MA in Linguistics: Eligibility, Fees, Colleges & Admission 2025

• Updated on  Aug 02, 2025, by Poulomi Dey

MA Linguistics is a two-year postgraduate program that helps students gain knowledge about the scientific study of language, including its structure and history. The Master of Arts in Linguistics covers topics like Phonetics and Phonology, Sociolinguistics, Language Acquisition, Syntax and Semantics, and Computational Linguistics.

 

Graduates with a minimum of 50% marks in Linguistics or relevant fields can apply for the Master of Arts in Linguistics. Admission to the course is based on merit or entrance exams like CUET PG. The University of Mysore, Galgotias University, and the University of Mumbai are a few Master of Arts in Linguistics colleges.

 

The students, after completing this course, can opt for diverse career options in translation services, language research, and content development. Some job roles that an MA Linguistics professional can pursue include Forensic Linguist, Lexicographer, Language Analyst, and Computational Linguist. The average package for freshers ranges between INR 3 LPA and INR 6 LPA.

 

Table of Contents
  1. MA in Linguistics Course Highlights
  2. What is MA in Linguistics?
  3. Why Study MA in Linguistics?
  4. MA in Linguistics Admission Process
  5. MA in Linguistics Eligibility
  6. MA in Linguistics Entrance Exam
  7. MA in Linguistics Syllabus
  8. Top Colleges in India for MA in Linguistics
  9. MA in Linguistics Jobs
  10. MA in Linguistics Future Scopes
  11. MA in Linguistics Vs MA Applied Linguistics
  12. MA in Linguistics FAQs

 

MA in Linguistics Course Highlights

The table below shows the MA Linguistics course highlights:

Category

Details

Course Name

Master of Arts Linguistics

Duration

2 years

Eligibility

Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, English, or a related field with a minimum of 50-55% marks

Admission Process

Merit-based/ Entrance Exam

Exams Accepted

CUET-PG, UGC-NET, etc

Average Course Fee

INR 2,314 - INR 46,000 per year

Top Colleges

Annamalai University, University of Mysore, University of Calcutta, Galgotias University, etc

Career Prospects

Forensic Linguist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Computational Linguist, Lexicographer, etc

Average Salary

INR 3 - 6 LPA (Freshers)

Top Employers

Publishing Houses, Educational Institutions, Research Organizations, IT Companies, etc

 

What is MA in Linguistics?

MA Linguistics is a 2-year professional degree that focuses on the scientific study of language. The curriculum of the course focuses on phonetics, language acquisition, semantics, psycholinguistics, etc. Aspirants pursuing a linguistic master's program acquire practical skills to analyze and understand how language operates in communication and society.

 

Master of Arts in Linguistics professionals are in high demand due to the growing significance of language and communication. The graduates have adequate theoretical and practical knowledge that helps them work in education, technology, publishing, and government sectors.

 

Why Study MA in Linguistics?

This course opens diverse career options for candidates. The professionals can explore careers in universities, research institutions, government agencies, publishing, international organizations, etc. A few reasons to pursue a Master of Arts in Linguistics are listed below:

  • The professionals have the opportunity to work in reputed organisations like UNESCO and language research institutes.
  • Master of Arts in Linguistics helps candidates enhance their skills in phonetics, syntax, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and language acquisition, enabling them to analyze language structures in various contexts.

 

MA in Linguistics Admission Process

MA Linguistics admission is merit/entrance-based. The admission is mostly the same for all institutions; however, the admission process of the University of Mumbai is mentioned below:

  • Step 1: The candidates need to start by visiting the website of the University of Mumbai.
  • Step 2: After visiting the website, head to the admissions page.
  • Step 3: Now, the candidates need to fill in the required details in the application form.
  • Step 4: For the next step, the candidates need to upload a scanned copy of the required documents.
  • Step 5: The candidates have to appear for the entrance exam and wait for the provisional merit list.
  • Step 6: The selected candidates will be called for counselling, and candidates will have to pay the fees to confirm their admission.

 

MA in Linguistics Eligibility

The eligibility criteria can vary for different institutions. Aspirants with a graduate degree are eligible for the PG program in Linguistics. The eligibility criteria for the Master of Arts in Linguistics at Galgotias University are mentioned below:

  • Candidates must have a Bachelor's Degree
  • A minimum of 50% marks or equivalent.

Note: Candidates having a CUET PG Score will be preferred.

