Languages
What’s on offer for postgraduates?
Some distinctions might help you to map out the languages field of study.
First there are, as usual, research degrees (which account for the smaller proportion of a small student cohort) and postgraduate coursework programs.
Coursework programs can also be divided into a few different groups. There are those in which languages are learned; those which cover linguistics and related cultural phenomena; and those which train languages graduates for professional niches like interpreting or translating.
The postgraduate coursework options can be divided yet again, into those that take beginners and those that don’t. Programs that train professionals in translation and interpreting often don’t. The programs that do are popular with people who need a language other than English in the normal course of
their work (teachers are probably the largest single group) or those who are just plain interested in learning a language.
The number of languages taught in Australia is large but the numbers enrolled are small. In particular, some of the Asian languages have been of concern to language experts in recent times, with the range of programs and their student numbers sadly depleted.
The experience and rewards
Visit the University Ratings section for languages course ratings or to see how languages rates in the Fields of Study Compared table.
According to the national Course Experience Questionnaire survey, postgraduates in this field are not as satisfied with their course experience as postgraduates in other fields, however they do give their teachers above average ratings. Nearly one-third of graduates surveyed in 2009 were still looking for work four months after graduation, and the salaries of those that did find work were below average compared with other fields.
For more information
Some languages are taught within programs like international relations or tourism. If your interests are in language and cultural studies generally, browse the offerings in communications , and humanities and social sciences .
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