Humanities: Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics (Research Master) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Overview

To graduate from the (research) master in Forensic Linguistics/Language and the Law you will complete 120 EC.  

There are 9 components that focus specifically on forensic linguistics: Four courses (24 EC), a tutorial (6 EC), a term paper (9 EC) and a final thesis (30 EC). In addition there are elective courses and courses offered in summer and winterschools organized by LOT (The Netherlands National Graduate School of Linguistics). If you find an internship at, for example, the police or a forensic institute, that can also be accommodated and combined with a term paper or thesis. Depending on current cases being handled by faculty for law enforcement, students may have the opportunity to participate and contribute. In the past students have had the chance to participate in authorship analyses and the examination of  deception in police questioning. The flexibility of the programme will allow you to specialize in an area within forensic linguistcs of your choice while also providing you with a solid basis in forensic linguistics more generally.  You will also take courses relevant to the humanities more broadly. This will situate your specialization in a broader context, allows you to make connections with others in the humanities and learn their way of approaching topics and make you more competitive inside and outside of academia. You will broaden your methodological basis and be well-prepared for a career in academia or beyond.  The individual courses will be described in more detail below. In the first year of our Master's programme in Forensic Linguistics, you'll dive right into the fascinating field with our course Why the Law Needs Language and Linguistics. Here, you'll be introduced to the various subspecialties of forensic linguistics and get to examine real-life cases. You'll continue to expand your knowledge with the course Methods of Authorship Analysis, where you'll learn both qualitative and computational approaches to authorship and get to practice your developing skills through casework. 

As part of our interdisciplinary Humanities (Research) programme, you'll also sharpen your research skills through Methodologies and either Environmental Humanities or Digital Humanities. At the same time, you’ll continue to develop skills in your own field with Language in the Legal System plus an elective of your choice. You’ll start your second year with a course on the Language of Government and Business, a tutorial in Forensic Linguistics and an elective. This is accompanied by another course that’s common to all Humanities Research students. You can choose either Humanities Career Preparation if you wish to prepare for a PhD or Community Service Learning if you’re keen to apply your knowledge to solve societal issues and collaborate with others.  

Finally, in the last semester, you'll conclude the program by writing your Master's thesis, an original scholarly piece of research that makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of a linguistic issue.

Open Days

Join the Online Master’s Event on Thursday, 26 November, or the International Master’s Webinar on Tuesday, 6 October, to learn more about the programme and studying at VU Amsterdam.