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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Linguistics - Research Language and Cognition - Research
Header image Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

How is language stored in the brain? How do we acquire a foreign language? How can we explain patterns of language use in terms of underlying structures, and also the role of language in society?

The Language and Cognition programme offers training in linguistics which reflects the areas of expertise among linguists at the University of Groningen. In addition to required courses, which cover core areas of the discipline, students may choose from courses in neuro- and psycholinguistics, theoretical linguistics, developmental linguistics, computational linguistics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and communication studies. These are the focus areas of excellent, multidisciplinary research carried out in the Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) and the Groningen Research School for Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (BCN).

The programme is meant for talented students from all over the world who aspire to do research in the field of Linguistics. After finishing the degree, you will have acquired essential research skills and fundamental knowledge of linguistic analysis, language development, and language processing. This programme is a selective admission two-year Research Master's programme that prepares you for entry into a related PhD program, or other research positions.

Are you curious if you are eligible for the Research Master's programme? Check the entry requirements. While admission for the second semester is possible, we advise most students to begin in the fall so that they can follow the course sequence with their cohort.


Facts & Figures
Degree
MA in Linguistics (research)
Course type
Research master
Duration
24 months (120 ECTS)
Croho code
60817
Language of instruction
English
Start
February, September
Faculty
Arts
Why study this programme in Groningen?
  • The programme is flexible and research-focused: students can create their own track based on the specializations of our linguistics staff, for example in bilingualism, language processing, acquisition, and discourse analysis
  • Our staff are internationally recognized experts in their fields
  • A Research Training module offers the opportunity for hands-on research experience in the first year
  • In the Research Internship in year two you can work alongside experts in your area of specializati
Programme
Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Basic Statistics (5 EC)
Seminar/Summerschool/Winterschool 1 (5 EC)
Language comparison (10 EC, optional)
Language Development (10 EC, optional)
Language variation in Europe (10 EC, optional)
Linguistic Analysis (10 EC)
Research Training 1 (10 EC, optional)
Research Training 1 (5 EC, optional)
The interpretation of language (10 EC, optional)
Writing: Context, Process, Text (10 EC, optional)
The structure of Language (10 EC, optional)
Architecture of the Language System (5 EC, optional)
Corpus Linguistics (5 EC)
The Sound of Language (5 EC, optional)
Designing your research project (5 EC)
Discourse analysis (10 EC, optional)
Language, Brain and Cognition (10 EC, optional)
Methodology & Statistics Ling. Research (5 EC, optional)
Research Training 2 (5 EC, optional)
Research Training 2 (10 EC, optional)
Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Advanced Research Training (25 EC)
Summerschool/Winterschool 2 (5 EC)
Thesis (30 EC)
Programme options
Master's placement (specialization)

A placement is a fixed component of this Master's track.

It is your responsibility to find a placement yourself, but the Office for Student Affairs can offer help with this where necessary.

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is recommended

Students have the opportunity to choose an internship location abroad or at the University of Groningen. Students have followed their internship/courses at the following locations:

Boston Children's Hospital, USA: Data collection with MRI for research on language disorders

TEXTGAIN BV: working on the EU Project PANORAMA Developing hate speech monitoring technology for Greek and Albanian

Bilingualism and Aging Lab at the University of Groningen. The Netherlands: research on language learning in the third age, working with behavioral and neuroimaging data

Reading's Institute of Education, UK: collecting, processing and analyzing eye-tracking data

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria: Dynamic Analysis of Language Learning in the Third Age project

University of Leeds, Leeds Child Development Center: children's online adjective processing, processing in referential communication

University of Stellenbosch, Taalsentrum, South Africa: readability measurement of texts written in Afrikaans and IsiXhosa

University of Stockholm, Linguistics Department, Sweden: typology, evolution, and extended uses of temperature in language, data collection and analysis of Germanic languages

University of Bristol, UK, OPEN project: conversation analytic research on out-of-hours primary medical care

Entry requirements

Transfer options

Transferring from...

