THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.
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Degree Programme Table: Linguistics and Social Anthropology (MA Hons) (UTLINSA)

Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4

Year 1 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: September

Notes:
You will automatically be enroled on your compulsory courses. You must pass your compulsory courses in order to progress to Year 2 of the programme.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
Linguistics and English Language 1A

Must be passed

LASC08022 20 credits
Linguistics and English Language 1B

Must be passed

LASC08023 20 credits
Social Anthropology 1A: The Life Course

Must be passed

SCAN08013 20 credits
Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters

Must be passed

SCAN08012 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y

Select between 20 and 40 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y
Notes:
You need to take 20-40 credits (usually 1-2 courses) of "outside" courses, which can be from subject areas across the University. You need to select these courses to be enroled on them. Some courses have prerequisites that you will need to meet to take the course.

You can only select Level 7 and 8 courses from Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y. Only 40 credits of level 7 courses are permitted across Years 1 and 2.

You may, alternatively, take one or two courses in British Sign Language (LLLO07003/LLLO07004) from Schedule X, subject to availability.
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 2 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
You will automatically be enroled on your compulsory courses. You must pass your compulsory courses in order to progress to Year 3 of the Linguistics and Social Anthropology programme.

Compulsory courses

You must take these courses
LEL2A: Linguistic Theory and the Structure of English

Must be passed

LASC08017 20 credits
LEL2D: Cross-linguistic Variation: Limits and Theories

Must be passed

LASC08020 20 credits
Ethnography: Theory and Practice

Must be passed

SCAN08005 20 credits
Social Anthropology 2: Key Concepts

Must be passed

SCAN08011 20 credits

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y

Select between 20 and 40 credits from Level 7 and 8 courses in Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y
Notes:
You need to take 20-40 credits (usually 1-2 courses) of "outside" courses, which can be from subject areas across the University. You need to select these courses to be enroled on them. Some courses have prerequisites that you will need to meet to take the course.

You can only select Level 7 and 8 courses from Schedules A to Q, S, T, W and Y. Only 40 credits of level 7 courses are permitted across Years 1 and 2.

You may, alternatively, take one or two courses in British Sign Language (LLLO07003/LLLO07004) from Schedule X, subject to availability.
AND

Challenge Courses: Engaging with complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Challenge Courses are designed to bring together students from different degree programmes to explore the complex issues facing the world today through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative thinking.

Working with each other and expert academics, students will gain new perspectives and develop important life skills highly valued by employers, such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability.
Our Changing World
BIME08006 20 credits
Sustainability and Social Responsibility (UG)
EDUA08116 20 credits
Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030
EFIE08008 20 credits
Living in the Anthropocene
GESC08004 20 credits
Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World
SSPS08012 20 credits
Healthy Eating for People and Planet
VETS08016 20 credits

Year 3 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
You will need to take:
- 1 Language Sciences Foundation course and 1 Language Science 'free choice' course (from any category) (40 credits, Group A).
- 2 Social Anthropology courses - (40 credits, Group B).
- 40 credits from either Language Sciences (any category), or Social Anthropology Level 10 courses (40 credits, Group C)

Your free choices in Language Sciences also can include up to two Guided Research in LEL courses.

Students considering a dissertation in Social Anthropology in Year 4 must also take Imagining Anthropological Research in Year 3 (0 credits). Students considering a dissertation in Language Sciences in Year 4 must include a Language Sciences Skills Course in their Year 3 course selections.

The LEL Honours handbook gives further details about the Language Science courses being offered in any one year, as well as about restrictions on choice of courses. Students must consult this handbook regarding the selection of courses. Some courses appear in more than one category, but you cannot take the same course twice.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Language Sciences: Honours Foundation courses

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Sociolinguistics
LASC10002 20 credits
Historical Linguistics
LASC10021 20 credits
Pragmatics
LASC10067 20 credits
Syntax: Theory and Practice
LASC10084 20 credits
Phonological Theory
LASC10088 20 credits
Phonetics and Laboratory Phonology
LASC10090 20 credits
Cognitive Linguistics
LASC10107 20 credits
Semantic Theory
LASC10110 20 credits
AND

Language Sciences: all Honours courses (Year 3)

Select exactly 20 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You have a 'free choice' to pick a Language Science course from any category (Foundation, Skills, Linguistics, or English Language) - this list shows all courses available. The LEL Honours handbook provides full details on which courses belong to which category.

