Language and Linguistics & Psychology

Language and linguistics with psychology is a combination that connects two disciplines that are both fundamentally concerned with the workings of the human mind, but approach it from complementary angles. Linguistics examines language as a structured system, asking how sounds, words, sentences and meanings are organised, how language is acquired, how it varies across individuals and social groups, and how it shapes and is shaped by thought and culture. Psychology examines mental processes and behaviour more broadly, drawing on experimental research, cognitive science and social psychology to understand how people think, feel, perceive and interact.

Language is one of the most important capacities studied in cognitive psychology, and the two disciplines together give you a particularly rich understanding of both.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you an international dimension to your education. You will develop expertise in the study of language and linguistic systems alongside a rigorous grounding in psychological science, engaging with cognitive, social, developmental and applied aspects of both disciplines. The combination allows you to explore questions about how language shapes thought, how people process and use language in real time, how language disorders arise and are managed, and how psychological and linguistic research methods can be applied to practical contexts.

Graduates from language and linguistics with psychology programmes pursue careers in speech and language therapy, clinical linguistics, educational psychology, language teaching, human-computer interaction, communications, research, the civil service and many other fields. Many go on to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, speech and language therapy, cognitive science or psychology, and the BPS accreditation component provides the graduate basis for those wishing to pursue chartered status in psychology. The combination of linguistic and psychological understanding is valued across healthcare, education, technology and research.