Programme structure
The two year course of study consists of a total of 120 ECTS credits.
Master's thesis of 60 credits
- Compulsory courses, 20 credits
- Elective courses,?40 courses
- Master's thesis, 60 credits
Master's thesis of 30 credits
- Compulsory courses, 20 credits
- Elective courses, 70 courses
- Master's thesis, 30 credits
Course of study
| 4. semester | Master's thesis, 30 or 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. semester | Master's thesis, 60 credits | ||
| Elective courses / study abroad /?EUS4900 – International Project Semester, European Languages | |||
| 2. semester | Elective course | Elective course | |
| 1. semester | Elective course | Elective course | |
| Credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits | 10 ECTS credits |
Students who started the master's programme in 2025 or before follow a different course of study.
Compulsory courses
In your second semester you will?take ENG4112 – Methods in English language research. This course includes writing a thesis proposal for your master’s thesis.?
You will be assigned a supervisor based on your thesis proposal.
Elective courses
Your electives must include at least one course in language history and one course in modern language.?
There is an exception: if you have passed a course in language history at bachelor's level, you do not need to take one as part of your masters. Likewise for modern language: if you have passed an advanced course in modern language at bachelor's level (beyond the introductory courses at 1000 level), you do not need to take one as part of your masters.
?
The Department does not offer all courses each semester. Information about when a course is taught can be found in the course description for each course.
For a list of when a course is taught?see this list.?Select the relevant semester and courses in English.
List of all elective courses:
ENG4102 – Phraseology in English ENG4103 – Historical English Syntax ENG4106 – Contrastive analysis: Syntax, lexis, discourse ENG4117 – Analysing advanced learner English ENG4118 – Pragmatics: Meaning, Communication and Cognition in English Language - EUS4100 – Second and third language acquisition and learner corpora
- EUS4012 – Discourse analysis: Language, Identity and Power
- ENG4152 – Varieties of English Texts
- ENG4156 – History of the English Language
- ENG4157 – Semantics and Pragmatics
- ENG4163 – World Englishes
- ENG4165 – Old English: Language and History
- ENG4166 – Middle English, introduction
- ENG4167 – Linguistics and literature in English
This list includes courses where bachelor and master students are taught together. If you have previously taken a 2000 level course, the 4000 variant of that course will not give you additional credits due to overlap.?
Non-linguistics courses –? such as civilization/literature from English-speaking areas – can also be chosen if they?are relevant to the master's thesis. Contact your study advisor.
?
Master’s thesis
You chose one of the following master's theses:
The master’s thesis in English language will normally comprise 30–50 pages (30-credit thesis) or 80–100 pages (60-credit thesis). No matter the nature of the thesis, substantial bibliographic competence is required. Empirical material can be gathered from printed texts, electronic corpora, audio or video recordings, survey responses, and experimental data, and – particularly for older English – from editions of manuscripts. The theoretical and methodological basis for the thesis is secured through the methods courses, as well as the elective courses at 4000 level.
All teaching is conducted in English, and the thesis must be written in English.
Part time studies
The description and course combinations assume a normal study progression of 60 credits per year. It is possible to apply for part-time studies, and then you must plan your progression based on when courses are offered. Application form and guidelines for part time studies .
Information on the teaching of specific courses is found on their individual pages.
Diploma and degree
The diploma is issued when you have completed the courses that meet the requirements for a degree. Read more about diplomas.