The MA in Translation and Cultures aims to provide students with a rigorous academic grounding in the theoretical and practical study of translation. The programme is alive to the complexities of negotiating transcultural experience and informed by the rapidly developing field of academic research in Translation and Transcultural Studies. This taught MA will equip students with the necessary theoretical awareness and practical skills to significantly enhance their effectiveness as translators and intercultural mediators, as well as with the critical skills for the language industry and the translation profession. The research component is significant in this academic postgraduate degree, which offers integrated research skills training and the possibility to do a final Dissertation on a research topic. Students who prefer to get more translation practice can also opt for a final Dissertation comprising an original translation and an analytical commentary.

Languages

English AND one or more of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish ('Chinese' is limited to standard Mandarin Chinese).

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Modules

Core modules

• CW908 Translation Studies in Theory and Practice (Term 1)
• LN902 Translation Portfolio (Term 1)
• LN906 Research Skills in Modern Languages (Terms 1 and 2)
• LN904 Dissertation in Translation Studies (Terms 2 and 3).

Optional modules

• LN903 Trans/national Cultures (Term 2)
• LN905 Multilingualism and Global Cultures (Term 2)

• LN910 Translation and Transcultural Encounters between China and the West (Term 2)

• CW915 The Practice of Literary Translation (offered by The Writing Programme, SCAPVC)
• EN9C2 Literature and the Life Course (offered by English and Comparative Literature)
• EN9C7 Critical Theory, Culture, Resistance (offered by English and Comparative Literature)
• Other options:

See here a full list of MA modules offered in SMLC, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. Please note some modules may not run if there are insufficient numbers.

With the agreement of the Director of Graduate Studies and MA Convenor, you may be able to take MA modules offered by other departments in the Faculty of Arts and wider University, subject to availability. Other Departments typically offering PG modules in Term 2 (subject to availability) include Film and Television, History, the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), Philosophy and Centre for the Study of the Renaissance.

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Entry requirements

Minimum requirements: 2.ii undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject, e.g. a single or combined Honours Undergraduate degree in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Translation Studies, or another Humanities subject. You will need to provide proof of high-level competence in spoken and written English and in at least one of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. Knowledge of a third language amongst the ones mentioned above is valued, but not required.

Language competence: Applicants will need to indicate their level of competence in the language(s) other than English (UG degree level or equivalent to C1 in the CEFR); if formal evidence cannot be provided, applicants will be assessed individually by the School. Applicants whose first language is not English or whose first degree was not taught entirely in English (equivalent to a UK qualification) will need to provide formal evidence of the following English language requirements.

English language requirements Band B
IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above

International Students
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications. For more information please visit the international entry requirements page.

In all cases
We require one academic reference confirming your Undergraduate performance and your suitability for this course.

The deadline for applications is the 15th of July immediately preceding commencement of study.

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How you will learn

This is a taught MA with a significant research component in the form of a compulsory Dissertation, which you will be supported in writing by an expert Dissertation Supervisor. The core Translation Portfolio includes provision for group tutorials and peer-to-peer feedback alongside scheduled teaching in a mixed workshop/seminar format. The course will involve 35 hours of work per week, typically comprising 3 hours of seminar teaching, 1 hour of lectures, up to 1 hour of tutoring and 30 hours of independent study over Terms 1 and 2; in Term 3, which is focused on the Dissertation, you will work closely with your supervisor through one-to-one supervision meetings.

How you will be assessed

Modules are assessed by written assignments, consisting of essays, translations and/or analytical commentaries on translations, as well as by portfolio with translations in the case of some core and optional modules.

From the Spring term students will start to work on their Dissertation, following one of the three possible models: (a) translation with commentary; (b) a comparative commentary on existing translations; or (c) a research dissertation on a topic related to translation and/or transcultural studies.

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Extra curricular activities

You will benefit from regular guest lectures, from reseach seminars by internationally renowned scholars to talks by translators and industry representatives. Other extra curricular activities include a reading group in Translation Studies, where staff and students meet to informally discuss and share their views about a piece of academic writing.

For other events and engagement activities, such as international conferences or translation prizes, please check our dedicated website.

Students doing the MA in Translation and Cultures are also encouraged to attend other research events happening at Warwick, particularly those related to the Migration, Identity, and Translation Network with a regular series of events on Wednesdays. Other more practice-based events related to translation or creative writing, are organised by our colleagues of the Warwick Writing Programme, the so called Warwick Thursdays.

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Fees and Scholarships

Tuition fees are reviewed annually. Part-time students pay a pro-rata version of full-time fees. For more information about current student fees, please visit the Fees and Expenses website (taught course fees) and the Student Finance website.

At Warwick there are some opportunities for scholarships for Postgraduate Taught programmes, both for UK and international students:

• Alumni Discount Scheme (all Warwick graduates qualify for a 10% tuition fee discount, please see here).
• Warwick Taught Masters Scholarship Scheme (all details here, including deadlines eligibility criteria).
• Li Xiaoming Scholarship (all details here, including deadlines and eligibility criteria).

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We are a founding member of APTIS, the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies in the UK and Ireland.

We are a corporate member of ITI, the Institute for Translation and Interpreting in the UK, so you will have access to professional advice and support, including events, workshops, journals and career bulletins.

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Recent graduate Deirdre McMahon on studying translation at Warwick: