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Master of Arts (Linguistics)

<p>The Master of Arts in Linguistics is a postgraduate programme that provides advanced study of language structure, language use, and linguistic theory. The programme trains graduates for careers in academia, language research, translation, language planning, and applied linguistics.

Duration
2 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 220,500
Ksh 441,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 249,800
Ksh 499,600 total
Job market
Moderate
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 220,500 a year at a public institution, Ksh 441,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 249,800 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of N/A (Postgraduate) or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 2 years, full-time, part-time, school-based, online, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 13 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Early Childhood Strategist, at 10 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

Core areas include phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, discourse analysis, and applied linguistics. Students engage with both theoretical linguistics and practical language analysis.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Maseno University. UoN charges KES 21,000 per unit with total programme cost of approximately KES 441,000. KU charges KES 216,000/year for MA in English and Linguistics.

Students develop competencies in linguistic analysis, language description, research methods, language documentation, translation, and language teaching. The programme includes coursework, examinations, research project or thesis, and oral defence.

UoN tuition is KES 21,000 per unit with total programme cost of approximately KES 441,000 over four semesters (~KES 220,500/year). KU charges KES 216,000/year. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours in Linguistics, English, or related field.

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, language researchers, translators, language planners, speech therapists, and applied linguistics consultants in universities, research institutes, publishing, and government.

Skills Required

  • Phonetic and Phonological Analysis
  • Morphological and Syntactic Analysis
  • Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis
  • Sociolinguistic Research
  • Psycholinguistic Research
  • Discourse Analysis
  • Language Documentation and Description
  • Translation and Interpretation Theory
  • Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching
  • Research Methods in Linguistics

Key Subjects

  • Phonetics
  • Phonology
  • Morphology
  • Syntax
  • Semantics and Pragmatics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Discourse Analysis
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Research Methods

Certifications

  • LSA Linguistics Certification
  • IPA Phonetic Certification

Specializations

Theoretical Linguistics

Focuses on theoretical linguistics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, generative grammar, and analysing language structure and theory.

Sociolinguistics

Examines sociolinguistics, language and society, variation, multilingualism, language policy, and understanding language in social contexts.

Applied Linguistics

Covers applied linguistics, language teaching, second language acquisition, materials development, and applying linguistics to practical language problems.

Translation Studies

Focuses on translation, interpretation, theory, practice, terminology, and translating between languages professionally.

Psycholinguistics

Examines psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language processing, cognition, and understanding language and the mind.

Computational Linguistics

Covers computational linguistics, natural language processing, corpus linguistics, and applying computing to language analysis.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Phonetics
  • Phonology
  • Morphology
  • Syntax
  • Semantics and Pragmatics
  • Sociolinguistics
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Discourse Analysis
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Phonetics

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines phonetics, speech sounds, articulation, acoustic phonetics, auditory phonetics, transcription, and analysing speech sounds.

  • Grammatical Theories

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers grammatical theories, generative grammar, syntax, morphology, and understanding grammatical theory and its application.

  • Applied Linguistics

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines applied linguistics, language teaching, second language acquisition, materials development, and applying linguistics to practical problems.

  • Research Methods in Linguistics

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers research methods, design, data collection, analysis, field methods, and conducting research in linguistics, preparing students for their thesis.

  • Phonology

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Examines phonology, phonological theory, generative phonology, processes, features, and analysing sound systems.

  • Morphology and Language Description

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Covers morphology, word formation, morphemes, inflection, derivation, and analysing word structure and describing languages.

  • Syntax

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Examines syntax, syntactic theory, generative grammar, tree diagrams, transformation, and analysing sentence structure.

  • Sociolinguistics

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Covers sociolinguistics, language and society, variation, multilingualism, language policy, and understanding language in social contexts.

  • Semantics and Pragmatics

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines semantics, pragmatics, meaning, context, speech acts, and analysing meaning in language.

  • Psycholinguistics

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language processing, cognition, and understanding language and the mind.

  • Discourse Analysis and Communication

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines discourse analysis, conversation analysis, text analysis, communication, and analysing language use in context.

  • Research Thesis or Project

    Year 2Semester 28 creditsCore

    Original research thesis or project on a linguistics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

  • Theoretical Linguistics

    Focuses on theoretical linguistics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, generative grammar, and analysing language structure and theory.

  • Sociolinguistics

    Examines sociolinguistics, language and society, variation, multilingualism, language policy, and understanding language in social contexts.

  • Applied Linguistics

    Covers applied linguistics, language teaching, second language acquisition, materials development, and applying linguistics to practical language problems.

  • Translation Studies

    Focuses on translation, interpretation, theory, practice, terminology, and translating between languages professionally.

  • Psycholinguistics

    Examines psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language processing, cognition, and understanding language and the mind.

