Students take taught modules (120 credits); and write a dissertation (60 credits); compulsory modules (40 credits) cover: Phonetics and phonology; sentence structure; research methods in linguistics; and arts research methods; plus 1 or 2 20-credit modules from: German and English word analysis; semantic change in European languages; syntax and history of Spanish; cross-linguistic issues in second language acquisition; topics in the historical morpho-syntax of Spanish; plus 40 or 60 credits are selected from an extensive range of optional modules covering: syntax; phonology and morphology; semantics and pragmatics; language acquisition; sociolinguistics; methods; and history.