Skills you’ll develop
While studying Linguistics, you’re learning about one of the most fundamental things that makes us human: our language. You’ll develop important skills within a highly interdisciplinary field that combines research methods from the humanities, social, natural, and mathematical sciences.
These skills may include:
- Applying logical thinking to analyze how language has evolved through history and can be taught and preserved
- Analyzing the structural properties of language and how it is processed
- Researching, collecting, synthesizing, and presenting information across various subjects
- Critical thinking that demonstrates an awareness of cultural, historical, and social contexts
- Carrying out fieldwork and analyzing sounds, words, sentences, and meanings in real-world language
- Collaborating in team situations with people from diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds
- Clear and concise written communication drawing upon a deep understanding of language
- Public speaking and debating abilities that demonstrate persuasive, carefully-reasoned arguments and comprehensive knowledge of linguistic theories and ideas
Career possibilities
Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including interpretation or translation, language teaching, communications, publishing, government, speech recognition, artificial intelligence, codes and code breaking, and others.
There are many career paths that can combine your academics, skills, and experience with your different interests. Read through the job titles below for ideas. Some career options may require further education or training.
Visit the National Occupational Classification website to research basic requirements and responsibilities of jobs in your field.
- Art or Music therapist
- Artificial intelligence designer
- Audiologist
- Communications manager
- Communications policy researcher
- Editor
- English as an Additional Language teacher
- Foreign service officer
- Heritage languages program director
- Human resources specialist
- Human-computer interface designer
- Journalist
- Language school instructor
- Linguist
- Linguistics advisor
- Literacy program coordinator
- Literary agent
- Marketing specialist
- Public affairs officer
- Public relations specialist
- Reading clinician
- Recreation therapist aide
- Rehabilitation counsellor
- Research assistant
- Sign language instructor
- Special education assistant
- Speech pathologist
- Teacher or Professor
- Technical writer
- Translator or Interpreter
- UX or UI designer
Make the most of your program
Your experiences will open doors to new opportunities and help you understand your values and interests.
- UBC Speech and Linguistics Student Association
Meet other UBC students through events, peer tutoring, and volunteer opportunities. - Departmental events
Network with Linguistics students and faculty members at upcoming colloquia, seminars, and conferences. - Departmental research opportunities
Register your research interests with the Department of Linguistics for a chance to get involved. - Linguistics research labs
Check out current UBC research in the field of linguistics. - Language Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference
Share your work, meet peers with similar interests, and learn about language-related research in Term 2. - UBC Turing Club
Learn how to understand and work with artificial intelligence and machine learning, no coding experience required. - Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action
Volunteer in a research role focused on the development, analysis, and application of AI systems. - UBC tandem, Language Learning Program
Get matched with a language exchange partner and learn or teach a language. - Explore: French immersion program
Travel to a francophone community in Canada, live with a host family or with other students, and practice your French while experiencing francophone culture.
Build your network
Employers often hire people they know, so help them get to know you. You can build your network through clubs, classes, informational interviews, and more. There are so many ways to make connections and find mentors.
The professional associations below are also great resources for meeting people, learning about specific industries, and finding job and volunteer opportunities. Most have reduced membership rates for students and new grads.
- Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association
- Canadian Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies
- Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
- Canadian Association for Translation Studies
- Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics
- Canadian Communication Association
- Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society
- Canadian Linguistic Association
- Canadian Public Relations Society
- Cultural Human Resources Council
- First Peoples’ Cultural Council
- Global Affairs Canada
- JET Programme Canada
- Language Industry Association
- Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States
- Linguistic Society of America
- Society of Translators and Interpreters of BC
- Society for Music Perception and Cognition
- Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas
- Special Interest Group on Human-Computer Interaction
- Speech and Hearing BC
- Speech-Language and Audiology Canada
Connect with alumni on LinkedIn
Find UBC Linguistics graduates on LinkedIn to learn about where they’re working, and their career and academic paths.
More information
From your Arts degree, you’ll develop skills and experiences that can translate into many career paths. Check out other things you can do with your Arts degree.