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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.

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	03 Oct 2026

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

03 Oct 2026

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.

Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics

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 18 March 2025.

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Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistics

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Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

Credit transfer

On completion

Regulations

How long it takes

Career relevance

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