Specialised Translation MA

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Course Overview

Attendance

UK Fees £8,500 *
International Fees £15,000 *
Alumni Discount See details
Duration 1 year

* Price per academic year

Course summary

Our Specialised Translation MA offers advanced training in preparation for a career in translation. This course is open to both native and non-native speakers of English who also speak any of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. Native English speakers have the option to combine English with two other languages, while non-native speakers will combine it with one. 

At the heart of the MA are our practical translation classes between English and one of these languages, which are complemented by our Translation Skills Lab module. You'll learn how to research specialised subjects to produce commercially viable translations of a broad range of specialised texts, applying insights drawn from translation theory and professional practice, and, in the Translation Skills Lab, learn about Project Management and Quality Assurance while honing your skills in a simulated translation bureau.

You’ll also study skills-based modules to prepare you for industry and develop your technical skills. In the Audiovisual Translation and Localisation module, you’ll become familiar with the principles and processes of audiovisual translation and the localisation of video games, gaining experience in industry-standard software. 

You’ll engage with computer-assisted translation (CAT) and the post-editing of machine translation output in our Computer-Assisted Translation, Machine Translation, and Post-editing module. Students combining English with two languages will choose either Audiovisual Translation and Localisation or Computer-Assisted Translation, Machine Translation, and Post-editing, while students studying with English and one other language will take both. 

The core Professional Development module will prepare you for your career through CV workshops, career and CPD plans, and visits from guest speakers. Your skills and knowledge acquired in your core modules will be complemented by your choice of option module. At the end of the course, you'll submit an MA Translation Project or Dissertation.

Top reasons to study with us 

  • Prepare for working life – in our Skills Lab module you’ll work on simulated work-based scenarios to put your skills and theoretical knowledge into practice
  • Master the essential software – You’ll learn how to work with a range of industry-standard CAT tools, including Trados and MemoQ, and master the art of subtitling in WinCAPS
  • Boost your CV – hone your career building and professional development skills with our Professional Development module and benefit from the University of Westminster Mentoring scheme
  • Benefit from our wide range of resources, from an extensive collection of volumes and electronic materials in our library, to our state-of-the-art computer labs equipped with a range of specialised software applications
  • Our teaching staff include full and part-time lecturers, all with expertise in professional translation and other specialist fields 
     

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of what you'll study on this course.

You can choose to study one of the following two pathways.

Specialised Translation MA with English and one other language

This pathway is open to both native and non-native English speakers who combine English with one other language.

Core modules

This module offers practical, language-specific translation training, utilising a wide range of specialist texts of the kind you will be expected to handle in a professional context. You'll encounter a wide variety of text types and, in terms of subject area, will typically cover material from an equally wide variety of contexts, such as international and government institutions, economics, finance, business, politics and law, as well as technical and scientific fields such as medicine, pharmacology, engineering, IT, technical product development and the natural and applied sciences. While you will be trained to translate specialised material both into and out of your mother tongue, the focus of assessment on this modules primarily lies on ‘direct’ (into mother tongue/language of habitual use) translation.

Language-specific translation training on his module is complemented and supported by weekly all-cohort, interactive lectures covering a range of conceptual and strategic dimensions of translation in a professional context.

This module equips you with a wide range of practice-oriented skills needed to succeed in the language services industry. The module is delivered in parallel to the Chinese / French / German / Italian / Spanish Specialised Translation module and is designed to complement your acquisition of language-specific translation skills through the holistic development of Computer-assisted Translation and Terminology Management, Project Management, and Quality Assurance skills sets and their application in an extended, multilingual Simulated Translation Bureau (STB). The module fosters and hones high-level skills such as teamwork, professionalism, time-management, self-motivation, and reflective practice, as well as language industry-specific skills such as the confident and effective handling of translation technology in real-world contexts; sales, client, and vendor management; translation project and workflow management across multilingual teams; terminology research and management; translation; transcreation; revision and quality assurance; and final delivery and after-sales tasks.

