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Business and Public Service Interpreting and Translation Studies, MA

University of Leeds, the United Kingdom

University of Leeds

Study options for this course

The award How you will study Study duration Course start Domestic course fees International course fees
MAFull-time12 monthsSeptemberGBP 9250 per totalGBP 18500 per total

About Business and Public Service Interpreting and Translation Studies, MA - at University of Leeds

Develop high-level interpreting and translation skills on this challenging degree, where you'll use state-of-the-art technology to gain the knowledge base and practical skills to succeed in the language services industry.

You'll gain essential skills in interpreting, analysis, active listening and note-taking, then build on this foundation by practising specialised liaison and simultaneous interpreting in our interpreting facilities. You'll also develop an awareness of the markets and environments in which interpreters work including international business as well as an understanding of legal and medical interpreting. At the same time, you'll deepen your understanding of translation theory and practice. You can also choose from optional modules informed by the leading research of our staff such as genre analysis, corpus linguistics, computer-assisted translation and machine translation.

Contracted practitioners and leading academics come together in our Centre for Translation Studies. This exciting programme will prepare you to succeed in a competitive and rewarding sector.

Centre for Translation Studies

We have excellent facilities and resources to support your studies. Our conference interpreting facilities are equipped with single and double interpreter booths, and a video link to practise remote interpreting. The Electronic Resources and Information Centre (ERIC) will be the centre of your translation work, complete with 59 high-spec PCs and a wide range of specialist software for translation and subtitling.

The Centre for Translation Studies benefits from close links with organisations such as the Institute for Translation and Interpreting as well as the EU and UN (in Geneva and Vienna). This programme is regulated by a Memorandum of Understanding between the University and the Directorate General for Interpretation and Conferences of the European Parliament - a testament to our success in training conference interpreters.

It's a great opportunity to prepare for a career in the language services industry in a city that's full of cultural and linguistic diversity.

  • Course content

    Throughout the year you'll be introduced to the key methods and approaches in translation studies in a core module. In your first semester you'll also begin to develop interpreting skills and work on specialised translation in your chosen languages. You may continue with translation in the following semester, while you'll build on your interpreting skills by practising simultaneous and liaison.

    In either semester, you can choose optional modules on topics like public speaking and genre analysis in translation. You'll also complete a summer project by the end of the course in September, which could be either a dissertation or two extended pieces of translation work.

    In your interpreting modules (including business interpreting and public service interpreting), you will be trained to interpret both ways between one active language (currently Chinese, Arabic, French, Portuguese) and English. We don't offer training in any combination of languages that doesn't include your first language.

    Please see our admissions web pages for a list of available language pairs.

    Course structure

    These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

    Year 1

    Compulsory modules

    • Methods and Approaches in Translation Studies 30 credits
    • Public Service Interpreting 15 credits
    • Interpreting Skills: Consecutive and Simultaneous 15 credits
    • Retour Interpreting: Consecutive 15 credits
    • Advanced Retour Interpreting: Consecutive and Simultaneous 15 credits
    • Business Interpreting 15 credits

    Optional modules

    • Translation for International Organisations (English-Arabic) 15 credits
    • Principles and Applications of Machine Translation 15 credits
    • Introduction to Screen Translation 15 credits
    • Corpus Linguistics for Translators 15 credits
    • English for Translators 15 credits
    • Rhetoric and Public Speaking 15 credits
    • Genres in Translation 15 credits
    • International Organisations: Context, Theory and Practice 15 credits
    • Literary Translation 15 credits
    • Writing for Professional Purposes 15 credits
    • Introduction to Translation Technologies and Workflows 15 credits
    • Specialised French-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised German-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Italian-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Portuguese-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Russian-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Spanish-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised English-Arabic Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised French-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised German-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Italian-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Portuguese-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Russian-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Spanish-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised English-Arabic Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Arabic-English Translation 15 credits
    • Specialised English-Chinese Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Arabic-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised English-Chinese Translation B 15 credits
    • Dissertation: Translation Studies 30 credits
    • Extended Translations 30 credits
    • Specialised English-Japanese Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Chinese-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Japanese-English Translation A 15 credits
    • Specialised Chinese-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised Japanese-English Translation B 15 credits
    • Specialised English-Japanese Translation B 15 credits
    • Simultaneous Interpreting: Portuguese 15 credits
    • Simultaneous Interpreting: Arabic 15 credits
    • Simultaneous Interpreting: Chinese 15 credits
    • Simultaneous Interpreting: French 15 credits
    • Show more

    For more information on typical modules, read Business and Public Service Interpreting and Translation Studies MA in the course catalogue

    Learning and teaching

    Our interpreting trainers are practising professionals with experience of working in international organisations, as well as on the private market. We use a range of teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from their expertise including workshops, lectures, seminars, practicals and other supervised practice. Independent study is also an important part of the programme.

    Assessment

    We use different forms of assessment, depending on the types of modules you choose. Normally these will include essays, assignments and reports as well as exams, in-course oral assessment and occasionally case studies. Translation modules will also include translation tests.

  • Applying, fees and funding

    Entry requirements

    A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (Hons), as well as an excellent command of English and one or more foreign languages. If you don't have a degree, equivalent experience will be considered.

    We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information contact the Centre for Translation Studies admissions team.

    English language requirements

    IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in reading and writing and 7.5 in speaking and listening.. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

    How to apply

    Application deadlines

    Interpreting programmes with Chinese: 31 March 2018

    All other interpreting programmes:

    UK/EU: 4 September 2018

    International: 28 August 2018

    It can take between four and six weeks to assess an application, so we advise you to apply as early as possible. Application deadlines for many scholarships are also much earlier than the application deadline.

    To account for this, we recommend you submit your application and all supporting documents before 30 April 2018.

    • Apply

    This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
     
    If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

    Documents and information you'll need

    • Your degree transcripts and certificates, or a partial transcript of all the marks you've achieved so far if you're still studying
    • We do not generally request references, unless further information is required to support the assessment of your application
    • Evidence of your English language proficiency if English isn't your first language.
    • You'll also need to complete a translation test for each language combination you're looking to study.


    Next steps

    If we decide to progress your application, we'll invite you to an interview conducted in English and the languages you wish to study. After the interview, if you are not successful but your translation tests are at the right standard, we may offer you a place on a translation-only programme instead.

    Read more about Admissions.

    Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

    Fees

    UK/EU: £9,250 (total)

    International: £18,500 (total)

    Additional cost information

    There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

  • Career opportunities

    Postgraduate qualifications from the Centre for Translation Studies are prestigious and respected. They equip you with valuable skills to succeed in a thriving and competitive industry, as well as advanced communication, research, IT and analytical skills.

    Graduates from our interpreting programmes are working in some of the world's leading government bodies, media organisations, NGOs, private companies and international political organisations. These include the BBC, UN, EU, World Bank, World Trade Organization, SAP and translation companies such as thebigword and SDL.

    Careers support

    We work alongside you to support you in developing and then achieving your career goals. You'll discuss your customised personal development plan with your personal tutor.

    In addition you'll have the chance to attend our Research and Professionalisation Talks by visiting speakers, many of whom are currently practising translators, interpreters, project managers and subtitlers for some of the world's largest organisations.

  • Related courses

    Applied Translation Studies MA
    Arabic/English Translation MA
    Audiovisual Translation Studies MA
    Conference Interpreting and Translation Studies MA
    Professional Language and Intercultural Studies MA
  • Entry requirements

    A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons)

    Language requirements
    IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in reading and writing and 7.5 in speaking and listening.

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