Why Study / Key Benefits

The Linguistics endorsement is designed for students who are interested in how language works, how people use and learn language, and what language reveals about identity, culture and society. The programme develops understanding of communication across different cultures and communities.

Key benefits include:

• Study language from structural, social, cultural and applied perspectives.
• Develop analytical skills in areas such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse.
• Explore language variation, bilingualism, language and identity, and language learning.
• Gain exposure to applied areas such as forensic linguistics and teaching English as another language.
• Build communication, critical-thinking, intercultural-understanding and language-analysis skills.
• Use the Diploma in Arts as a pathway into Massey’s Bachelor of Arts; Massey states that all courses completed in the diploma can be transferred to the Bachelor of Arts if the student subsequently progresses to that degree.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The Diploma in Arts contains 120 credits. Students can complete it with an endorsement or without an endorsement.

For the Linguistics endorsement, the current official course list includes the following areas.

Core/introductory Linguistics choices include:

• 172131 Language, Meaning and Communication – examines meaning-making in communication, identity, relationships, persuasion, power and intercultural communication.
• 172133 Introduction to Language Studies – introduces analysis of discourse, morphology, syntax, semantics and phonology.

At least 45 credits are selected from Linguistics subject courses such as:

• 172232 Language and Society in New Zealand – sociolinguistics, language variation, bilingualism, minority languages and te Reo Maori.
• 172234 Phonetics – sounds of language and acoustic analysis of speech.
• 172235 Linguistic Analysis of the English Language – morphology, phonetics, phonology and syntax.
• 172236 Forensic Linguistics – linguistic evidence and language analysis in legal contexts.
• 172237 Language, Discourse and Power – critical discourse analysis and language-related social inequalities.
• 172239 Language and Culture – relationships between language, culture and language acquisition.
• 172330 Advanced Linguistic Analysis – advanced analysis of language structure using data from languages around the world.
• 172335 Language and Identity – advanced study of language, identity and belonging.
• 172336 Languages of the Pacific – Pacific language groups, language structure and language-society relationships.
• 172337 Historical and Comparative Linguistics – language change and relationships between languages.
• 172339 Language Learning Processes – theories and approaches to language learning and their implications for learners, teachers and language professionals.
• 257370 Teaching Learners of English as Another Language – EAL teaching strategies, materials and assessment.
• 257375 Learning English as Another Language – EAL learner diversity, language-learning theories and learner needs.

Programme Highlights

• NZQF Level 5 undergraduate diploma.
• 120-credit qualification that can normally be completed in one year full-time.
• Linguistics endorsement worth 60 credits.
• Flexible combination of core courses, Linguistics courses and electives.
• Available on campus at Auckland and Manawat?, as well as through distance/online study.
• International students can study on campus in New Zealand or online from outside New Zealand.
• Covers structural linguistics, sociolinguistics, language and culture, language and identity, language learning and applied linguistics.
• Includes contemporary areas such as forensic linguistics, language/discourse/power and EAL teaching.
• All courses completed in the Diploma in Arts can transfer into the Bachelor of Arts if the student subsequently progresses to that qualification

Career Outcomes

Massey states that Linguistics develops skills in:

• communication
• critical thinking
• intercultural understanding
• language analysis

Potential career areas identified by Massey include:

• education
• media
• communication
• language teaching
• public services
• speech- and language-related fields

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

The current 2026 programme information reflects a refreshed Linguistics course offering, including newer course titles such as Language, Meaning and Communication and updated courses in areas such as forensic linguistics, language/discourse/power and EAL.

Important planning points:

• The Linguistics endorsement requires 60 credits.
• Students must satisfy the Diploma in Arts overall credit and level requirements.
• Course prerequisites and restrictions can affect which combination of Linguistics courses can be taken.
• Not every course is necessarily available at every campus or in every academic year.
• Students should check the current course availability and prerequisites before enrolment.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student studying this qualification physically in New Zealand, the relevant visa is generally the New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa.

Immigration New Zealand currently states that applicants must:

• have an offer of place from an approved education provider;
• have sufficient funds to pay tuition fees or hold an appropriate scholarship;
• demonstrate sufficient funds for living costs or have an acceptable sponsor;
• meet health and character requirements;
• demonstrate a genuine reason for studying in New Zealand;
• have appropriate medical and travel insurance;
• demonstrate that they can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay;
• meet the attendance and satisfactory-progress requirements of the visa.