Program Overview

Our Translation and Interpreting MA is open to native and non-native speakers of English, who also speak any of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. The course provides you with extensive professional training aimed at the translation and interpreting markets, building on your existing language skills to develop a career in those sectors.

The MA involves translation as well as conference and public service interpreting between one main language (Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish) and English. You'll learn how to research specialised subjects for professional translation and interpreting purposes and hone your translation and interpreting skills by extensive practice, applying insights drawn from linguistics and translation and interpreting theory as well as from professional practice. You'll also engage with a comprehensive programme of professional development activities and will further complement the knowledge and skills acquired on the core modules by choosing either Translation as Cultural Practice or International Liaison as an option module. At the end of the course, you'll submit an MA Interpreting Project, an MA Translation Project, or an MA Dissertation.

Studying at Westminster, you'll benefit from our wide range of resources, including an extensive collection of volumes and electronic materials in our library, a state-of-the-art language lab and extensive conference interpreting facilities, and additional resources made available through the University's Virtual Learning Environment. Our teaching staff includes full and part-time lecturers, all with expertise in translation and interpreting and other specialist fields. You'll be allocated a personal tutor and be given academic guidance by the course team.

The course emphasis is on practical training in translation and interpreting, developing your skills to a high level and learning about the professional environments. Your core Specialised Translation modules will involve both direct and inverse translation training between English and Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. The majority of your translation assessments, including the final translation exam, will, however, be conducted into your mother tongue only. You'll translate texts in a wide variety of specialised topics, types, and genres (together with their respective specialist vocabularies and discursive contexts), developing the practical translation skills and techniques that will provide a solid foundation for a career as a professional translator.

You'll also study conference and public service interpreting, into and out of English, in your core Interpreting modules, and acquire a range of additional skills, including career building and professional development skills, through the remaining core and option modules.

Your studies will be further supported by regular student-led interpreting practice sessions and mock conferences, weekly lectures on the theoretical concepts and principles of translation and interpreting, introductory workshops on a range of translation memory tools, guest lectures and workshops delivered by external speakers from industry and international institutions, and the opportunity to take part in the University of Westminster Mentoring scheme, which connects students and recent graduates with professionals for a mentoring partnership.