice

Current UWA students are eligible to take one of our professional experience units. These units bridge the gap between university and the workplace by providing opportunities to gain hands-on, practical experience. You can master new skills, make connections and network, get a taste of the opportunities in the workforce and add experience to your resume, all before graduating.

Find out more about Work Integrated Learning.

Put theory into practice

Facilities & equipment

Facilities and equipment
Facilities and equipment

Arts building and libraries

Arts building and libraries
UWA students have access to the University's libraries, which house more than 850,000 books and over 230,000 non-print items in a wide range of formats, from manuscripts to electronic databases. In addition, there are study spaces around the campus, including by the picturesque Swan River.
Richer student experiences

Student Exchange & Study Abroad

Eberhard-Karls University, Tubingen

Sungkyunkwan University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Study abroad options

Student Exchange & Study Abroad

Eberhard-Karls University, Tubingen

The Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen is one of Europe's oldest universities. Several hundred years of history in the sciences and humanities have been written here. Today, Tübingen remains a place of research and teaching. In addition to the nearly 85,500 inhabitants, there are some 28,300 German and international students. Some 4500 academic staff teach at the University's seven faculties. Teaching at the University of Tübingen reflects the broad, interdisciplinary spectrum of its research. More than 280 courses are on offer.

Tubingen, Germany
Europe

"The best part of exchange is the people you meet from all over the world. The second best thing is learning to live in a new country with a foreign culture. If you're a language student, it's particularly rewarding that, after all those years, you get to put it into practice and communicate with people. My perspectives have been broadened by my exchange, living in a new country and meeting people from all different cultures; you realise the world's a much bigger place. I can't say anything bad about Tübingen. It was a fantastic place to be on exchange and experience a student town where everything revolves around the students, because we don't have that in Australia." Rosie Blood, Bachelor of Arts - German and Psychology, 2011-2012
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Sungkyunkwan University

For more than six hundred years, Sungkyunkwan University has held a special place in the history of Korea. Since its establishment, the school's educational tradition has emphasised the four principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom. Sungkyunkwan University has also evolved to incorporate a modern educational paradigm that prioritises cutting-edge research and innovative education. This has led to important advances in the arts, sciences, medicine and technology in ways that allow greater synergy with other leading universities and institutions throughout the world.

Seoul, South Korea
Asia

View program

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. Teachers and students hail from all around the world, and it has a total of 61 departments under the faculties of arts, business administration, education, engineering, law, medicine, science, and social science. Currently, it has about 21,000 students undertaking undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs.

Hong Kong, China
Asia

View program

Visit Global Studio for more details and to apply to study abroad.

Visit Global Studio
Languages as windows onto the past

Learning resources and more

Historical linguistics is a broad field that connects the study of language and languages with other disciplines such as, archaeology and anthropology, biology, computer science, history, geography, and psychology and cognitive science.

For an introduction to this fascinating field of study explore our online resources, then watch the live recording of Language Across Time, an event in conjunction with the 24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics heldon 4 July 2019. 

Please submit a question using the online forum prior to the event. Your question may be addressed by our panel of experts on the day. 

Languages as windows onto the past

Learning resources and more

Become a bilingual citizen of the world at the largest language hub in Western Australia

Become a bilingual citizen of the world at the largest language hub in Western Australia
Find out more

Become a bilingual citizen of the world at the largest language hub in Western Australia

Become a bilingual citizen of the world at the largest language hub in Western Australia

With four European, four Asian and two Classical languages on offer, UWA is the leading institution in WA for language learning.

Immerse yourself in another language. Learn to see the world in a new way. Move between cultures with ease.

With our unique course structure, you can combine a language with your other interests to create your perfect study plan. French and Finance? Chinese and Chemistry? German and Geography? Japanese and Jurisprudence? It’s up to you.

You’ll learn to translate not just words, but ideas.

During your studies you can put your skills into practice by travelling overseas with one of our many global learning opportunities, from short courses to long-term student exchange programs.

After completing an undergraduate major in any of our eight modern languages (Chinese Studies, Indonesian Studies, Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, French Studies, German Studies, Italian Studies, and Spanish Studies), you could continue on to our Master of Translation Studies (the only course of its kind in Western Australia) to gain a prestigious professional qualification. Endorsed by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI), Master of Translation Studies students may also undertake a work placement in Australia or overseas.

Where could your language studies take you?

Your degree options

This major is offered as a degree-specific, or first, major for these degrees. It is also offered as a second major in our other bachelor's degrees.

Why take a second major

  • Expand your skills - Taking a second major either in a complementary area or in something like Economics or Business Law will show you have developed transferable skills such as, teamwork, critical thinking, digital literacy and presentation skills – which are highly sought after in the workforce.
  • Add it to your resume – Employers are looking for graduates who have skills in a variety of areas. Two majors will expand your career prospects and help you stand out amongst the crowd.
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Why take a second major

  • Expand your skills - Taking a second major either in a complementary area or in something like Economics or Business Law will show you have developed skills such as, teamwork, critical thinking, digital literacy and presentation skills – which are highly sought after in the workforce.
  • Add it to your resume – Employers are looking for graduates who have skills in a variety of areas. Two majors will expand your career prospects and help you stand out amongst the crowd.
  • Study your passion alongside your interests – Do you love Marketing? Law? History of Art? Pursue a career while studying something else you love! Your second major can be from any other faculty across the university.
  • No additional time – Choosing two majors instead of one won’t add any additional time to your undergraduate degree. A standard bachelor degree consists of the same amount of units either way.
  • Discover what you want to do while you’re doing it – Not sure what career you want when you graduate? It’s very common for undergraduate students to be unsure. Choosing two majors in different areas will give you the opportunity to explore multiple interests and see what fits best. Majors can be switched until the end of your first year without adding any time onto your degree.

Check out the popular combinations for this major to get some inspiration on complementary areas to study.

School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences looks at understanding the human experience and exploring how and why society works.
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VIDEO

Linguistics - Language Across Time

Linguistics - Language Across Time

Linguistics - Language Across Time

Have you ever thought of a language as a way of looking into the past? For linguists, language is one window onto human history and pre-history

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