Language & Linguistics and Sociology

Language and linguistics combined with sociology is a pairing that addresses two of the most fundamental aspects of human social life: the systems through which we communicate and the structures through which we organise our collective existence. Linguistics examines how language works, how it evolved, how it varies across communities and individuals, and how sound becomes meaning through systems of grammar, phonology, and semantics. Sociology examines how societies are organised, how inequality is produced and reproduced, and how social institutions shape individual lives and opportunities.

Together, they are particularly well suited to exploring the social dimensions of language: how we speak differently in different contexts, how language marks identity and social position, and how linguistic inequality relates to social inequality.

At the University of Aberdeen, you will study both disciplines over four years full-time, developing your linguistic and sociological knowledge alongside strong research skills in both quantitative and qualitative methods. The linguistics strand takes you from the foundations of the discipline through phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, as well as sociolinguistics and the study of language variation and change. The sociology strand develops your theoretical and empirical understanding of social structure, inequality, culture, and social change.

The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and encounter language and society from a different national perspective. The typical entry tariff is 168 UCAS points.

Graduates work in speech and language therapy (with further training), language teaching, translation, policy and advocacy roles concerned with language and communication, research, journalism, public relations, and the many sectors where the ability to analyse and communicate about complex social and linguistic phenomena is valued. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, sociology, sociolinguistics, or related fields.