You'll be guided through the skills acquisition process and the STB by a team of specialist tutors. Learning activities will enable you to reflect on your practice, analyse the quality of your performance, and prepare for a career in a wide range professional, cultural, and social settings. The module benefits from access to a range of specialist software packages and is delivered through interactive seminars, supervised as well as student-led translation labs, simulations, and other situated learning activities. The module scaffolds and facilitates your learning journey on the MA Specialised Translation and MA Translation and Interpreting by consolidating and complementing learning from a range of other modules in a simulated professional setting.

The module is designed for students combining English with any other language who wish to become familiar with the principles and processes of audiovisual translation and the localisation of video games. The module includes instruction in, and hands-on experience with, industry-standard software for subtitling and dubbing, and familiarises you with both the main practical constraints involved in different audiovisual translation, media accessibility, and localisation modalities and the relevance of translation theory to audiovisual translation and localisation.

The module is designed for students combining English with any other language, who wish to become familiar with the nature and particularities of computer-assisted translation (CAT), machine translation (MT) and post-editing. The module will include instruction in industry standard software for translation, providing an in-depth introduction to translation memory, machine translation tools and practical experience of SDL Trados, one of the main packages in use in the industry. You'll also be given the opportunity to sit the SDL Trados Level 1 Certification examination as part of this module.

This module offers a range of seminars and workshops designed to prepare you for your working lives as translators, either in-house or freelance, and is delivered by both academic staff and external speakers with expert knowledge and relevant experience in a range of industry-relevant fields.

Workshops include, for example, marketing yourself as a freelance translator, ethics and professionality, working for international organisations, continuing professional development and working for agencies. The skills, concepts and knowledge that support future employability and reflective practice will be addressed from both a conceptual and practical standpoint.

The MA Translation Project. consists of individual study for and completion of an extended piece of translation, accompanied by an analytic commentary and a set of annotations on the translation process. The module is delivered through a series of workshops linked to online study blocks covering aspects of translation theory and text analysis as well as practical advice on how to complete the Project. You'll also receive individual Project supervision over the course of the module.

The MA Dissertation is the development, execution, and writing-up of an independent research project on a topic of your choice. You'll attend regular research seminars. Individual supervision will provide topic-specific guidance.

Option modules

International Organisations and Institutional Discourse

This module aims to develop a critical understanding of the interaction between language, discourse, and power as it is projected in an institutional communication context. The module is designed to help linguists and communicators to analyse a number of social interactions (speeches, interviews, etc.) and institutional discourses (European Union and United Nations), and to reflect on their own discourse building competences in a professional institutional context. The module supports linguists and communicators in understanding how institutional narratives are created and developed.

Translation as Cultural Practice

This module examines the ways in which translation, conceived as a cultural practice, can be understood within diverse linguistic, social, professional and historical contexts. It invites you to consider not only the immediate cultural implications of translating between two cultural contexts, but also interrogates the notion that translators are culturally neutral or independent of the processes in which they engage.

The concept of cultural practice is also investigated by looking inwards towards the professional contexts of translation in different societies over history, examining the cultures of the translation profession and how these cultures have impacted on the practice of translation.

The module seeks to provide the conceptual underpinning that equips students with critical reflective insight into their own translation practice through exploring a range of culturally inflected texts and textual practices, both written and oral.

Specialised Translation MA with English and two other languages

This pathway is open to native English speakers who combine English with two other languages.

Core modules

This module offers practical, language-specific translation training, utilising a wide range of specialist texts of the kind you will be expected to handle in a professional context. You'll encounter a wide variety of text types and, in terms of subject area, will typically cover material from an equally wide variety of contexts, such as international and government institutions, economics, finance, business, politics and law, as well as technical and scientific fields such as medicine, pharmacology, engineering, IT, technical product development and the natural and applied sciences. While you will be trained to translate specialised material both into and out of your mother tongue, the focus of assessment on this modules primarily lies on ‘direct’ (into mother tongue/language of habitual use) translation.

