Master's programs

Research Master in Language and Communication

The Research Master's program in Language and Communication is a two-year course of study offered jointly by Tilburg University and Radboud University Nijmegen. Both universities combine leading-edge research with excellent education. This program, with its strong emphasis on empirical study, is unique in the Netherlands.

The empirical study of the human capacity for communication
The program covers the numerous ways in which written and spoken language is used – for example, to persuade, to inform, and to exchange ideas. Because communication and the use of language are so tightly interwoven, we take an integrated approach. For example, when other, non-verbal cues are taken into account, understanding spoken language is made easier. Such cues may include facial expressions and eye contact. The interrelationships between language and communication have been further illuminated by developments in information and communication technology. These have opened up exciting new areas of research, providing insight, for example, into ways in which information from both linguistic and non-linguistic sources can be integrated in multimodal messages.

What makes this program special?
What is the main difference between this two-year full-time program and Master's programs at other universities in the Netherlands? Firstly, the fact that we use empirical research techniques to focus on language as it is actually used. And, secondly, there is the way we explore language and communication as an integrated whole. Communication in face-to-face and multi-modal interactions at work is a central theme. Other topics include understanding ways in which the use of language shapes institutional, cross-cultural, and international interaction. The current partnership between Tilburg University, School of Humanities and Radboud University Nijmegen, Faculty of Arts intensifies fifteen years of collaboration in the Centre for Language Studies (CLS). CLS is closely linked to the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and the Baby Research Centre. This Research Master's program, which relies heavily on research carried out in Tilburg and Nijmegen, is open to all graduates – from universities inside or outside the Netherlands– with a relevant BA or one-year MA.

Tutor system
Tutors are members of the scientific staff. They advise students on how to arrive at the most appropriate training program (this includes things like how best to make up for deficiencies in their previous training, and which electives are best suited to which specialisations). Besides this, tutors also advise the Graduate School with respect to students' requests for facilities. Tutors are assigned to students by the Examination Committee.