For best experience please turn on javascript and use a modern browser!
You are using a browser that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Please upgrade your browser. The site may not present itself correctly if you continue browsing.
Bachelor
Compare programme
Linguistics

Study programme

Linguistics focuses on our uniquely human capacity to use language – something indispensable in our daily life. As a linguist, you are interested in how language and speech are structured, how we acquire language, how it can be impaired, how it is represented in the brain, how it functions in society, how we deal with 2, 3, or 4 languages at the same time, and how it changes. All of these questions are addressed in this broad Bachelor's programme in Linguistics.

Programme structure

In this programme you are introduced to a number of linguistic subjects, including the study of a modern language of your choice. Alongside the core programme, you specialise by selecting a minor or electives in one or more of your fields of interest. You can also decide to study abroad for a semester or do an internship.

  • The first year
    • The first year of the programme offers a broad, general overview of the entire discipline of Linguistics.
    • You will take a course (Introduction to Linguistics) in which you learn all of the basic concepts that are relevant to a linguist. You will become familiar with Phonetics, Morphology and Sociolinguistics.
    • You choose a modern language (other than English), which we call your “Language X”. You will use the experience of acquiring this language in the theoretical courses where you will be asked to come up with certain phenomena in your language. For your Language X, you can choose from Arabic, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Hebrew, Italian, Modern Greek, Polish, Turkish, or Sign Language of The Netherlands (NGT), and if you master Dutch, you can also opt for Classical Greek, French, Latin, Norwegian, Russian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Spanish, or Swedish.
    • You will develop specific academic skills, such as academic writing and conducting independent research. At the end of the first year, you will conduct a small research project exploring the acquisition of a new language.
  • The second year
    • In the second and third years of the programme, you deepen your knowledge of linguistics and of subjects of your own choice.
    • You will take “structural” courses that teach you about the structure of sounds (Phonology), phrases and sentences (Syntax), and meaning (Semantics & Pragmatics), from various theoretical points of view, culminating in the Linguistic Theories project.
    • You will take additional courses on the acquisition and processing of language (First Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition, Psycholinguistics, Neurolinguistics, Language & Speech Disorders), learning how to collect linguistic data and how such data can contribute to theories of linguistics and to theories of acquisition and processing.
    • You will take courses on methodology (Philosophy of Science, Speech Processing, Research Methods & Statistics).
  • The third year
    • In the third year of the programme, you can tailor your own curriculum by specialising in a minor in a field related to linguistics or in a completely different field of study, or by choosing electives in a wide range of subjects, perhaps including courses that deepen your knowledge of the Language X that you chose in the first year.
    • You also have the opportunity to use your elective credits to study abroad or do an internship for a semester. You will conclude the programme by writing a Bachelor’s thesis, your first major piece of independent research.
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Introduction to Linguistics
    6
  • Phonetics
    6
  • Transcription
    6
  • Morphology
    6
  • Sociolinguistics
    6
  • First Year Group Project Linguistics
    6
  • Restricted-choice electives: Language X
    6
  • Restricted-choice electives: Language X
    6
  • Restricted-choice electives: Language X
    6
  • Restricted-choice electives: Language X
    6
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • First Language Acquisition
    6
  • Philosophy of the Humanities (Language and Cognition)
    6
  • Phonology
    6
  • Psycholinguistics
    6
  • Syntax
    6
  • Language and Speech Disorders
    6
  • Second Language Acquisition
    6
  • Neurolinguistics
    6
  • Semantics and Pragmatics
    6
  • Linguistic Theories
    6
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Speech Processing
    6
  • Research Methods & Statistics
    6
  • Specialization Linguistics
    6
  • Free-choice electives
    30
  • Bachelor's Thesis Linguistics
    12
Compulsory course
Elective
UvA Course Catalogue: Linguistics
Webinar Linguistics

What is the Linguistics study programme like at the UvA? What are the main topics? These (and more) questions will be answered in this in-depth webinar.

  • Minor and electives

    Next to your regular courses and your specialisation, you will also have 30 ECTS worth of space to fill by doing electives, a minor, an internship or by studying abroad.