 

MA in Linguistics Entrance Exam

The table below shows the MA in Linguistics entrance exam that is accepted for admission to the course:

Exams

Registration Date

Exam Date

CUET PG 2025

Feb 1, 2025

March 13 to 31, 2025

MU-PET 2025

June 2025

Last week of June or the 1st week of July 2025

 

MA in Linguistics Syllabus

The syllabus is mostly similar across colleges in India. However, the semester-wise syllabus of the MA Linguistics at the University of Mysore is mentioned below:

Semester

Courses

Sem 1

Introduction to Linguistics, Schools of Linguistics, Advanced Phonetics and Phonemics, Advanced Morphology and Syntax, Advanced Semantics, Language and Society

Sem 2

Advanced Historical and Comparative Linguistics, Lexicography, Current Trends in Dialectology, Computational Linguistics, Introduction to Language and Culture

Sem 3

Comparative Dravidian Linguistics, Translation Studies, Research Methodology and Field Linguistics, Language Planning, General Linguistics: An Introduction

Sem 4

Mass Communication and Media Language, Psycholinguistics, Term Work/Major Project/Dissertation, Advanced Language Teaching Methods, Applied Linguistics: An Introduction

 

Top Colleges in India for MA in Linguistics

The table below shows the list of MA Linguistics colleges along with their annual course fee:

College Name

NIRF Ranking

Location

1st year Fees

University of Calcutta

26 (Overall)

Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata

INR 2,314

University of Mysore

86 (Overall)

Mysore, Karnataka

INR 19,360

Galgotias University

-

Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh

INR 46,000

University of Mumbai

-

Mumbai, Maharashtra

INR 5,895- 6,395

Annamalai University

-

Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

INR 5,885

 

MA in Linguistics Jobs

After completing the Master of Arts in Linguistics, graduates can explore a variety of job prospects such as Forensic Linguist, Lexicographer, Speech-Language Pathologist, and much more. Some of the job roles, along with the average package, are mentioned below:

Role

Annual Package (INR LPA)

Experience Level

Computational Linguist

INR 6-12 LPA

2-5 years

Forensic Linguist

INR 4-8 LPA

1-3 years

Lexicographer

INR 3-5 LPA

0-2 years

Language Teacher (Foreign Language)

INR 3.5-6 LPA

0-2 years

Speech-Language Pathologist

INR 7-12 LPA

2+ years

 

MA in Linguistics Future Scopes

Candidates have diverse job opportunities in translation, research, education, and language technology. The Linguistics graduate can work as a Linguistics researcher, Language consultant, or Translator. The other options that are available for an Master of Arts Linguistics graduate are mentioned below:

  • Entrepreneurship: The professionals can begin their entrepreneurial journey by offering translation services or language consultancy.
  • Short-term Courses: The graduates can pursue online courses in Language Teaching (TESOL), Computational Linguistics, Speech Therapy, or Sociolinguistics.
  • Higher Education: Candidates can opt for a higher education, like a PhD in Linguistics, to teach at universities.

 

MA in Linguistics Vs MA Applied Linguistics

The MA Linguistics, concerned with the structure, development, and scientific study of language related to phonetics, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics. MA Applied Linguistics, in contrast, focuses on the application of linguistics in various problems such as the acquisition of a second language, multilingualism, language policy, and language disorders.

Parameter

MA Linguistics

MA Applied Linguistics

Full Form

Master of Arts (Linguistics)

Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics)

Focus

Scientific study of language structure, development, and theory, including phonetics, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics

Practical application of linguistic theories for real-world language issues such as second language acquisition, multilingualism, language policy, and language disorders

Eligibility

Graduation with a minimum of 50% from a recognized university

Graduation with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized institute

Average Salary Range

INR 3 to 8 lakh per annum

INR 4 to 7 lakh per annum

Typical Job Roles

Linguist, Speech Trainer, Speech Therapist, Teacher, Editor, Proofreader, Lecturer, Content Writer

Teacher, Speech Therapist, Linguist, Translator, Editor, Lecturer, Language Specialist

Employment Sectors

Media transcription, communication, government language departments, academic and research institutions

Education, media, civil services, marketing, journalism, and communication sectors

Course Subjects

Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Computational Linguistics

Language acquisition, syntax, morphology, sociolinguistics, language disorders, language policy, applied communication

 

MA in Linguistics FAQs

Can I pursue an MA in Linguistics in distance mode?

Yes. Candidates can pursue a Master of Arts in Linguistics through distance learning. Tamil Nadu Open University offers a 2-year course. The degree received from TNOU is valid as it is recognized by UGC & DEB. The Programme fee for 2 years is INR 6,600.

Can I pursue a Master's degree in Linguistics along with AI?

Yes. The Queen Mary University of London offers a unique 1-year master's course in Linguistics and AI. Candidates interested in pursuing the course can apply online through the official website.

What is an MA in Linguistics subjects?

The MA in Linguistics subjects include the fundamentals of the linguistic theory, phonetics or phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and applied or cross-disciplinary matters relating to language study

What is the scope of MA in linguistics?

Master of Arts (MA) in Linguistics continues to present a wide and growing variety of career opportunities in academia, research, language technology, education, healthcare, and international business. Such graduates can be language teachers, translators, interpreters, speech pathologists, language acquisition or sociolinguistics researchers, and people involved in computational linguistics and natural language processing as well as machine translation.

Can I work internationally after completing an MA in Linguistics?

Yes. The MA Linguistics course opens a gateway of opportunities for international career opportunities. Candidates who have completed this course can work in the international market. Individuals can work as translators or interpreters in foreign countries.

Can I become a language policy advisor after an MA in Linguistics?

The MA Linguistics course can help candidates in pursuing an advanced-level career. Individuals having an MA Linguistics can become a language policy advisor. One can work in the government or international organisations like UNESCO.

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