Program Overview

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Master of Applied Linguistics – MAppLing

The Master of Applied Linguistics provides professionals in all language-related areas of expertise (including language teaching and TESOL) with a combination of practical and research skills which is increasingly important in both domestic and international settings.

Overview

With Massey’s Master of Applied Linguistics, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to navigate and address language-based issues in a multilingual world.

Type of Qualification

• Master's degree
• Level of study: Postgraduate study (NZQF level 9)
• Time to complete: 1 year 6 months full-time (180 credits), part-time available
• International students: Open to international students on campus in New Zealand

Key Dates

• Admission application due dates
• Course enrolment dates for accepted students
• Semester dates

Study a Master of Applied Linguistics – MAppLing

The Master of Applied Linguistics provides professionals in all language-related areas of expertise (including language teaching and TESOL) with a combination of practical and research skills which is increasingly important in both domestic and international settings.

Get Real-World Skills

You’ll use theories, methods, and problem-based approaches that address real-life language issues in our globalised, and digitally mediated world.

Draw on Massey’s Research Strengths

Massey’s research strengths include:

• Heritage language learning
• Mother tongue maintenance
• Online second-language communities
• Distance/online language learning
• Sociocultural adjustment of international students and their teachers to their presence in New Zealand universities
• Language learning and emotion
• Bi/multilingualism
• Oral proficiency
• Teaching and assessment
• Language education policy

Research Opportunities

In the Master of Applied Linguistics, you’ll complete a research report (60 credits) or thesis (120 credits). Recent areas of student research include:

• Investigating needs of non-income-earning students in community English classes
• The development of teacher identity among student teachers in Thailand
• Navigating cultural conflict and dissonance in the immigrant ESL classroom
• The role of motivational beliefs in self-regulated learning for Kanji acquisition
• Vocational tertiary students’ imagined experiences of learning English with native speakers in an Indonesian rural setting
• Perceptions of Bhutanese students, parents, and teachers of their learning progress in a New Zealand secondary school
• A case study of heritage language transmission in a Catalan-speaking migrant family to New Zealand

A MAppLing is a Good Fit if You:

• Work in second-language teaching, including TESOL
• Are passionate about teaching and learning languages
• Are curious about how we learn and teach languages

Entry Requirements

• Admission to Massey: All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
• Specific requirements:
  • Have been awarded or qualified for a relevant bachelor's degree with at least a B grade average across the 200-300 level courses, or
  • Have been awarded or qualified for a postgraduate diploma in second language teaching or a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics, or equivalent, with at least a B+ grade average for entry to the Research Pathway, or at least a B grade average for entry to the Coursework Pathway.
• English language requirements: To study this qualification, you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

Structure of the Master of Applied Linguistics

• The Master of Linguistics is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part before moving to the second, etc.
• Coursework pathway: At least a B grade average is required in the Part One courses (120 credits) for progression to Part Two - Coursework Pathway.
• Research pathway: At least a B+ grade average is required in the first 60 credits of courses completed in Part One for progression to Part Two - Research Pathway.

Courses and Specialisations

• Courses:
  • Second Language Learning Theories and Processes (30 credits)
  • Contemporary Approaches to Language Teaching Methodology (30 credits)
  • Contextualising Curriculum and Materials Design (30 credits)
  • Discourse Analysis (30 credits)
  • Language Documentation (30 credits)
  • Current Issues in Applied Linguistics (30 credits)
• Specialisations:
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • Without Specialisation

Fees and Scholarships

• 2026 tuition fees:
  • Domestic students: $10,652
  • International students: $38,840
• Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme: You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
• Scholarship and award opportunities:
  • Cat Pausé Postgraduate Scholarship
  • Massey University Postgraduate Overseas Research Grant
  • Massey University Postgraduate Scholarship

Careers and Job Opportunities

With a Master of Applied Linguistics, you’ll be prepared for careers in language teaching, research, and practice in national and international multilingual contexts. You’ll be supporting those who operate in multilingual contexts, such as migrants and former refugees and international students in New Zealand. Our graduates are employed as educators, consultants, and practitioners.