PhD

Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 26.7 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 43.9 k / Year(s) Deadline: May 31, 2025
6 place StudyQA ranking:5612 Duration:4 years

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The Department of Theoretical and Applied linguistics is unique in the UK in that it integrates theoretical and applied linguistics in a single Department. The Department provides great variety and flexibility in course contents as well as subject-specific training and diversity of intellectual interactions. PhD topics in the range of research specialisms represented in the department and beyond the department in the Faculty of MML are accepted. Thus, students may choose to focus on a theoretically oriented study of the language sciences (e.g. interest in the syntactic organization or sound structure of different languages), but may also be interested in a more applied direction of Linguistics (language acquisition, language processing, data mining of language corpora), or may choose to look at Linguistics from a specific language point of view (Italian linguistics). 

In British universities the PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) is traditionally awarded solely on the basis of a dissertation, a substantial piece of writing which reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry. Within linguistics, some PhD students may do most of their work in libraries, or spend part of their time collecting and analysing data, or carry out experiments or field work. The completion of the PhD dissertation is generally expected to take three years, and most funding is based on this assumption. In addition to providing special supervision, both the Department and the Faculty run a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students.

The programme includes seminars and workshops on library resources, giving conference papers, publishing, applications and interviews, teaching skills, specialist linguistic training, and film-making. The School of the Arts and Humanities runs a central programme covering a range of topics from PhD skills training, to language training and writing and editing skills. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity of gaining experience in small group teaching for colleges. There may also be opportunities to gain some experience in language teaching in the Faculty.

   
One to one supervision

Students might reasonably expect to see their supervisor fortnightly or at least three times a term. Supervisors normally take care to provide written comments on written work, and to give constructive criticism; but students should not expect actual marks. There is no need for written work to be provided for every meeting: general discussion and planning is vital, too. The length of a supervision can vary, depending on the stage a student is at and on the nature of the written work, if any, to be discussed. As a rule, however, such meetings generally last between 30 and 60 minutes.

Generally, a student could expect no more than 11 hours of supervisions over the course of each academic year.

Seminars & classes

Attendance at Departmental PhD training seminars is compulsory for those in years 1-3.

There are generally two per term in the Michaelmas and Lent terms, lasting approximately 90 minutes.

Lectures

Attending lectures is optional but students are encouraged to take advantage of lectures offered across the university which are relevant to their research.

Feedback

Feedback on progress is provided through regular meetings with the Supervisor.  Termly supervision reports are written and are made available to the student online.  

Assessment

Thesis

There is a normal word limit for the thesis of 80,000 words (including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography). The thesis should represent a significant contribution to learning through the discovery of new knowledge or through the connection of previously unrelated facts, or the development of new theory, revision of older views or some combination of these. In writing the thesis you are expected to take account of previously published work on the subject and the thesis should be clearly and accurately written, paying due attention to English style and grammar. Candidates for the PhD in Cambridge are guided by a supervisor, though they will normally also discuss their work with a number of other experts in their field.

 Following submission of the thesis, an oral (viva) examination is held.

Other

Annual progress interviews for all PhD students should normally take place between the start of the Easter term and the end of the academic year. The annual interviews constitute a system for the formal monitoring by the Degree Committee of the progress of all students working towards a PhD.

Graduate students are admitted in the first instance for a probationary period during which they are not registered as a candidate for the PhD degree. The first-year interview is the context in which registration as a candidate for the PhD is formally considered. Satisfactory progress is a condition for being registered as a doctoral student and for remaining on the register.

  • Magistr (Master's Degree) at Pass level. Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of good or 4/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 4/5 Bologna Bachelor's from other institutions with an overall grade of 5/5, Excellent
  • Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of Excellent or 5/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 5/5
  • IELTS (Academic) 7.5
  • TOEFL Internet Score 110
  • £50 application fee
  • First Academic Reference
  • Second Academic Reference
  • Transcript
  • Research Proposal. 500-1000 word research proposal
  • Sample of Work. Approximately 5,000-10,000 word writing sample in English.  The sample can be either an essay produced during masters-level studies or a section of a dissertation, and must be a single-authored work. 
  • Personal Reference

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

  • ✔️ Flexible study schedule
  • ✔️ Experienced teachers
  • ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

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