Study at Cardiff | Postgraduate

Translation Studies (MA)

Course Aims

This course offers knowledge and expertise for students wishing to pursue a career as professional translators in the public and private sectors, or who are interested in the study of translation as a basis to pursue a PhD in such disciplines as translation studies, comparative literature, cultural studies or history. Training in translation also prepares students for careers in other language-related professions, including journalism, public relations or language teaching.

Specifically, the programme aims to:

• Facilitate a full understanding of the development of the discipline of Translation Studies and of the practical translation market, and allow the pursuit of specialist or vocational interests within a general framework common to all students on the programme;
• Acquaint students with the main theoretical issues in Translation Studies, and demonstrate how they have a bearing on students’ specialist area of study, be that the practical translation of literary, legal, medical or administrative texts, or the academic study of translation e.g. its theory and history, or the complex, cultural transactions it involves;
• Develop a clear awareness of the problems of understanding and interpretation raised by the practice of translation through analysis of key texts in Translation Studies;
• Promote the development of analytical, practical, evaluative, aesthetic and expository skills that will serve to address these problems in both applied and theoretical contexts;
• Encourage the development of research skills specifically related to the student’s specialist area of interest in order, as appropriate, to prepare the theoretical and methodological groundwork for a dissertation or for an annotated translation project;
• Foster skills in the balanced interpretation of the cultural and linguistic contexts for the practice of translation, in order to enable a solid grasp of the practical implications of political and cultural arguments in the context of Translation Studies;
• Explore and promote the development of effective strategies for managing complex linguistic and cultural transactions.

Special Features

• The programme complies with the guidelines for the European Masters in Translation (EMT) proposed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation.
• The curriculum is designed to offer training in translation that is normally applicable to any source and target-language pairing.
• The programme is aimed at students wishing to pursue a career as professional translators in the European community (public and private sectors) or are interested in translation as a basis to pursue a PhD in such disciplines as Translation Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies or History.
• Introduction to translation technology.
• A training placement module (optional).

Course Description

The programme offers a balanced combination of theory and practice modules.

Part one consists of three compulsory modules:

• Theory of Translation
• Translation Methods and Skills
• All Languages Translation Class

The following optional modules are available:

• Specialised Translation modules
  • Literary translation
  • Politics and Law
  • Business and Administration
  • Scientific and Technical Translation
  • Medical and Pharmaceutical Translation
  • Subtitling
• History of European Translation
• Translation of Minority Languages
• Translation and European Cultures
• Translation and Adaptation in the Arts
• A Training Placement module

Part two of the course requires either a research-based dissertation of 20,000 words or an annotated translation project comprising a translation of approximately 8,000 words in the source text and 12,000 words of reflective commentary.

For further information on the course and programme of study, please view the course handbook.

Student Testimonials

I think that the fact that this course offers a mixture of practical and theoretical modules and of course that graduates of this postgraduate scheme will leave with the skills to translate between any language pairs and not being limited to certain languages make this course very attractive. The fact that the course is accredited is also something very appealing. The staff are always friendly and approachable and are willing to give you that extra bit of help or support.

Alison Mewes, Translation Studies student

Entry Requirements

Candidates should possess or expect to obtain a relevant undergraduate languages degree at a minimum of upper second class honours (2:1) level. Applicants with alternative undergraduate degree backgrounds will be given the opportunity to demonstrate that they possess the appropriate linguistic skills and competences for the programme in the context of the written language test and interview.

Suitable for graduates in language, translation studies, literature and disciplines broadly conceived to have a humanities focus.

Non-native speakers of English are expected to have a recognised English-language qualification (e.g. IELTS 7 or TOEFL 600), as the minimum requirement to be invited to interview. Written and oral competence in English will also be tested at interview.

Note: International students pursuing part-time programmes of study are not eligible for Tier 4 (General Student) visas and must have alternative leave to remain in the UK if they intend to study at the University in person.

Next intake: September each year

More information

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