Some courses appear in more than one category, but you cannot take the same course twice.

You can select up to two further Language Science courses in Group C. Students considering a dissertation in Language Sciences in Year 4 must include a Skills course in their Year 3 course selections. This can either be within Group A or Group C.

You may take Guided Research A (Semester 1) and/or Guided Research B (Semester 2) as 'free choice' options. Both courses can be taken if you wish.
Sociolinguistics
LASC10002 20 credits
Middle English
LASC10009 20 credits
Historical Linguistics
LASC10021 20 credits
First Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10029 20 credits
Second Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10030 20 credits
Historical Phonology
LASC10046 20 credits
Reading Old English
LASC10049 20 credits
Linguistic Fieldwork and Language Description
LASC10050 20 credits
Global Englishes
LASC10056 20 credits
Speech Processing (Hons)
LASC10061 20 credits
Speech Synthesis
LASC10062 20 credits
Pragmatics
LASC10067 20 credits
Scots and Scottish English
LASC10072 20 credits
Computer Programming for Speech and Language Processing
LASC10079 20 credits
Syntax: Theory and Practice
LASC10084 20 credits
Dialects of English in Britain and Ireland
LASC10085 20 credits
Phonological Theory
LASC10088 20 credits
Phonetics and Laboratory Phonology
LASC10090 20 credits
History of Linguistics
LASC10096 20 credits
Universals of Language
LASC10100 20 credits
Speech Production and Perception
LASC10104 20 credits
Cognitive Linguistics
LASC10107 20 credits
Methods in Theoretical Linguistics
LASC10109 20 credits
Semantic Theory
LASC10110 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language A
LASC10111 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language B
LASC10112 20 credits
Discourse Analysis
LASC10114 20 credits
Online Experiments for Language Scientists
LASC10115 20 credits
Quantitative Methods in Linguistics and English Language (Hons)
LASC10125 20 credits
Language Endangerment and Revitalisation
LASC10126 20 credits
AND

Group B

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Courses from Social Anthropology in School of Social and Political Studies- Level 10

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
Kinship: Structure and Process
SCAN10021 20 credits
Anthropological Theory
SCAN10022 20 credits
Ritual and Religion
SCAN10023 20 credits
Culture and Power
SCAN10030 20 credits
Consumption, Exchange, Technology
SCAN10031 20 credits
AND

Imagining Anthropological Research

Select exactly 0 credits of the following courses
Notes:
Students considering a dissertation in Social Anthropology in Year 4 must take Imagining Anthropological Research in Year 3 (0 credits).
Imagining Anthropological Research
SCAN10037 0 credits
AND

Group C

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Social Anthropology Level 10 courses

Select between 0 and 40 credits from Social Anthropology Level 10 courses
AND

Language Sciences: all Honours courses (Year 3)

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You have a 'free choice' to pick up to two Language Science course from any category (Foundation, Skills, Linguistics, or English Language) - this list shows all courses available. The LEL Honours handbook provides full details on which courses belong to which category.

Some courses appear in more than one category, but you cannot take the same course twice.

Students considering a dissertation in Language Sciences in Year 4 must include a Skills course in their Year 3 course selections. This can either be within Group A or Group C.

You may take Guided Research A (Semester 1) and/or Guided Research B (Semester 2) as 'free choice' options. Both courses can be taken if you wish.
Sociolinguistics
LASC10002 20 credits
Middle English
LASC10009 20 credits
Historical Linguistics
LASC10021 20 credits
First Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10029 20 credits
Second Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10030 20 credits
Historical Phonology
LASC10046 20 credits
Reading Old English
LASC10049 20 credits
Linguistic Fieldwork and Language Description
LASC10050 20 credits
Global Englishes
LASC10056 20 credits
Speech Processing (Hons)
LASC10061 20 credits
Speech Synthesis
LASC10062 20 credits
Pragmatics
LASC10067 20 credits
Scots and Scottish English
LASC10072 20 credits
Computer Programming for Speech and Language Processing
LASC10079 20 credits
Syntax: Theory and Practice
LASC10084 20 credits
Dialects of English in Britain and Ireland
LASC10085 20 credits
Phonological Theory
LASC10088 20 credits
Phonetics and Laboratory Phonology
LASC10090 20 credits
History of Linguistics
LASC10096 20 credits
Universals of Language
LASC10100 20 credits
Speech Production and Perception
LASC10104 20 credits
Cognitive Linguistics
LASC10107 20 credits
Methods in Theoretical Linguistics
LASC10109 20 credits
Semantic Theory
LASC10110 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language A
LASC10111 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language B
LASC10112 20 credits
Discourse Analysis
LASC10114 20 credits
Online Experiments for Language Scientists
LASC10115 20 credits
Quantitative Methods in Linguistics and English Language (Hons)
LASC10125 20 credits
Language Endangerment and Revitalisation
LASC10126 20 credits

