Applied Linguistics

Applied Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of research and practice, dealing with problems relating to language and communication in society, the media, organisations, business, and politics. Students in this MA programme are given the tools to identify problems and work on solving them by applying linguistic theories and employing empirical and experimental methods. The programme aims at developing knowledge of the theories and methods used in intercultural communication, second language acquisition, language processing, and translation studies. Course topics include interpersonal communication, regional and social variation in language behaviour, (im)politeness across cultures, pragmatic competence, writing in a second language, and cognitive processes in translating. Students are given an overview of the field of Applied Linguistics and may choose to specialise in a wide range of subdisciplines. The core modules are intercultural communication, second language acquisition, language processing, and translation studies. Teaching and research supervision are also offered in pragmatics, discourse analysis, genre analysis, sociolinguistics, dialectology, cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, and metalexicography. First semester (winter semester): Applied Linguistics: An Overview (lecture + tutorial) Intercultural Communication (seminar + tutorial) Methods in Applied Linguistics (seminar + tutorial) Second semester (summer semester): Language Acquisition (seminar + tutorial) Research Trends (seminar + tutorial) Third semester (winter semester): Students should choose three out of four from the following compulsory elective modules: Language Processing (seminar + tutorial) Translation Studies (seminar + tutorial) English Linguistics (seminar + tutorial) Language and Communication (seminar + tutorial) Fourth semester (summer semester): Colloquium Master’s thesis  Additional components (flexibly across semesters): Professional Training (internship) Semester abroad For more detailed information, please take a look at Module Catalogue for MA Applied Linguistics. PDF Download

Course details verified 10 Sep 2026 — intakes, entry requirements and course facts · official source

1. Winter semester

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Prerequisites

A BA in English Studies from the University of Bonn is suitable if it includes linguistic modules amounting to at least 18 credit points (ECTS). Other BA degrees are accepted if they include at least 36 ECTS in relevant areas, i.e., a minimum of 18 ECTS in practical English language courses and 18 ECTS in linguistic subjects. Please note: One ECTS credit point amounts to 25 - 30 hours of coursework.  Important: This programme focuses on scientific research in linguistics, not practical applications like translation or language teaching. If your BA is in these fields, you must demonstrate a strong background in linguistics. If you already have a Master’s degree in another field, you can apply if you meet the BA-level linguistic requirements. However, you cannot apply if you already have an MA in Applied Linguistics.

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