Linguistics and Media

Linguistics and media is a combination that examines how language works and how it operates in the context of digital communication, journalism, advertising, and the modern media landscape. Linguistics is the scientific study of language: its structure, variation, acquisition, and the ways it is used to communicate, persuade, include, and exclude. Media studies examines the institutions, technologies, and cultural practices through which mass communication happens, asking who produces content, for whom, and with what effects.

Together, the two disciplines give you a systematic understanding of communication in all its forms.

At Nottingham Trent University, this part-time programme explores the intricate relationship between language and digital communications, as the course description describes. You will examine the interplay between language and other forms of communication, developing the skills needed to analyse and work effectively across diverse professional fields. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience in a media, communications, or language-related environment and connecting your academic knowledge to practical professional settings.

Studying part-time allows you to pursue this degree alongside existing work or personal commitments.

Graduates from linguistics and media programmes go on to careers in journalism, content creation, digital marketing, public relations, advertising, broadcasting, education, and research. The analytical skills in language and communication that the degree develops are valued in roles that require understanding of how messages are constructed and received, including in policy, public affairs, and social media strategy. Many graduates build careers that use both their linguistic understanding and their knowledge of how media operates, working at the intersection of language and communication in a professional world increasingly shaped by digital platforms.

Postgraduate study in linguistics, media studies, communication, or journalism is a natural next step for those who want to develop further expertise.