MA Translation (Online)

For the diploma element of the programme you must complete six taught units, consisting of compulsory and optional units.

Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our online Postgraduate Diploma in Translation.

In order to obtain the MA, you must complete a dissertation. The dissertation unit is open to any student who has successfully completed the diploma element of the course with an average mark of 50% or above. The dissertation may be practice-based (an annotated translation of a previously untranslated text) or research-based (focusing on translation, translation theory, the translation industry and related fields).

This programme is delivered online. No on-campus attendance is required.

Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our online MA in Translation.

You have the option to study for the MA Translation over one year full time or over two or three years part time to fit around other commitments such as work or caring responsibilities. The Higher Education regulator defines studying full time as the equivalent of a full working week, so the opportunity to work alongside full-time study will be very limited. A part-time degree over two or three years cuts the annual workload by half or two-thirds, respectively. Please note, the workload will vary throughout the year; for example, there will be busier periods before an essay submission deadline.

You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in a relevant language (French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish), or any other degree subject, provided the language qualifications of study are equivalent to a minimum score of C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Non-traditional qualifications/routes may also be considered. Applicants without the necessary academic linguistic background may be asked to complete a translation and/or diagnostic test.

If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.

We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.

We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing details of your relevant qualifications:

evidence of significant, relevant work experience. Professional or significant volunteer experience translating.

• Working in an international company as a translator
• Project managing or Quality Control in a translation company
• Work within an international company or in a bilingual or multilingual context
• Professional language-related activity, e.g., Journalism, editing, lexicography/dictionary compilation, publishing, broadcasting
• Teaching in modern languages
• A relevant postgraduate qualification

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.