Lancaster University is one of the best places in the world to study Corpus Linguistics, with a full range of postgraduate qualifications to choose from.
Lancaster is the birthplace of corpus linguistics and a world leader in the field. In this specialist online course, you’ll work with renowned experts and access cutting-edge research discoveries and software tools. You’ll analyse large language datasets with real-world applications in areas such as media, law, marketing, security, healthcare communication and language teaching. An ideal stepping-stone to advance your career.
Why Lancaster?
- Choose a university with a global reputation for excellence in corpus linguistics, and one of the only universities worldwide to offer full qualifications in this area
- Learn from world-leading experts in the field of corpus linguistics and language data analysis
- Gain advanced skills in language data analysis valued by employers across domains and industries
- Access Lancaster University’s extensive online resources and interact with peers and your tutors via our virtual learning site
- Join this programme from anywhere in the world, regardless of time zone
Learn from experts
Our team at Lancaster have been shaping the field of corpus linguistics since the 1970s, and we continue to be renowned for our work at the cutting-edge of the field.
We are home to the ESRC research Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science, delivering world-leading work in corpus-based language data science. We’ve developed major corpora such as the British National Corpus 2014 and the Trinity Lancaster Corpus and led innovations in digital analysis tools.
Our researchers are internationally recognised for their work in applying corpus approaches to the real world - from misinformation and social media discourse to education and public health communication as well as the development and evaluation of GenAI tools.
Our team are committed, passionate and expert teachers. You will find they are readily accessible to our students and quick to share their expert insights.
Skills for the future
There is a growing need for effective language data analysis and visualisation in a large number of professions. Our MA programme equips you with skills to collect, analyse and visualise large amounts of linguistic data (corpora) using cutting-edge computation technology.
You’ll gain a strong foundation in core corpus linguistic methods, including:
- Concordance analysis
- Wordlists and n-gram analysis
- Keyword and collocation analysis
- Statistical analysis of language
- Practical application in social science, legal and educational contexts
You will use quantitative methods to identify patterns in large language datasets and combine them with qualitative data analysis and interpretation. You will discuss advantages and challenges of combining corpus analysis with AI-powered tools and other evolving technologies.
You’ll also explore how corpora are used in fields such as media analysis, healthcare communication, language teaching and human-machine interaction. Across all modules, the focus is on combining theory with practice, placing emphasis on the development of transferrable skills in language data analysis.
The knowledge and skills gained in this programme have wide-ranging applications and can be used to respond to both current and future societal, environmental and technological challenges such as advances in AI uses.
Flexible. Supportive. Inclusive.
This MA welcomes students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, offering comprehensive linguistic training on-course. You don’t need prior experience in linguistics or programming - just curiosity and a desire to explore how language works.
The course provides the flexibility to study alongside your work and personal commitments from anywhere in the world. You’ll always feel supported, thanks to close interaction with your tutors, detailed feedback on your work, and opportunities to share experiences with other students.
Our programme is designed for part-time study over two years or full-time study over one year. You will take four online modules including an optional module focused on your area of interest, and a supervised dissertation project.
In your dissertation you will conduct in-depth research on a topic of your choice – examples of topics chosen by past students include language in mental health contexts, evaluation of teaching resources and the discourse of sustainability.
During your studies, you’ll receive regular personalised feedback and take part in interactive online teaching that keeps you engaged and supported. From online seminars to group discussions and collaborative activities, the experience is rich, flexible, and designed with your success in mind.
The programme is delivered via Lancaster’s high-quality virtual learning site. You will have access to the University’s extensive online library resources and custom-made learning materials.
This degree is designed so that you can study alongside work and other commitments. It offers a combination of online learning and intensive in-person sessions at Lancaster University. You can study on a full- or part-time basis.
Programme options
We offer a suite of postgraduate level awards in Corpus Linguistics:
The Certificate and Diploma programmes include a sub-set of modules from the Master’s programme, and each programme is offered independently of the others.
This flexibility is valuable to those who are combining study with work or other responsibilities, or who are unsure about entering postgraduate level study.
On successful completion of the Certificate, you can progress to the Diploma or the Master’s, with exemption and a fee discount for modules already taken. Similarly, after the Diploma, you can sign up for the Master’s and take only the remaining modules.
Please contact pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk for further information.
