MA Translation Studies (Distance Learning)

University of Birmingham

Translation, as a trade and an art, plays and important part in bringing nations together, and facilitating dialogue, understanding and co-operation.

The global Language Services industry is growing at an impressive rate; two of the top five providers, SDL and RWS, are based in the United Kingdom, and there are many large- and medium-sized providers headquartered in the US, Europe and Asia. Wherever you are based, there is no better time to enter the industry and our innovative MA is ideal for those looking to embark on, or develop, careers as professional translators.

Our programme is designed cover the list of competences required by professional translators published in 2017 by the European Master’s in Translation network. We work closely with translation agencies, freelancers and other stakeholders to ensure that our syllabus prepares you for professional employment in the growing translator industry.

Translation practice is at the heart of the programme, and you will undertake extensive practical and specialised translation in your chosen language pair(s). We also offer training in state-of-the-art translation technology. The MA also provides excellent preparation for further study at PhD level.

The programme is available to students who are proficient in English and one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The industry standard is for translators to work into their mother tongue. We also have an ‘open’ route through the programme for students who wish to work in a different language pairing. For the ‘open’ route, your assessments, while still often very practical in nature, will not involve translation, and we cannot guarantee that you will be allocated a tutor who is a specialist in your language pairing.

Employability

Graduates of the MA in Translation Studies go on to a variety of interesting careers, from working as translators and project managers for major language service providers, to running their own translation companies, or staying on in Birmingham to do doctoral research.

The programme will enable you to develop a wide range of skills and attributes which will be vital in your future career. In particular, it will give you the ability to:

• Analyse and translate samples of English and other languages, using appropriate methods
• Retrieve information, terminology and specialised-knowledge from a range of sources, and use them in their translation practice
• Communicate effectively in written academic English
• Plan work effectively, with appropriate time-management skills
• Carry out research in a selected area, both individually and in terms, and report that research appropriately.