Translation Studies
Entry requirements
The language you intend to translate into needs to be your mother tongue language or a language you use regularly.
If you want to translate into a language that you use regularly, but isn't your mother tongue, you may need to provide evidence of your language proficiency.
We typically expect you have an Honours degree level at a 2:1 in the language(s) you intend to translate from. If you don't hold a degree in your ‘second’ language, you may need to provide other evidence of proficiency. This needs to be equivalent to a minimum of level C1 on the Common European Framework for Languages.
If you don't hold a languages or humanities-related Honours degree, you may need to provide evidence of relevant work experience.
We can accommodate a range of language pairings. These are:
- English to Mandarin but not Mandarin to English (if you'd like to translate in both directions, you can do this on our MA Translation Studies Distance Learning)
- French to English and English to French
- Italian to English and English to Italian
- Russian to English and English to Russian
- Spanish to English and English to Spanish
- Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese
- German to English and English to German
- English to Greek and Greek to English
- English to Catalan and Catalan to English
Months of entry
September
Course content
Prepare for a career as a professional translator. Our industry-focussed course gives you the translation and project management skills to stand out in the sector.
This course is for anyone looking to begin a career as a translator or enhance their existing career in the sector. You'll join our global community of translators and develop industry-specific skills.
We also offer a distance learning programme over 18 or 30 months. Find out more about the MA Translation Studies (Distance Learning).
At Birmingham, we work closely with translation agencies and freelancers to prepare you for professional employment in the translator industry.
You can take a Professional Development module where you'll develop the skills you need to excel as a professional translator. We have strong links with industry and organise talks from professionals, as well as advertising mentoring and internship opportunities. You'll get to build your networks from day one.
- The University is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers report).
- We’re a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies, UK and Ireland, and the Association of Translation Companies.
- Develop the employability skills you need for the translation industry with modules covering translation theory and practice.
- Access translation software, including translation memory tools, corpus and text analysis tools and post-editing tools, plus SDL Studio Freelance licences.
At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in Translation Studies.
- Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
- Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching.
- Dissertation - you will undertake a 15,000-word dissertation in an area that interests you. This can be a traditional written dissertation or an extended translation project, translating a 7,500-word text of your choice, plus a 7,500-word commentary on the text.
Information for international students
If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification. You'll need to have an IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.5 in any band or equivalent.
For this course we require IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.5 in any band, which is equivalent to:
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 22 in Reading, 20 Listening, 22 Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 67 with no less than 67 in all four skills
- Cambridge English: C1 Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 176 in any component
- LanguageCert ESOL SELT (UKVI): B2 'Communicator' with no less than 33 in each skill
Fees and funding
The College of Arts and Law is a vibrant community of students and academics, dedicated to ensuring that excellence is rewarded, and that fears about finance do not constrain current or prospective students. For this reason, in addition to University funding schemes, we offer our own College-specific funding initiatives.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
The MA in Translation Studies is designed for practising translators, linguists, and anyone interested in translation as an area of study.
Course contact details
- Name
- Postgraduate enquiry service