The programme comprises 200 credits of taught elements and 340 credits of research elements. The compulsory taught modules (120 credits) offer a foundation for all students, dealing with essential theoretical issues, and generic and subject-specific research methods. Further optional modules (80 credits) enable you to specialise and also act as the basis for your dissertation project.

You take the following compulsory modules: introduction to quantitative methods (20); issues in phonological theory 1 (20 credits); fundamental elements in phonetics and phonology (40 credits); and core issues in experimental phonetics and phonology (40 credits).

You then take four further optional modules to a value of 80 credits from the following (all 20 credit modules): introduction to language acquisition; phonological interfaces in second language acquisition; sociolinguistics of language and society; issues in language variation and change, issues in phonological theory 2, advanced issues in sociophonetics, perception and production in multilingual contexts, phonological acquisition; sounds of the worlds languages. It may also be possible to undertake alternative optional modules with the approval of the Degree Programme Director.

Further dissertation preparation modules are also undertaken in each year, with a focus on the dissertation in years three and four.

There are five major areas of specialisation in which supervision can be offered and in which specialised option modules will be provided:

(1) acquisition of second language sound patterning
(2) first language acquisition
(3) sociophonetics and its role in speech perception and production
(4) phonological theory and phonological patterns of various languages
(5) phonetic and/or phonological characteristics of languages and language description