    Electives

    In theory, any course can be taken as an elective, from courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities to those offered by other faculties or even other universities. Most programmes offer separate electives.

    Minor

    A minor is a cohesive teaching programme that consists of 30 ECTS. Doing a minor is not mandatory. However, it may be a good way to prepare for a Master’s programme or for a certain profession.

  • Internship and studying abroad

    The programme allows for you to do an internship and/or to study abroad for a period of time.

    Internship

    You can enrich your study programme as well as your CV by doing an internship. This will allow you to gain experience at an organisation in the field of Ancient Studies and gives you an impression of the job opportunities they offer.

    Studying abroad

    The UvA is closely involved with international programmes involved with cooperation and exchange within Europe, the United States and Canada. This gives you the opportunity to study abroad for a period of time.

  • Learning and assessment

    Linguistics is a three-year Bachelor’s degree of 180 ECTS credits. An academic year accounts for 60 credits that are spread across two semesters, with each comprising two 8-week blocks and a 4-week block. As a Bachelor’s student, you are expected to spend an average of 42 hours a week on your studies.

    • In your first year, 12 to 15 of those hours will be spent attending lectures, while in your second and third years you will have approximately 10 to 12 hours of class. The remaining time will be spent on self-study, preparing for lectures and seminars, completing coursework and assignments, as well as exams.
    • You will attend both lectures and small group seminars. Lectures generally introduce the main topics of the course, discussing and explaining course readings and literature. In the seminars, you will work closely with your fellow students, collaborating on assignments, presentations and talks.
    • You will be tested by means of written and oral exams, presentations, essays, reports and assignments. Your final grade for a course is determined by the results you receive for each of these.
  • Honours programme

    Highly-motivated students may qualify to take part in a selective Honours programme. This programme accounts for an additional 30 ECTS and will help familiarise you with various other aspects of academic research and prepare you for a subsequent Research Master's degree.

    Read more about the Honours programme

Accreditation and academic title

Linguistics is an accredited degree programme. The quality of this programme has been positively accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that after successful completion of the programme you will receive a recognised Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and the title Bachelor of Arts (BA).

Frequently Asked Questions
  • How big is the language acquisition component and is it possible to learn multiple languages?

    If you want to study an additional language, then you can do so in your elective space in the third year. The Linguistics programme has the special provision that you are allowed to take four first-year courses in your elective space, as long as these courses form a coherent language proficiency track. Thus, for instance, if you are a speaker of Spanish, and you would like to maximize your breadth of language mastery, you could take Czech in your first year and Arabic in your third year. By the way, the Language X of the first year is an obligatory part of the Linguistics programme, and the elective space in the third year is free.

  • What sort of research projects do you engage in during the programme?

    In June of year 1 there is the First Year Group project, in which you, together with three fellow students, can use your knowledge of the first-year courses to answer a research question in an experimental study involving human participants. In June of year 2 there is the course Linguistic Theories, in which you answer your individual theoretical research question on the basis of everything you know from your first two years and the deepening provided in that course. In April through June of year 3 you will be writing your BA thesis on any linguistic subject you like, perhaps inspired by the specialisation course that precedes it and that draws you into one of our research groups. Those are the three big projects; you will write shorter research papers and proposals in various other courses as well.

  • What are the biggest benefits of having a degree in Linguistics?

    A linguistics degree is incredibly versatile. Graduates have been known to continue into various fields, including but not limited to academics, teaching, research, and many other areas that may not seem related to Linguistics at first glance. Linguistics teaches you many important skills that are widely applicable, as well as providing you with a strong background for further study in an MA or research MA programme, for example.

  • What is the Linguistics community, students and staff, like at UvA?

    The community of students and staff involved in the Linguistic programme at UvA is very close-knit and personal. Almost everyone knows each other, and there is little distance between students and lecturers. This fosters a strong positive learning environment. The study association for Linguistics and Sign Language Linguistics, VOS, is also very much involved in creating a warm, inviting community for Linguistics students.