Language-specific translation training on his module is complemented and supported by weekly all-cohort, interactive lectures covering a range of conceptual and strategic dimensions of translation in a professional context.

This module offers practical, language-specific translation training, utilising a wide range of specialist texts of the kind you will be expected to handle in a professional context. You'll encounter a wide variety of text types and, in terms of subject area, will typically cover material from an equally wide variety of contexts, such as international and government institutions, economics, finance, business, politics and law, as well as technical and scientific fields such as medicine, pharmacology, engineering, IT, technical product development and the natural and applied sciences. While you will be trained to translate specialised material both into and out of your mother tongue, the focus of assessment on this modules primarily lies on ‘direct’ (into mother tongue/language of habitual use) translation.

Language-specific translation training on his module is complemented and supported by weekly all-cohort, interactive lectures covering a range of conceptual and strategic dimensions of translation in a professional context.

This module equips you with a wide range of practice-oriented skills needed to succeed in the language services industry. The module is delivered in parallel to the Chinese / French / German / Italian / Spanish Specialised Translation module and is designed to complement your acquisition of language-specific translation skills through the holistic development of Computer-assisted Translation and Terminology Management, Project Management, and Quality Assurance skills sets and their application in an extended, multilingual Simulated Translation Bureau (STB). The module fosters and hones high-level skills such as teamwork, professionalism, time-management, self-motivation, and reflective practice, as well as language industry-specific skills such as the confident and effective handling of translation technology in real-world contexts; sales, client, and vendor management; translation project and workflow management across multilingual teams; terminology research and management; translation; transcreation; revision and quality assurance; and final delivery and after-sales tasks.

You'll be guided through the skills acquisition process and the STB by a team of specialist tutors. Learning activities will enable you to reflect on your practice, analyse the quality of your performance, and prepare for a career in a wide range professional, cultural, and social settings. The module benefits from access to a range of specialist software packages and is delivered through interactive seminars, supervised as well as student-led translation labs, simulations, and other situated learning activities. The module scaffolds and facilitates your learning journey on the MA Specialised Translation and MA Translation and Interpreting by consolidating and complementing learning from a range of other modules in a simulated professional setting.

Audiovisual Translation and Localisation

The module is designed for students combining English with any other language who wish to become familiar with the principles and processes of audiovisual translation and the localisation of video games. The module includes instruction in, and hands-on experience with, industry-standard software for subtitling and dubbing, and familiarises you with both the main practical constraints involved in different audiovisual translation, media accessibility, and localisation modalities and the relevance of translation theory to audiovisual translation and localisation.

Computer-assisted Translation, Machine Translation, and Post-editing 

The module is designed for students combining English with any other language, who wish to become familiar with the nature and particularities of computer-assisted translation (CAT), machine translation (MT) and post-editing. The module will include instruction in industry standard software for translation, providing an in-depth introduction to translation memory, machine translation tools and practical experience of SDL Trados, one of the main packages in use in the industry. You'll also be given the opportunity to sit the SDL Trados Level 1 Certification examination as part of this module.

This module offers a range of seminars and workshops designed to prepare you for your working lives as translators, either in-house or freelance, and is delivered by both academic staff and external speakers with expert knowledge and relevant experience in a range of industry-relevant fields.

Workshops include, for example, marketing yourself as a freelance translator, ethics and professionality, working for international organisations, continuing professional development and working for agencies. The skills, concepts and knowledge that support future employability and reflective practice will be addressed from both a conceptual and practical standpoint.

The MA Translation Project. consists of individual study for and completion of an extended piece of translation, accompanied by an analytic commentary and a set of annotations on the translation process. The module is delivered through a series of workshops linked to online study blocks covering aspects of translation theory and text analysis as well as practical advice on how to complete the Project. You'll also receive individual Project supervision over the course of the module.

The MA Dissertation is the development, execution, and writing-up of an independent research project on a topic of your choice. You'll attend regular research seminars. Individual supervision will provide topic-specific guidance.

