Why choose this course

Originally launched in 1986, our Translation MA is one of the longest-running in the world. Incorporating decades of experience in translator education, we attract students from all over the globe.

Our teaching combines professional translation experience with expertise in translation studies. As a UK centre of excellence in Translation Studies, we are guided by an ambitious research programme. This focuses on the responsible integration of tried-and-tested professional translation practices with fast-evolving language technologies, including translation memories, term management software, corpus linguistics as an aid to translation, machine translation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT.

The programme is designed to meet the true needs of today’s translation market, enabling you to develop a professional CV as you study.

What you will study

The course has a strong practical component that includes translation practice in the following languages paired with English: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Polish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Other languages are available upon request, subject to a minimum number of students.

You will develop professional translation skills under the coordinated guidance of professional translators and experienced academics. You will simulate real-life translation scenarios and cover a variety of specialisms, as you develop a solid grounding in the linguistic, cognitive, technological, quality, social and ethical dimensions of the profession. You will learn to understand, discuss and justify translation processes and translation product decisions. You will confront a wide range of translation challenges, learn to use cutting-edge software to enhance your practice, including computer-assisted translation tools, corpus linguistics software for translation, machine translation, and the responsible use of generative AI tools. In doing so, you will gain a critical understanding of how technologies impact the profession.

Careers and graduate prospects

We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.

There is a growing demand for novel modes of translation and multilingual language services that our MA Translation students are specifically prepared for.

The course’s work placement dissertation option enables you to gain professional experience and nurture a close relationship with a prospective employer. We are regularly contacted by stakeholders from the language services industry wishing to recruit Surrey MA Translation students and recent graduates.