Translation MA

Why study this course?

Our Translation MA is a high-quality postgraduate programme designed to help you start or advance a career in translation. It aims to meet academic and professional standards as well as market demands of the translation industry, through a balanced and well-structured curriculum.

As a mark of the high-quality teaching and content on the course, our Translation MA has been awarded a membership of the European Master’s in Translation, a prestigious label delivered by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation. This will give you an internationally recognised qualification that will make you stand out from the competition. You will also benefit from access to traineeships at the Directorate-General for Translation (European Commission).

Our Translation MA is also a member of the Conférence Internationale Permanente d'Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI), the world's oldest and most prestigious international association of universities and institutes with translation and interpretation programmes.

More about this course

This Master's degree has a vocational emphasis on specialist translation, focusing on areas such as law, politics, medicine, business, IT and media. You will also learn to translate different types of institutional documents (UN and EU), as well as use dedicated software to subtitle films and localise websites and software.

A substantial built-in part of this course is the compulsory practical and career enhancing work placement module, which offers an opportunity to gain hands-on professional experience with one of the many translation service providers in the UK and, whenever possible, with institutions of the European Union and the United e lecturer in charge of the module will provide information on work placement opportunities and guidance on completing the required application processes and will support you throughout in obtaining suitable opportunities.

As a student of the programme you will have the opportunity to translate using the following languages paired with English (translating into your native language): Arabic, Mandarin, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

We have strong links in the translation industry that allow us to share best practice in translation and teaching. This offers an excellent learning experience for our students and allows for additional learning opportunities, such as our annual visit to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation in Brussels. You will also learn from invited guest speakers from the translation industry who have a wealth of experience in translation, providing you with insights in the work of translators in various fields.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through translations, commentaries, essays, translation projects, portfolios, a work placement report and a dissertation.

Professional accreditation

The programme is accredited through its Independent Translation Project module by the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) an internationally recognised professional body. The accreditation offers successful students exemption from one of the three units of the exam leading to the Institute’s own Diploma of Translation (DipTrans).

Where this course can take you

This course will prepare you for different professions in the translation industry (translator, translation project manager, editor, proof-reader, localiser, subtitling). Graduates of this course have become freelance translators or in-house translators in EU and international institutions, multinational companies, news corporations, NGOs, government bodies and many more.