Option modules

International Organisations and Institutional Discourse

This module aims to develop a critical understanding of the interaction between language, discourse and power, as it is projected in an institutional communication context. The module is designed to help linguists and communicators to analyse a number of social interactions (speeches, interviews, etc.), institutional discourses (European Union and United Nations) and to reflect on their own discourse building competences in a professional institutional context. The module supports linguists and communicators in understanding how institutional narratives are created and developed.

Translation as Cultural Practice

This module examines the ways in which translation, conceived as a cultural practice, can be understood within diverse linguistic, social, professional and historical contexts. It invites you to consider not only the immediate cultural implications of translating between two cultural contexts, but also interrogates the notion that translators are culturally neutral or independent of the processes in which they engage.

The concept of cultural practice is also investigated by looking inwards towards the professional contexts of translation in different societies over history, examining the cultures of the translation profession and how these cultures have impacted on the practice of translation.

The module seeks to provide the conceptual underpinning that equips students with critical reflective insight into their own translation practice through exploring a range of culturally inflected texts and textual practices, both written and oral.

Professional recognition

The University of Westminster is a Higher Education Language partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, the Conférence Internationale permanente d’Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI), Elia Exchange, and the UN MoU Network, a group of international signatories to a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations on cooperation in the training of language professionals for the UN language competitive examinations.

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Programme specification

For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).

To request an accessible version please email [email protected]

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Get in touch

Contact us for general course enquiries:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm GMT)

[email protected]

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(Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm GMT)

Open evenings

Join us at an open evening online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.

Careers

The Specialised Translation MA is designed to enable you to succeed as a professional linguist and/or engage in further research. The course has an excellent graduate employment record, and our membership of Elia Exchange ensures that we can assist you in securing high-quality work placements both during the course and following graduation.

 

Enhance your employability

Our course focuses on practical training in translation, and our Professional Development module is designed to prepare you for your career in the industry. 

 

Benefit from our support

As well as being allocated a personal tutor and given academic guidance by the course team, you'll have the opportunity to sign up for a mentoring partnership with a professional linguist though the University of Westminster Mentoring Scheme.

Simulated work-based learning

Our Translation Skills Lab module gives you the opportunity to work on authentic projects taken from industry.

Industry links

The University of Westminster is a Higher Education Language partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and we are also a member of the following organisations: 

  • Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies UK and Ireland (APTIS)
  • Conférence Internationale permanente d’Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI)
  • Institute of Translation and Interpreting
  • UN MoU Network, a group of international signatories to a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations on cooperation in the training of language professionals for the UN language competitive exams

You'll be taught by translation professionals with years of experience gained across the world in a wide range of industries.

Guest speakers

Alumni and other industry professionals regularly attend as guest speakers, with past speakers including:

  • Alessandra Battaglia, freelance Italian translator and interpreter
  • Jesse Browner, English section chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service at the United Nations Headquarters in New York
  • Paul Kaye, English translator at the European Commission
  • Shak Yousaf, audio description manager at IYUNO - SDI Group

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

  • European Commission
  • Hogarth Worldwide
  • SDI Media
  • TranslatePlus
  • United Nations

Job roles

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

  • Editor/Reviser
  • Localiser
  • Quality assurance manager
  • Subtitler
  • Transcreator 
  • Translator
  • Translation project manager
  • Terminologist
  • Vendor manager

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, allowing you to choose from a set of extracurricular activities. 

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

Read more about our Westminster Employability Award.

Westminster Employability Award

Course Leader

Why study this course?

Industry-led translation training

Our course is taught by experienced translation and language industry professionals, and our teaching is based around industry-aligned, real-life scenarios.

Fantastic central London location

You'll be based at our Regent Street Campus in the heart of central London, with easy access to London's huge range of libraries, cultural resources and international businesses and organisations.  

Learn industry software

You'll have the opportunity to learn how to work with a range of industry-standard software for translation and subtitling.