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
European Languages and CulturesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

English Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Communication and Information StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Information ScienceUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

LinguisticsUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Minorities & MultilingualismUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure.

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
LinguisticsAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Information ScienceAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Communication and Information StudiesAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

English Language and CultureAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

European Languages and CulturesAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure

Minorities & MultilingualismAll Research universities

Additional requirements

More information:

This programme has a selection procedure.

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Prospective students with a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics or another Bachelor's degree with a substantial linguistics component are eligible for admission to this Master's track. Examples of these types of Bachelor's programmes are:

  • a modern European language and culture study
  • Communication- and Information Science
  • Humanities Computing/Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Speech and Hearing
  • Other related fields
grade list

An excellent academic record: An overview of the results achieved so far within the Bachelor's degree programme and/or other university degree programmes is required.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A Curriculum Vitae (CV)

language test

Additional English language requirement: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 100 (with a minimum score for speaking and writing of 25 (each)), or an IELTS score of 7 (with a minimum of 6.5 on all items).

reference letter

Two personal letters of recommendation from staff members who can comment on the students' affinity with and capacities for research.

(motivation-) letter

A letter outlining the prospective student's motivation for selecting the programme and Research Master's track, including their expectations and interests.

other admission requirements

The selection procedure is also based on an evaluation of degree certificates, student motivation, the thesis or other writing sample, and fit for the UG programme. Students who have not yet completed their Bachelor can be given provisional admission.

To assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, we will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies, and the grades that you have obtained. This evaluation is carried out by our Admissions Office and the Admissions Board.

Selection procedure

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Prospective students with a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics or another Bachelor's degree with a substantial linguistics component are eligible for admission to this Master's track. Examples of these types of Bachelor's programmes are:

  • a modern European language and culture study
  • Communication- and Information Science
  • Humanities Computing/Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Speech and Hearing
  • Other related fields
grade list

An excellent academic record: An overview of the results achieved so far within the Bachelor's degree programme and/or other university degree programmes is required.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A Curriculum Vitae (CV)

language test

Additional English language requirement: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 100 (with a minimum score for speaking and writing of 25 (each)), or an IELTS score of 7 (with a minimum of 6.5 on all items).

reference letter

Two personal letters of recommendation from staff members who can comment on the students' affinity with and capacities for research.

(motivation-) letter

A letter outlining the prospective student's motivation for selecting the programme and Research Master's track, including their expectations and interests.

other admission requirements

The selection procedure is also based on an evaluation of degree certificates, student motivation, the thesis or other writing sample, and fit for the UG programme. Students who have not yet completed their Bachelor can be given provisional admission.

To assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, we will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies, and the grades that you have obtained. This evaluation is carried out by our Admissions Office and the Admissions Board.

Selection procedure

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026
EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202401 September 2024
15 October 202401 February 2025
01 May 202501 September 2025
15 October 202501 February 2026
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2023-2024€ 2314full-time
non-EU/EEA2023-2024€ 16000full-time
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 18700full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job prospects

After graduation, you are well prepared for a career in research. In fact, this track is an ideal stepping stone to a PhD position at a university. You can conduct research in many sub-fields of Linguistics, such as Neuro- or Clinical Linguistics, Language Development, Sociolinguistics or Theoretical Linguistics. Other options are Speech Technology, Discourse and Communication and Computer Linguistics.

During the Research Master's programme in Linguistics you will acquire a wide-ranging set of skills useful in a wide range of domains.

Analytical skills involve the ability to recognize patterns and link these to theoretical explanations.

Communication skills, such as writing and giving oral presentations, are part of all coursework and you receive experience and feedback to hone your abilities in these areas.

Students in our programme further gain experience in working as a team, through course projects but also the required internship.

