Syllabi Master's Theses Schedule Faculty and secretary

Structure and Syllabus

The syllabus consists of 5 modules and the master's degree is obtained by passing a minimum of 60 ECTS distributed as follows:

  • 15 ECTS of compulsory subjects, corresponding to the 3 subjects of the common module of the master's degree
  • 10 ECTS corresponding to the subject Training in research action of the methodological module, mandatory to complete the research line in the scientific study of discourse
  • 10 ECTS of subjects of the selected specialization module (intensification): Communication, Society or Learning
  • 15 ECTS of elective subjects corresponding to a minimum of 5 ECTS of the electives of the methodological module, and a minimum of 10 ECTS to be chosen between the subjects of the specialization and elective modules
  • 10 ECTS of the Master's Theses

The subjects of this module are compulsory for all students and are particularly relevant for people coming from undergraduate studies in the social sciences, where they have not studied subjects in the area of Linguistics. 

 

Study topic 0: Discourse and Language

This topic provides the linguistic basis for the study of discourse and facilitates the acquisition of the basic terms, concepts and theories (grammatical, semantic and pragmatic) for the analysis of language and discourse in their psychosocial contexts.

 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Textual Linguistics (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Enunciation Theories and Oral Genres (5 ECTS) | UPF

2nd Term

  • Discourse and Social Cognition (5 ECTS) | UPF

You can choose from among the topics that define the interdisciplinary nature of the master's programme. A minimum of 10 ECTS of subjects must be chosen from one of the 3 specialisations: 1. Discourse and Communication; 2. Discourse and Society; 3. Discourse and Education.

 

Study topic 1: Discourse and Communication

This topic provides theories and methods of multimodal analysis of communicative events. Oral genres are studied from ethnographic, conversational and pragmatic perspectives. The discursive structures, verbal and non-verbal, are analyzed in relation to the persuasive function on public opinion (construction of social representations), the sociopolitical and sociocommercial function (effects of propaganda and advertising), and the expression and construction of the social identities they convey. Therefore, the different forms that discourses take are critically studied in relation to the ideologies they express and reproduce. 

 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Ethnographic Perspectives for Psychosocial Research and Intervention (6 ECTS) | UAB

2nd Term

  • Power and Gender Diversity in the Media (7,5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Critical Animal and Media Studies (7,5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Communication and Interculturality (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Networks, Media and New Theoretical Challenges (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Interpersonal Communication [biennial] (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Cognition and Language Acquisition (5 ECTS) | UPF

 

Study topic 2: Discourse and Society

This topic is primarily concerned with the description and analysis of the functions and social contexts of language and discourse in specific interactions. The perspectives adopted are mainly sociocognitive and critical. From different theoretical approaches, we study communicative competence, discursive (re)production of identities and social power, registers, linguistic and discursive variation according to gender, social class, ethnicity and age. We also work on central notions of sociolinguistics: code switching, diglossia, bilingualism, pidgin and criollos. In particular, political discourse and its effects on public opinion are analysed. The methodology of these subjects is usually qualitative: for example, pragmatic, ethnomethodological or conversational analysis. 

 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Identities, Diversity and Intercultural Coexistence (6 ECTS) | UAB

2nd Term

  • Variation and Linguistic Change [biennial] (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Terminology, Neology and Society (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Digital Media, Democracy and Society (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Gender, Communication and Social Change (6 ECTS) | UAB
  • Intersectionality and Discrimination in Politics and Society (5 ECTS) | UPF

 

Study topic 3: Discourse and Education

This topic focuses on reading and writing as 'literate' practices situated in communities, and on the analysis of orality in educational contexts. It addresses language and discourse, spoken and written, as objects of teaching and learning in specific social and cultural contexts, and, within the critical perspective of the master's degree, the functions of discourse in the reproduction of ideologies. Aspects such as language learning processes, school multilingualism, linguistic socialisation and plurilingual competence are addressed. Classroom interactions and the structures and functions of curriculum design are also analysed. 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Research Perspectives in Literary Education (6 ECTS) | UAB

2nd and 3rd Term

  • Language Instruction [biennial] (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Language Learning Processes [biennial] (5 ECTS) | UPF
  • Plurilingual Education: Trends and Research Perspectives (6 ECTS) | UAB
  • Cartographies of Gender: Transitions and Identities in Research (6 ECTS) | UAB

A minimum of 5 ECTS must be chosen from a methodological subject, and the subject Formation in Research Action must be taken in order to complete the line of research in the scientific study of discourse. 

 

Study topic 4: Research Methods and Tools

This topic ensures that discourse and communication studies are based on a methodology that is explicit, contemporary and appropriate to the purpose of the study. Beyond traditional methods, such as content analysis and statistical analysis, discourse studies employ hermeneutic, argumentative and sociocognitive methodologies that allow to describe and observe the data with the rigour that academic research requires. Computational tools and resources that facilitate the processing of large corpora are also used. 

 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Corpus and Computational Tools (5 ECTS) - UPF
  • Discourse and Communication (5 ECTS) - UPF
  • Design, Planning and Research Methodology (5 ECTS) - UPF
  • Discursive Perspectives in Social Research (6 ECTS) - UAB
  • Epistemology and Methodology of Communication Research (6 ECTS) - UAB

2nd Term

  • Argumentation in Linguistic Analysis (5 ECTS) - UPF

2nd i 3rd Term

  • Formation in Research Action (compulsory subject in the research line) (10 ECTS) - UPF

It consists of objectives and contents that can reinforce a specialisation (intensification) or prepare for a doctorate or a subsequent profession. Subjects from the different specialisation topics can also be chosen as optional extension (see Module B). 

 

Study topic 5: Complementary Extension

The linguistic dimension is reinforced by a subject on semantics and pragmatics. The learning dimension is reinforced by a subject on the teaching of modern languages as first, second or additional languages, although the main focus is on the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language, so that a very high level of competence in this language is required. The study of social gender can also be extended, which is approached transversally in the master's degree from the perspective of communication, society or education (with a specific subject on gender and its relation to discourse in each specialisation). 

Subjects

1st Term

  • Procedures and Skills in the Classroom (5 ECTS) - UPF

2nd Term

  • Semantics and Pragmatics (5 ECTS) - UPF
  • Contemporary Perspectives on Communication, Gender and Sexuality (5 ECTS) | UPF