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.

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

Youll 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.

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 Conference Internationale Permanente institutes Universities de Traductors et Interpreters (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. 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 Conference Internationale Permanente institutes Universities de Traductors et Interpreters (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.

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.