 

 

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2). Linguists without a degree, but with sufficient experience in a relevant area, will also be considered. Applicants will be interviewed in person or on the telephone and set a translation test to check your suitability for the course. The course is open to native speakers of Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Applicants will need fluent written and spoken English. Most successful applicants will have met the IELTS requirement when they submit their application as excellent English language skills are fundamentally important. It is vital that all applicants who do not have English as their first language provide clear details on their application form of the English language qualifications they have achieved and/or the date when they will be taking their IELTS test.

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with 7.0 in writing and 6.0 in each component. 

Applicants are required to submit one academic or professional reference.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process 

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for application

A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2). Linguists without a degree, but with sufficient experience in a relevant area, will also be considered. Applicants will be interviewed in person or on the telephone and set a translation test to check your suitability for the course. The course is open to native speakers of Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Applicants will need fluent written and spoken English. Most successful applicants will have met the IELTS requirement when they submit their application as excellent English language skills are fundamentally important. It is vital that all applicants who do not have English as their first language provide clear details on their application form of the English language qualifications they have achieved and/or the date when they will be taking their IELTS test.

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with 7.0 in writing and 6.0 in each component. 

Applicants are required to submit one academic or professional reference.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process 

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for application

More information

What our students say

Herdis Engels

Herdis Engels

Specialised Translation MA

The MA has broadened my horizons concerning translation theory and increased my confidence in my professional skills. I think the course is the perfect mix of practice and theory, it offers heaps of opportunities to start building a network, to gain additional insights and get information on how the industry works.

Keith Baddeley

Keith Baddeley

Specialised Translation MA

I had a wonderful year at Westminster and after graduating from the MA, I not only launched my career as a freelance linguist, offering Spanish and French to English translation, as well as editing and proofreading services, but also returned to Westminster to take the Subsidiary Language module as a stand-alone course to learn Romanian from scratch for translation purposes.

Andrea Krauss

Andrea Krauss

Specialised Translation MA

Coming to London to do my MA in Specialised Translation at the University of Westminster was definitely the right choice for me. I was really impressed by the high standard of lectures which provided me with the skillset needed to become a successful translator.

Thanks to the excellent events organised by the University, we were able to meet and network with prospective employers and other professionals in the industry, and with help from the committed Careers team, I was able to create a CV that got me a placement with one of these employers.

Learn new skills

Volunteer and gain new skills

We offer a number of different volunteering opportunities for you to learn new skills, create connections, and make a difference in the community.

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Our award-winning Westminster Enterprise Network offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your start-up projects.

Get extra qualifications

We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Fees and Funding

UK tuition fee: £8,500 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There is a range of funding available that may help you fund your studies, including Student Finance England (SFE).

Find out more about postgraduate student funding options.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

International tuition fee: £15,000 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There are a number of funding schemes available to help you fund your studies with us.

Find out more about funding for international students.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

Teaching and Assessment

Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable.  Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.

How you’ll be taught

Teaching methods across all our postgraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into two broad categories:

  • Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
  • Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, dissertation/final project research, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
1
13%87%
Scheduled hoursIndependent study

How you’ll be assessed

Our postgraduate courses include a variety of assessments, which typically fall into three broad categories:

  • Written exams: end of semester exams
  • Practical: examples include presentations, podcasts, blogs
  • Coursework: examples include essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Year
1
13%2%85%
Written examsPracticalCoursework

Data from the academic year 2022/23

Research groups

Our research achieves real-world impact and we are proud to claim a rich and diverse profile of high-quality research and knowledge exchange in a wide range of disciplines.

Find out more about our research groups related to this course:

 

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Supporting you

Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.

  • Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
  • Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
  • Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
  • Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more

Visit our student hub

Course location

Our Regent Campus is composed of three sites, situated on and around Regent Street – one of the most famous and vibrant streets in London.

Our Humanities subjects are based at 309 Regent Street, which includes recently refurbished social spaces, gym facilities and our Regent Street Cinema.

For more details, visit our locations page.

Contact us

Call our dedicated team on:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

[email protected]

Start live chat

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

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