  • Computational Linguistics

    Covers computational linguistics, natural language processing, corpus linguistics, and applying computing to language analysis.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MA Linguistics programme begins with morning lectures on phonetics, phonology, syntax, or sociolinguistics. Students engage with both theoretical linguistics and practical language analysis. Phonetics sessions cover speech sounds, articulation, acoustic phonetics, transcription, and analysing speech sounds. Phonology sessions examine phonological theory, generative phonology, processes, and analysing sound systems. Morphology sessions cover word formation, morphemes, inflection, derivation, and analysing word structure. Syntax sessions examine syntactic theory, generative grammar, tree diagrams, and analysing sentence structure. Semantics and pragmatics sessions cover meaning, context, speech acts, and analysing meaning in language. Sociolinguistics sessions examine language and society, variation, multilingualism, policy, and understanding language in social contexts. Psycholinguistics sessions cover language acquisition, processing, cognition, and understanding language and the mind. Discourse analysis sessions examine discourse, conversation, text analysis, and analysing language use in context. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering linguistic research methods, field methods, and data analysis. Guest lectures from visiting linguists, language researchers, and international scholars provide real-world insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis or project.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Kenya's multilingualism, language policy, education needs, and growing language technology create demand for qualified linguistics professionals.Linguistics is a niche field with fewer direct career positions compared to professional degrees.
KU offers the programme at KES 216,000/year with full-time and school-based modes providing flexibility.Academic and research positions are competitive and may require doctoral qualifications.
Career opportunities in academia, research, translation, speech therapy, computational linguistics, and publishing.Maseno fee structure for this exact programme not independently verified.
Programme provides rigorous analytical and research skills applicable across multiple language-related fields.Programme requires aptitude for abstract analysis and formal theory, which may challenge some students.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 188 arts & humanities courses
Public216k to 221k
216k at Kenyatta University221k at University of Nairobi
Private138k to 250k
138k at KCA University250k at Daystar University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN MA Linguistics 441K/2yr=220.5K/yr. KU 216K/yr. Daystar ~249.8K/yr. KCA unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. LSA supports linguistics research globally. African language associations support African language research. The programme's linguistics focus attracts LSA, language documentation, and research funding.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

  • LSA Research Funding

  • African Language Research Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate linguistics studies at recognised universities.

  • LSA Research Funding

    FellowshipKsh 300,000

    LSA supports linguistics research globally, providing fellowships for postgraduate study in linguistics.

  • African Language Research Funding

    GrantKsh 250,000

    African language associations support African language research, providing grants for postgraduate study and documentation.

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade
N/A (Postgraduate)minimum entry
Alternative entry

The programme accepts graduates from linguistics, English, education (English/Linguistics), and related fields. KU requires mean score of B in English and Linguistic courses. UoN offers full-time, part-time, and ODeL modes. Two-year programme with thesis or project option.

When it next starts

Taught at 13 institutions
January 202713 institutions

Including Catholic University of Eastern Africa, South Eastern Kenya University, Chuka University.

May 202713 institutions

Including Catholic University of Eastern Africa, South Eastern Kenya University, Chuka University.

September 202713 institutions

Including Catholic University of Eastern Africa, South Eastern Kenya University, Chuka University.

How you are assessed

4 components

  • Coursework and Continuous Assessment

    Coursework40% of the mark

    Continuous assessment through coursework essays, linguistic analysis papers, seminar presentations, language description projects, and class participation.

  • Written Examinations

    Examination30% of the mark

    Written examinations covering phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics, conducted at end of each semester.

  • Language Description Project

    Practical30% of the mark

    Assessment of language description project, including phonetic transcription, morphological analysis, syntactic analysis, and language documentation.

  • Research Thesis or Project

    Research100% of the mark

    Original research thesis or project on a linguistics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education (CUE)

    Academic accreditationRequired

    Programme accredited by CUE. UoN offers MA in Linguistics through its Department of Linguistics and Languages. KU offers MA in English and Linguistics. Maseno offers MA in General Linguistics. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate linguistics training.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi offers MA in Linguistics through its Department of Linguistics and Languages. Kenyatta University offers MA in English and Linguistics. Maseno University offers MA in General Linguistics. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate linguistics training.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

  • University Lecturer

    Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Teaches linguistics in universities, conducting research and training future linguists and language professionals.

  • Language Researcher

    Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Conducts research on languages, overseeing documentation, description, analysis, and supporting language research and preservation.

  • Translator

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Translates between languages, overseeing translation projects, terminology, and supporting cross-language communication.

  • Language Planner

    Low demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Develops language policy and planning, overseeing policy, standards, and supporting language policy in government and institutions.

  • Speech and Language Therapist

    Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Provides speech and language therapy, overseeing assessment, intervention, and supporting individuals with communication disorders.

  • Computational Linguist

    High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 600,000

    Works in language technology, overseeing NLP, corpus tools, speech systems, and supporting language technology development.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, language researchers, translators, language planners, and applied linguistics consultants in academia and government.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • Praat

    SoftwarePrimary

    Phonetic analysis software for speech analysis, phonetic research, acoustic analysis, and phonological studies.

  • ELAN

    Software

    Annotation tool for language documentation, transcription, multi-tier annotation, and analysing audio and video language data.

  • SPSS

    Software

    Statistical software for linguistic research, survey analysis, and research data analysis.

  • NLTK

    Software

    Natural language toolkit for computational linguistics, text processing, corpus analysis, and NLP research.

Common misconceptions

  • Linguistics is just about learning languages.

    Linguistics is the scientific study of language structure, use, and theory, not about learning to speak multiple languages.

  • Linguistics only leads to teaching careers.

    Linguistics opens careers in research, translation, speech therapy, computational linguistics, publishing, and language technology.

  • Linguistics is not a rigorous discipline.

    Linguistics involves rigorous scientific analysis, theory, research methods, and data analysis comparable to other sciences.

  • There is no demand for linguistics graduates in Kenya.

    Kenya's multilingualism, language policy, education, and technology needs create demand for qualified linguistics professionals.

  • A master's in linguistics is redundant after a BA.

    The master's provides advanced analytical skills, research capability, specialisation, and career progression to senior academic and professional positions.

  • Linguistics is only about English.

    Linguistics studies all languages including African languages, and the programme emphasises description and documentation of Kenyan and African languages.

Further reading

Read next