StudyQA — Master: Language Sciences with specialisation in Sign Language and Deaf Studies

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Description Contents Requirements

This specialisation in Sign Language and Deaf Studies is unique amongst existing Master’s degrees in including components in the psychology and linguistics and neuroscience of deafness and sign language, taught by staff at the Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre. Students also have the opportunity to study introductory British Sign Language.

Students take a set of core modules and then specialise in linguistics, psychology of language, and/or interpreting. In selecting the modules for specialisation, students are able to take full advantage of the breadth of expertise in language research in the UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits

The programme consists of two mandatory modules (45 credits), three specialisation modules (45 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a research project (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) consisting of two mandatory modules (45 credits), four core modules (60 credits), and one optional module (15 credits) is also offered.

A Postgraduate Certificate of four mandatory modules (60 credits) is also offered.

Core modules

Introduction to the Brain and Imaging
Research Methods: Principles, Skills and Applications
Specialisation modules
Students take four specialisation modules, students who already hold BSL CACDP Level 1 or equivalent choose three specialisation modules and two optional modules:
Introduction to British Sign Language
Deafness: Cognition and Language
Linguistics of Sign Languages
Introduction to Deafhood

Optional modules

Students then select one optional module from all those offered within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, subject to availability and agreement with the Programme Director (students who already hold BSL level one or equivalent select two). Recommendations include:

Foundations of Linguistics
Historical and Social Context of Interpreting
Interaction and Language Management of Interpreting
Introduction to Children’s Language Development
Multimodal Communication and Cognition
Sociolinguistics

Not all modules will run every year, some modules may require a minimum number of registered students.

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project in an area of Language Science which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, small-group teaching and a virtual learning environment. Some modules also involve workshops or practical classes. Student performance is assessed through coursework, examinations and the research dissertation.

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a language-related area such as deaf studies, linguistics, speech sciences, English language, psychology, cognitive science, or a cognate discipline.