Undergraduate

Linguistics

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

Contact us

Address

Student Central

The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009

Telephone

131 UWA (131 892)

International

(+61 8) 6488 1000

Hours

8.30am - 5pm AWST, Monday - Friday

Frequently asked questions

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Careers and further study

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

Career Pathways

Studying Linguistics will provide you with a strong foundation for careers that involve language, human social organisation and culture, or understanding the human mind. This can open doors to diverse fields like language teaching, speech therapy, journalism, broadcasting, translation, interpreting, Indigenous education, and support work. 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.

Potential career paths include:

  • Community Linguist
  • Language Technologist
  • Forensic Linguist
  • Teacher*
  • Speech Therapist
  • Translator*

*Postgraduate study required

Studying Linguistics will provide you with a strong foundation for careers that involve language, human social organisation and culture, or understanding the human mind. This can open doors to diverse fields like language teaching, speech therapy, journalism, broadcasting, translation, interpreting, Indigenous education, and support work. 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.

Potential career paths include:

  • Community Linguist
  • Language Technologist
  • Forensic Linguist
  • Teacher*
  • Speech Therapist
  • Translator*

*Postgraduate study required

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. 
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. 

Fees and scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course. 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 this course

Domestic Student Fees

Indicative annual course fee
2025
Commonwealth Supported Place $10,248.76

Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.

Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.

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.

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.

International Student Fees

Indicative first year fee
2024
$45,800.00
2025
$48,300.00

Find out more about tuition fees or visit the fee calculator for the estimated total course fee.

Note, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are subject to increase up to 7.5 per cent per annum.

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.

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.

Admission requirements

The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.

Minimum entry requirements

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

Admission requirements

For applicants with recent secondary education, information on admission criteria is available on our entry requirements page or on the UWA Handbook for course specific requirements and prerequisites.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

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.

Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

How to apply

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Ready for the next step?

Find out how to apply through our simple online application process. 

We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course. 

We can’t wait for you to join us!  

Apply now

Course details

From sounds and words to how language is used in different societies and cultures, linguistics is the study of language and communication. This major aims to provide the broadest grounding in contemporary linguistics and enables you to specialise in your areas of interest. You’ll have the opportunity to work on a variety of linguistic topics including grammatical descriptions, language variation, change and history, semantics, anthropological linguistics, or the study of Australian Aboriginal languages.

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.
Linguistics

Quick details

Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
  • Albany (Regional campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Weekly contact time
  • Up to 3 contact hours plus your own study time
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-LINGO
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
Linguistics
Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
  • Albany (Regional campus)
Attendance
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Semester 1, Semester 2
Weekly contact time
  • Up to 3 contact hours plus your own study time
Level of study
  • Undergraduate
Course Code
  • MJD-LINGO
Full time/part time duration
  • 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
Honours Available
  • Yes
Degrees course is available in
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Emily Taplin

Emily Taplin

Troy Reynolds

Troy Reynolds

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.

You'll learn to

  • understand key focuses of, and key concepts in, core sub-areas of linguistics – phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, discourse analysis, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and historical linguistics
  • describe key features of major approaches to language structure, use and variation
  • demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of structures across languages
  • critically interpret and synthesise the content of scholarly publications in linguistics

Work integrated learning

The Linguistics major has formal internship agreements with a number of Community Language Centres in Western Australia (e.g. Wangka Maya Language Centre in Port Hedland, Bundiyarra Irra Wangga Language Centre in Geraldton). These internships can be undertaken by enrolling in WILG2001. 

Jessie Gordon

Jessie Gordon

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 study this course?

  • Linguistics is a robust educational foundation that equips you with the core skills an employer looks for, in particular, good communication and thorough analysis
  • Linguistics is the study of language, and language is key to most human interactions. As such, studying linguistics opens many doors
 

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
VIDEO

Linguistics - Language Across Time

Linguistics - Language Across Time

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.