Year 4 Academic year: 2025/26, Starting in: August

Notes:
You will take:
- A 40-credit dissertation in Language Sciences or Social Anthropology (40 credits, Group A). You will need to select which you would like to take.
- 2 Social Anthropology courses at Level 10 (40 credits, Group B).
- 2 courses in Language Sciences from any category (Foundation, Skills, Linguistics, or English Language) (40 credits, Group C)

Your choices in Language Sciences can include up to two Guided Research in LEL courses.

Students taking the Social Anthropology dissertation are expected to use the summer of their third year completing research for their Dissertation.

The LEL Honours handbook gives further details about the courses being offered in any one year, as well as about restrictions on choice of courses. Students must consult this handbook regarding the selection of courses. Some courses appear in more than one category, but you cannot take the same course twice.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Dissertation in Language Sciences

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You must have taken a Language Science 'Skills' course in Year 3 to complete a dissertation in LEL.
Dissertation in Language Sciences
LASC10024 40 credits
OR

Dissertation (MA Social Anthropology)

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You must have taken Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10037) in Year 3 to complete a dissertation in Social Anthropology.
Dissertation (MA Social Anthropology)
SCAN10036 40 credits
AND

Group B

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Social Anthropology Level 10 courses

Select exactly 40 credits from Social Anthropology Level 10 courses
Notes:
These are 'free choice' credits. You can select up to 2 Social Anthropology courses (Level 10 only).
AND

Group C

Select exactly 40 credits in this group.

Language Sciences: all Year 4 Honours courses

Select exactly 40 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You have a 'free choice' to pick TWO Language Science course from any category (Foundation, Skills, Linguistics, or English Language) - this list shows all courses available. The LEL Honours handbook provides full details on which courses belong to which category.

Some courses appear in more than one category, but you cannot take the same course twice.

You may take Guided Research C (Semester 1) and/or Guided Research D (Semester 2) as 'free choice' options. Both courses can be taken if you wish.
Sociolinguistics
LASC10002 20 credits
Middle English
LASC10009 20 credits
Historical Linguistics
LASC10021 20 credits
First Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10029 20 credits
Second Language Acquisition (Honours)
LASC10030 20 credits
Historical Phonology
LASC10046 20 credits
Reading Old English
LASC10049 20 credits
Linguistic Fieldwork and Language Description
LASC10050 20 credits
Global Englishes
LASC10056 20 credits
Speech Processing (Hons)
LASC10061 20 credits
Speech Synthesis
LASC10062 20 credits
Pragmatics
LASC10067 20 credits
Scots and Scottish English
LASC10072 20 credits
Computer Programming for Speech and Language Processing
LASC10079 20 credits
Syntax: Theory and Practice
LASC10084 20 credits
Dialects of English in Britain and Ireland
LASC10085 20 credits
Phonological Theory
LASC10088 20 credits
Phonetics and Laboratory Phonology
LASC10090 20 credits
History of Linguistics
LASC10096 20 credits
Universals of Language
LASC10100 20 credits
Speech Production and Perception
LASC10104 20 credits
Cognitive Linguistics
LASC10107 20 credits
Methods in Theoretical Linguistics
LASC10109 20 credits
Semantic Theory
LASC10110 20 credits
Discourse Analysis
LASC10114 20 credits
Online Experiments for Language Scientists
LASC10115 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language C
LASC10116 20 credits
Guided Research in Linguistics and English Language D
LASC10117 20 credits
Quantitative Methods in Linguistics and English Language (Hons)
LASC10125 20 credits
Language Endangerment and Revitalisation
LASC10126 20 credits
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