A final focus is on methodological skills; through required coursework in statistics and corpus analysis students learn how to analyze corpora of texts to make generalizations based on quantitative findings. Elective modules are also available which train students to design experiments and carry out research in laboratory environments.

Job examples

  • Applied researcher
  • Information specialist at a public organization (e.g. the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Police Academy, or the Centraal Administratiekantoor)
  • Science journalist
  • Copywriter
  • Project leader
  • Educational specialist at a publisher
  • Lecturer in secondary education
  • Research oriented career in Linguistics
Research

The programme in Language and Cognition is tied to the Groningen Research Institute in Linguistics (CLCG) and is also affiliated with the Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics (LOT) and Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN).

Research institute CLCG

The Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) is a research institute within the Faculty of Arts of the University of Groningen. It is the institutional home for all the linguistic research carried out within the faculty, and students have the opportunity to work with members of this center who specialize in their area of interest. Please see https://www.rug.nl/research/clcg/ to view the profiles of individual researchers. Within the CLCG there are four different research groups:

Computational Linguistics

Discourse and Communication

Neurolinguistics and Language Development

Theoretical and Empirical Linguistics

Publishing your own work

Students are encouraged to present their work at conferences and submit it for publication, often co-authoring with instructors who guide them through the process of research, compiling and reporting results, and academic writing. Having published during your studies is a big plus when applying for a PhD position. Every year at least four students of the Research Master publish their work somewhere.

LOT Research School

LOT is an acronym of Landelijke Onderzoekschool Taalwetenschap (National Graduate School of Linguistics). The research by the LOT institutes covers all major areas of linguistics as well as a wide range of methodological tools and theoretical frameworks. LOT organises the national graduate courses and offers a Winter School in January and a Summer School in June/July on various locations throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. As a Language and Cognition student you will attend at least two Summer or Winter schools (the cost of which is paid for by the university) and complete assignments about the courses in order to obtain 10 ECTS.

More info

EMLAR/conferences

For students interested in language acquisition, it is possible to get LOT credits for attending the EMLAR (Experimental Methods in Language Acquisition Research) conference.

More info

Other conferences

Language and Cognition students are encouraged to attend national and international conferences. The TABU DAG is an international linguistics conference organized at the University of Groningen and provides one opportunity for students to hear presentations or give their own!

Student/research-assistent

The university offers student assistant positions to a limited number of students. This paid position can have a duration up to a whole year and is usually for one day per week. The activities can be very diverse: teaching and educational support or assisting in a study or other projects. A researcher will usually ask you for these positions.

Apply nowBrochureEventsContact

Contact

  • Ask Your Question Here (please fill in this contact form, we will answer you as soon as possible.)
  • Dr. Angeliek van Hout (Programme Coordinator)
    Email: a.m.h.van.hout rug.nl
  • Caroline Dijkema (Study Advisor)
    Email: rema.linguistics.advice rug.nl
  • Mireya Harmsen MA (coordinator: for all questions regarding application)
    Email: rema.arts rug.nl
  • Nikki Hoekzema (Student Ambassador)
    Email: n.hoekzema.1 student.rug.nl

PhD at the University of Amsterdam

While I was in the third year of my Bachelor's degree programme in English Linguistics in Serbia, two of my classmates did a 1-year exchange at the University of Groningen. They were so enthusiastic about everything to do with Linguistics in Groningen: the programme, the lecturers, the new things they learned.

That’s why I chose the Research Master’s in Linguistics at the University of Groningen following my Bachelor’s programme. It sounded like a great opportunity to get into the field of linguistic research. And I have never regretted my decision. In the two years of the programme I learned all the research skills that I was going to need for my PhD, from critical thinking to writing research papers. I conducted a number of small, practical research projects, so the programme felt very interesting and dynamic, and the lecturers were always incredibly enthusiastic and ready to help. Not only was the programme itself good, I also very much enjoyed living in Groningen, a small but beautiful and vibrant student city. I am currently studying for a PhD at the University of Amsterdam, conducting research on language learning in adults. My MA programme and the lecturers involved in it were ideal preparation for my PhD research; I rely on many research skills that I acquired in Groningen, such as critical thinking, designing experiments, analysing data from experiments and writing academic papers. I’m really grateful for all the programme taught me. Thanks to this solid foundation, a PhD doesn’t feel like a difficult undertaking. I would very much like to continue doing research in my future career, but I would also like to combine it with more applied work, such as developing new language teaching methods and materials.

