Fundamentally, linguistics strives to understand what language is and how it works. This includes examining how language is structured in the brain, how people make social judgements based on their understanding of linguistic information and how people use language for practical purposes. Theoretical linguistics explores the nature of language itself. Theoretical linguists are most concerned with constructing models of linguistic knowledge and ultimately developing theories about how language works. Applications of theoretical linguistics can be seen in the emergence of technology such as speech recognition and natural language processing. Descriptive linguistics draws upon and tests linguistic theory by researching how languages are used in the real world. This includes describing endangered languages, comparing structures of different languages, examining changes in the social meaning of language and the forensic examination of language use for legal purposes.

Within this specialisation, you can choose to study a wider range of linguistic topics than at any other Australian university. If you wish, you can also focus your studies on particular areas, such as forensic speech science, Indigenous languages, language variation and change, phonetics and phonology, or the social function of language – all of which have pathways built into the specialisation.

Key Features

• You’ll study in the most diverse and largest linguistics department in Australia, and in one of the best-equipped research and clinical environments in the world.
• Your learning is enhanced by on-campus facilities, including the MQ Health Speech and Hearing Clinic, translation and interpreting labs and the Australian Hearing Hub.
• This specialisation is available in the Bachelor of Linguistics and Language Sciences – the only standalone linguistics degree in Australia.
• Macquarie is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world for linguistics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2018).

• Academic
• Accessible communication adviser
• Advertising consultant
• Information technologist, eg, in speech recognition, database or lexicon development
• Language consultant/specialist
• Language documentation and revitalisation expert
• Lexicographer
• Policy and programs officer, eg, in multiculturalism, education, disability support
• Research/project manager
• Researcher
• Specialist linguist
• Teacher linguist
• After further study: Clinical audiologist, computational linguist, editor and publisher, forensic linguist, lawyer, teacher of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), translator and interpreter