Applied Linguistics,PhD

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Entry requirements

A first-class or upper second-class UK Honours degree, or overseas equivalent.

The Applied Linguistics programme is intended for students from a linguistics background or those who have an interest in communication disorders but who have not completed a qualifying degree in speech and language therapy (SLT). If you have an SLT qualification you can register for the Speech and Language Therapy pathway if this is preferable.

Prospective Applied Linguistics students should develop proposals to match areas of research expertise held by members of staff* and are encouraged to contact potential supervisors in advance of their application.

Before you apply

If you're interested in studying for a PhD in Applied Linguistics, the first thing you need to do is to find out if there’s a supervisor available to oversee your studies.

Next, you'll need your research proposal. Read our guidelines on writing your PhD proposal.

The application

During the application, you'll be asked for the following:

• your full contact details
• transcripts and certificates of all degrees
• proof of English language proficiency if English isn't your first language. For postgraduate studies, we require a minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent (no individual test score below 5.5, the test must be taken within two years of the programme start date)
• two references, one of which must be academic
• funding or scholarship information
• research proposal of 250 to 1,000 words in length, detailing the subject area and topic to be investigated

By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.

When applying, you'll be asked to upload:

• your research proposal
• scans of degree certificates/transcripts
• two reference letters
• confirmation of funding

Most PhD students start in October, so they move forward as one cohort, but you can start at any time of year (people often have to defer until they find funding.) Keep an eye on our funding databases for any forthcoming Strathclyde research studentship opportunities:

• Postgraduate research opportunities
• University scholarships

Supervisors

You'll need to identify your research supervisor before you finalise your application, preferably as soon as possible. When you've identified a potential supervisor, based on how well your research interests match theirs, drop them an email to introduce yourself. In the email, make sure you attach a draft of your research proposal along with a copy of your CV. Don't worry about how rough your research proposal may be at this stage – you'll have help from our School of Psychological Sciences and Health to refine it.

If your chosen supervisor if available to work with you, they'll confirm this and nominate a potential second supervisor. As soon as a second supervisor is confirmed, an offer of study will be sent to you through Pegasus, our online application system.

When you accept our offer, you'll receive a full offer in writing via the email address you provide.

Accepting an offer

When you've accepted our offer, we'll need you to fulfil any academic, administrative or financial conditions that we ask.

UK or EU students

If you're applying as a UK or EU student, you'll then be issued with your registration documentation.

We accept a number of English language tests as proof of proficiency in English. IELTS is the most widely available. Information on this can be found on the British Council Website.

Our current standard requirements are:

• IELTS (Academic): 6.5 overall (no individual band less than 5.5)
• Faculty of Science: IELTS (Academic): 6.0 overall (no individual band less than 5.5)
• Faculty of Engineering (Undergraduate only): IELTS (Academic): 6.0 overall (no individual band less than 5.5)

Some degree programmes have different English language requirements to the above so please check each individual course page for details.

Other English language tests may be acceptable and you can find these here:

• Recognised English language qualifications for pre-sessional and degree entry

If you have a qualification not listed, you should contact our Recruitment & International Office for advice.