Read more

I decided to take the academic path

Originally living in the Baltic countries, I moved to Groningen in 2012 to pursue a BA degree in English Language and Culture with a minor in Media and Journalism. Languages, research, and writing and editing have always been passions of mine, which made the move towards higher education in this field very easy. Following the experiences in languages and journalism, I opted for the academic choice and chose to do a MA in Language and Cognition. Sociolinguistics and forensic linguistics are my field of interest and I was impressed with how much courses the faculty offered in this regard. These modules taught me skills such as discourse analysis, corpus-based studies, and eye-tracking, all of which I found intriguing. No matter what your personal field of interest is, this degree allows you to directly incorporate it into your academic scope. The degree is certainly challenging but the effort is worth it if you are an aspiring researcher and genuinely passionate about linguistics.

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I was looking for a highly internationalized and motivating environment where I could develop my theoretical and practical skills, and in Groningen I found it all

After being a research master student for over a year now, I can state that my expectations have not been disappointed. I found in Groningen precisely what I was looking for: a highly internationalized, motivating, and engaging environment. Since the master program has fairly few students, I have been able to get to know my fellow classmates very well. The relationship to them is pivotal as we all are each other’s biggest fans, defenders, motivators, but also judges. Groningen provides everyone with an environment in which they can play to their strengths. An aspect I have realized since moving here is that the most important thing is not the access to knowledge, but what to do with it once it is acquired. This master is about networking skills, seeing and seizing possibilities that others do not, and also learning to cope with rejection and failure but to keep going regardless. For me, being a student of this research master is like being part of a top-class sport team.

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Participating in the Research Assistants Programme

In 2014, I was involved in the Research Assistants Program (RAP), in which research master students get to do their own research under a given supervisor. Partaking in the RAP allowed me to attend conferences abroad, for instance the Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD), a three-day conference with researchers from all over the world. I attended various panels, poster sessions, and was involved with people who are at the forefront of research in this field. I also had the chance to see Boston. It was generally an experience that highlighted how interesting it can be to be involved in research, both academically and socially.

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Teachers

Visit our staff page and meet our teachers.

Holland Scholarship

Are you an international student from a non EU/EEA member state starting a Research Master's programme or Erasmus Mundus Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the Holland Scholarship, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.

Read more on the Holland Scholarship.

University of Groningen Orange Tulip Scholarship/Talent Grant of Faculty of Arts


Are you a non-EU/EEA student from Russia, India or Indonesia, starting a Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the University of Groningen OTS/Talent Grant, Faculty of Arts, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.

Read more about the OTS/Talent Grant Faculty of Arts.

Master’s degree programme in Linguistics

The Faculty of Arts also offers a one year master’s degree programme in Linguistics.

Read more

Study associations

Synthesis

Synthesis is the new study association for all Research Master students from the Faculty of Arts. Synthesis is both a social network and a platform for the academic development of young scholars. Given our shared interest in academic research, Synthesis organizes a variety of seminars, lectures and workshops about academic skills or career strategy with interesting speakers from different fields.
Synthesis also aims to create and maintain an active Research Master community by organizing social activities such as drinks, dinners and fun trips. Join our Facebook group for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/468316950175210/
Read more
Study support

If you have any questions or doubts about your studies, you can always contact the study advisor. He or she knows all the ins and outs of the program and personal planning. Study advisors are impartial and everything that is discussed is treated confidentially. They can also help you find the right institutions and student desks for your problems.