Start of studies – Linguistics BA supplementary subject
Welcome to the Linguistics Department!
Dates & events
| 06.10.2026 11:30 - 14:00 Lecture hall 3F (building 23.21) | First semester introductory events of the subjects Computational Linguistics BA, Linguistics integrative BA and supplementary subject BA see also Instagram |
| 06.10.2026 14:30 - 16:00 Rooms 23.21.U1.72 and 23.21.U1.76 | Orientation/counseling (e.g. help with creating the class schedule) |
| 06.10.2026 16:45 | Düsseldorf Scavenger Hunt Get to know the city and your fellow students Meeting point: Heinrich-Heine-Statue on campus (in front of the ULB) |
| 08.10.2026 from 17:00 Room 23.21.04.22 | Game Night Socializing with your fellow students Snacks and drinks included |
| 12.10.2026 10:30 | Welcome speech by the principal in lecture hall 3A (Gebäude 23.01) followed by an information fair showcasing many campus organizations, ending at 1 p.m. The event will be streamed into lecture halls 3B-3D and 2A-2D → Campus plan |
| 12.10.2026 | Lecture start |
Why study Linguistics at HHU?
Our study program is characterized by three features in particular. It is...
skill-oriented: Core modules focus on the development of key skills such as academic writing, linguistic data collection, statistical evaluation, qualitative analysis, and theoretical reflection.
research-oriented: The teaching staff are very active in research and are constantly designing new courses to incorporate the latest findings and methods of linguistics into teaching.
multilingual: Courses are taught in both English and German. Students and lecturers generally also speak other languages. Language courses and/or programming courses are also part of the degree program. Students thus learn to navigate confidently in multilingual contexts.
Course of study
| Semester | |||
| 1. | Basic Expertise | ||
| 2. | Basic Expertise | ||
| 3. | Basic Expertise | ||
| 4. | Basic Expertise | ||
| 5. | Linguistic Analysis |
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| 6. |
| Linguistic Analysis | |
Study plan for the supplementary subject Linguistics (PO 2025)
Program content
There are, depending on the count, between six and eight thousand human languages in the world. They all have different sound systems or gesture inventories, different word structures and different sentence structures. What we call a ballpoint pen in English is literally called a “pen with a ball” in French. If we use the word order “Mey eats an apple” in English, the order in Japanese is “Mey apple eats.”
There are also strong variations within each language. Depending on age, region and context, we can express ourselves differently. Most people in the world also speak more than one language and can use expressions from several languages at the same time in a conversational situation.
We examine this diversity: How do languages differ from each other, what do they have in common? How do we learn languages? Why do we understand words and sentences that we have never heard or read before?
In our computer pools and various labs, we learn a variety of methods to investigate these questions.
Frequently asked questions
Our bachelor's degree programs (Linguistics integrative and supplementary subject as well as Computational Linguistics) can only be started in the winter semester. The master's program in Linguistics can be started in both the summer and winter semesters.
Course registration is done via HISLSF.
At the beginning of the semester, there are usually information and counseling events to help you create your timetable. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the student council or the secretariat.
The winter semester 2026 begins on October 1. Lectures start on October 12. Please note that some events, such as placement tests for language courses, may take place before this date.
Further information on dates and lecture times can be found here.
To activate your university ID and other online services, you will need your matriculation number* (see below) and your activation code (which will be sent to you automatically by email or post after a short while). Enter both in the Identity Management (IDM) system: https://idm.hhu.de/sspr/public/activate. You will then receive your university ID and can set a password.
Please also watch the explanatory video.
*If you applied online via the HHU application portal, you can find your matriculation number at https://digstu.hhu.de (see video).
If you did not register via the HHU application portal, your matriculation number will be sent to you by post.
Once you have activated your university ID, various study certificates (e.g. for BAföG) are available for download at https://digstu.hhu.de. We explain how this works in this video.