PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics

Program Overview

The PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics (Distance Learning) from the University of Birmingham is a flexible and rigorous program designed for working professionals seeking to advance their careers. Students conduct research remotely under expert supervision and choose from standard or modular formats. The program provides access to extensive research resources and prepares graduates for various careers in language analysis, data science, education, and more.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The PhD English Language and Applied Linguistics (Distance Learning) is a postgraduate research degree offered by the University of Birmingham. It allows students to conduct their research from anywhere in the world. The program is designed for students who are interested in relating their research to their current work. The program offers two distance learning PhD options: a standard program and a modular program. Both options are part-time, while the on-campus program can be either full-time or part-time.

Objectives:

The program aims to provide students with the opportunity to:

• Carry out research in one of the UK's leading English Language departments.
• Develop expertise in Corpus Research, Cognitive Linguistics and Psycholinguistics, and Discourse Analysis and Stylistics.
• Benefit from regular contact with their supervisor through email and/or video conferencing.
• Remain in their resident country while pursuing their research.
• Relate their research to their current work.

Description:

The program offers a rigorous and flexible learning experience with excellent support and supervision. Students have access to a wide range of research resources, including the 450 million-word Bank of English corpus and a variety of language corpora.

Assessment:

The assessment methods and criteria vary depending on the chosen program:

Standard PhD:

• Requires a traditional 80,000-word thesis.
• Work is examined at the end of the program.
• Students identify and refine a thesis topic and research design in consultation with their supervisor.
• Drafts of various chapters are sent for comment as students progress.
• Progress is monitored throughout the registration period.

Distance Modular PhD:

• Requires three modules:
• Module 1: Two shorter research papers (12,000 words)
• Module 2: Structured research and writing on the research topic (20,000 words)
• Module 3: The thesis (maximum 50,000 words)
• Work is examined in three phases, at the end of each module.
• The final product (in terms of total quantity and quality of work) is similar to the standard PhD.
• The modular option provides an incremental, continuously assessed route allowing students to progress through explicitly marked stages to a PhD.
• Students identify a topic they wish to work on, to which all their written work should be related.
• The nature of the assessment means the topic may not be as tightly focused as that in a traditional PhD.

Careers:

The program provides excellent preparation for a variety of careers, including:

• Language analyst
• Data scientist
• Teacher
• Research administrator
• Events coordinator

Other:

• The University of Birmingham is ranked equal 10th in the UK amongst Russell Group universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 according to the Times Higher Education.
• The University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 50 for the study of Linguistics in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.
• The Department has many years of experience in delivering high-quality distance learning programs at postgraduate level.
• Staff have expertise in supervising doctoral research at a distance.
• The University library provides electronic access to a wide range of applied linguistic research journals and e-books.
• All students and researchers working within English Language have free access to a variety of language corpora and, where necessary, training in how to use them.
• The Main Library houses an extensive collection of books on English language and linguistics, including English language teaching, and subscribes to 250 periodicals in the fields of English language and literature.
• Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research students have the opportunity to learn graduate academic languages free of charge.
• The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report.
• The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team who offer tailored advice and a program of College-specific careers events.
• Birmingham's English Language and Linguistics postgraduates develop a broad range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, particularly in relation to verbal and written communication.
• They also develop crucial skills in organization, time management, analysis, and interpretation of information.

On campus PhD/MA by Research: Annual tuition fee 2024 entry: UK: £4,786 full-time; £2,393 part-time International: £21,840 full-time The above fees quoted are for one year only; for those studying over two or more years, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

• For UK postgraduate research students the University fee level is set at Research Council rates and as such is subject to change.
The final fee will be announced by Research Councils UK in spring 2024. Distance learning PhD: Fees for students joining between September 2023 and August 2024 are as follows: £11,730 part-time Fees for students joining between September 2024 and August 2025 are as follows: £12,330 part-time Tuition fees will be payable each year for between four years (minimum registration) and six years (maximum registration). Students who go into Writing Up after four or five years will pay a nominal continuation fee (the same as for the full-time PhD).