Charles Darwin University
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Master linguistic theory and practice through this postgraduate diploma covering TESOL, forensic linguistics, language revitalisation, and general linguistics. Ideal for language teachers, linguists, education policy makers, and professionals seeking advanced linguistic expertise.
Applicants must have successfully completed a recognised bachelor degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree or equivalent international qualification. English language proficiency is required, with minimum IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0) for international postgraduate students, or equivalent scores on approved English tests. Domestic students must meet standard English language proficiency requirements for higher education.
The course is structured around three core units (30 credit points) covering essential topics: Diversity in First Nations Languages, Global Englishes in Context, and Understanding Language Acquisition. Students then select 50 credit points of specialist electives from four key discipline areas: TESOL (including Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Language Meaning and Learning, Applied Language Teaching Methodologies, Intercultural Communication, Language Testing and Evaluation); Forensic Linguistics (Language Crime and the Law, Semantics and Pragmatics, Morphology and Syntax); Language Revitalisation and Maintenance (Language Policy and Planning, Phonetics and Phonology, Word and Sentence Structure); and First Nations Languages (Yolngu Languages and Culture, Yolngu Literature, Indigenous Research Methodologies).
Charles Darwin University is ranked #2 in Australia for postgraduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024) and is in the top 100 universities globally for quality education (THE Impact Rankings 2021). CDU graduates enjoy higher than average employment rates and starting salaries. The university offers flexible study options allowing students to balance work, personal commitments, and learning, with both on-campus and online delivery modes available.
Graduating from this course may lead to career opportunities in forensic linguistics, applied linguistics, language education, policy making, language revitalisation and maintenance, and professional domains where language, its use and role are a priority. Graduates can pursue roles as forensic linguists, language teachers, TESOL practitioners, education policy makers, and language revitalisation specialists. Upon successful completion, students have the option to continue their studies in the Master of Applied Linguistics.