Teaching English and Linguistics to mature students
Course type
Certificate
Credits
60

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
8 months part time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics

Course code: C29

If you’re interested in the roles that language plays in society across various personal and professional contexts, this postgraduate certificate in linguistics is for you. You will start with the foundational aspects of linguistic study, diving into different approaches to language and discovering how its essential elements combine to create meaning. You'll also experiment with various methods of language analysis. On completion, you can use your certificate as a pathway to the Postgraduate Diploma in Linguistics and MA in Linguistics.

  • Improve your professional practice by engaging with contemporary issues, concepts and debates that enrich your knowledge.
  • Apply what you learn to the real world as you reflect on how academic approaches to linguistic analysis can solve real-world problems.
  • Develop scholarly independence as you learn within and about your own context.
Course type
Certificate
Credits
60

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
8 months part time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

Modules

To gain this qualification, you require 60 credits from the following:

Compulsory module Credits Next start
Core concepts in linguistics (L804)

This module introduces you to the foundations of linguistic study with a focus on real-world examples where language plays a critical role.

See full description

Register
60 04 Oct 2025  

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.


Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

For this qualification, we do not allow you to count credit for study you have already done elsewhere.


On completion

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics. You'll be entitled to use the letters PG Cert Ling (Open) after your name.

You can progress from this Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics to our Postgraduate Diploma in Linguistics (E99) or our MA in Linguistics (F97).

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 


We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

To study for this postgraduate certificate you must hold a bachelors degree from a UK university or another recognised degree-awarding body, or a qualification at an equivalent level.

As our modules are taught in English, your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study in the UK. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

If you are not sure whether your qualifications and experience are suitable, please contact us for advice.

How long it takes

Most students study the Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics part-time, completing 60 credits over eight months. Typically, this means 19 study hours each week.

Career relevance

Throughout the world there is an increasing demand for professionals with a grasp of how language works. You’ll sharpen your IT, writing, and independent thinking skills, develop your ability to respond to feedback as well as demonstrating your time management. These are key skills in complex organisations, greatly sought after in the world beyond study – whether you’re already working, volunteering, or changing career.

This qualification is designed to enrich your knowledge and improve your professional practice.

On completing your studies, you should be able to:

  • demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems at a professional or equivalent level
  • reflect critically and constructively on your own thinking, practice and professional impact
  • communicate ideas effectively in written form with clear expression and coherent structure

You will also acquire qualities and transferable skills that are highly prized by employers within education and related fields, such as:

  • exercising initiative and personal responsibility
  • the ability to independently manage your own learning and professional development
  • the ability to use information and communications technology appropriately for information retrieval and communication with others
  • the ability to produce reports/outputs for academic and professional purposes.

You will be guided through the materials and learn how you can recognise and acknowledge these additional skills.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

Request your prospectus

Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.

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