Literary Translation Studies (MA) (2025 Entry)

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Course code

P-Q3PB

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Warwick Writing Programme, SCAPVC

Location

University of Warwick

Course code

P-Q3PB

Start date

29 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time;
2 years part-time

Qualification

Led by

Warwick Writing Programme, SCAPVC

Location

University of Warwick

Meet us

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Find out more about our Literary Translation Studies MA degree at Warwick

The MA in Literary Translation Studies lets you combine your intellectual talents with your professional ambitions, gaining a strong grounding in translation theory, history and philosophy, whilst benefitting from our distinct emphasis on the practice of literary translation.

Course overview

The MA in Literary Translation Studies is aimed at students whose language combination includes English and any other language. This might be a language that you have studied formally in an academic setting, a language that is part of your cultural heritage, a 'big' language or a 'small' language, a modern language or a classical language; it can be a language from anywhere in the world.

You do not have to be a native speaker of English but you should feel confident about translating into English from your other language(s).

The MA in Literary Translation Studies will teach you to think critically and theoretically about translation, but it will also hone your practical translation skills. Our practising literary translators will introduce you to the 'real world' of literary translation should you wish to work in the field after completing your degree.

You may pursue your studies full-time or part-time and we endeavour to support and take into consideration the needs and existing commitments of part-time and commuting students.

Skills from this degree

Training in literary translation
Expertise in intercultural difference and understanding
Advanced editing skills

Warwick Writing Programme

In the Warwick Writing Programme, which is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Europe, creative writing and literary translation are taught side by side. We are home to the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, which was established in 2017 to encourage the translation of more international women's literature into English.

You will be working alongside practising, award-winning literary translators, novelists and poets including Maureen Freely (Chair of the International Booker Prize 2019 and translator of Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk).

Further information about the MA in Literary Translation Studies is available on the Warwick Writing Programme websiteLink opens in a new window.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in English Literature, Modern Languages or a related subject.

Applicants should supply a short (approximately 250 words of prose or 15 lines of poetry) literary translation into English, along with a copy of the source text and a 250-word reflection on the issues you faced while translating this text into English. Please upload your translation sample with your application or as soon as possible thereafter.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

Band C
IELTS overall score of 7.5, minimum component scores of two at 6.5/7.0 and the rest at 7.5 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.

Academic References

We typically ask for one academic reference for taught courses, and two academic references for research courses.

You will be asked to include an email address for your referee(s) when submitting your application and we will contact them for you.

View our guide to academic references.Link opens in a new window

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Modules

Core modules

Important information 

We are planning to make changes to our Literary Translation Studies (MA) degree for 2025 entry. Our courses will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer. 

Translation Studies in Theory and Practice

This module seeks to provide an overview of the development of Translation Studies as a discipline since the 1970s but also of “pre-scientific” thought on translation dating from the classical era. The module simultaneously provides an overview of translation theory, history and philosophy, and explores how translation theory relates to translation practice and to the study of translated texts.

Literary Translation and Creative (Re-) Writing Workshop

This module is a workshop in which you will produce translations of already translated and canonical texts – classical and modern – and experiment with translational norms and forms.

The Practice of Literary Translation 

This module draws on the ideas and practices of the eminent scholar and translator Michael Henry Heim, who led a writing workshop on literary translation at UCLA for more than thirty years.

(NB: these translation workshops will generally be offered on biannual rotation, subject to availability).

Dissertation

The capstone dissertation module allows you to pursue an independent project in the field of literary translation studies, developing specialised insight into your selected topic. You may choose one of two options: a) a research-based project that engages with a topic related to the theory, methodology, practice, history, sociology or philosophy of translation, or b) a practice-based project comprised of an extended literary translation with an accompanying critical reflection.

Optional core modules

You will take one optional core module in a translation-relevant subject area within the Faculty of Arts, subject to the approval of the degree convenor. We have a broad understanding of what “translation-relevant” might constitute in the context of individual students’ interests and needs.

Previously, a selection of the following optional cores has been offered:

Stylistics Workshop
Writing Human Rights and Injustice
Non-Fiction Writing Workshop
Trans/national Cultures
Multilingualism
Caliban's Legacy in the Caribbean
The Lure of Italy

Optional modules

You may choose one optional module from available modules in the Warwick Writing Programme, the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), or other academic units in the Faculty of Arts. Taking modules outside the home department is subject to the prior approval of both the module instructor and the MA in Literary Translation Studies Convenor.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Teaching

Two-or three-hour weekly lectures, seminars or workshops for each module. There are two core taught modules (one in Term One and one in Term Two). Students also take an optional core taught module and an optional taught module (one in either term), attend Research Methods training and write a dissertation.

For your dissertation, you may either pursue a research project or work on a literary translation with an accompanying critical reflection. You will be allocated a supervisor and the expectation is that you will meet with your supervisor throughout the year.

If you are a part-time student, you will generally take both core modules and complete your Research Methods training in Year One, and take your optional core and optional modules plus write your dissertation in Year Two.

Class sizes

Seminars are capped at 15 students.

Typical contact hours

You will receive a minimum of 4 contact hours per week during Term One and Two.

Assessment

Assessment for modules typically takes the form of a 6,000-word research essay or translation portfolio. Assessment for the dissertation is a 16,000-word research project or literary translation with critical reflection.

Additional course costs

You are expected to buy the set primary texts for each module you study.

The module Translation Studies in Theory and Practice has a set text that is available for purchase from the bookshop. The module typically also requires students to purchase a student theatre ticket for a performance at the Warwick Arts Centre in Term One.

Reading lists

If you would like to view reading lists for current or previous cohorts of students, most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library on the Talis Aspire platformLink opens in a new window. 

You can search for reading lists by module title, code or convenor. Please see the modules tab of this page or the module catalogueLink opens in a new window.  

Please note that some reading lists may have restricted access or be unavailable at certain times of year due to not yet being published. If you cannot access the reading list for a particular module, please check again later or contact the module’s host department. 

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Careers

A career in writing

Our staff have excellent links not only with other writers but also with publishing houses, literary journals and agencies, with national and regional organizations such as PEN and the Society of Authors, and with other creative writing programmes both in Britain and in the USA. We are also the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Many of our alumni have forged highly successful writing careers and picked up major national and international prizes: recent examples include Cynthia Miller being shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Poetry Collection 2021, Sophie Mackintosh's novel The Water Cure, Katy Whitehead winning the 2017 Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Michael Askew winning a 2021 Eric Gregory Award for The Association Game, and Sohini Basak's debut collection We Live in the Newness of Small Differences winning the 2016 Beverly Series.

At Warwick Thursdays, our weekly literary and cultural salon, you will encounter creative practitioners (typically including writers, filmmakers, literary translators, visual artists) and industry guests (including publishers, agents, journalists), gaining an insight into a range of possible careers in the creative industries.

Department

Warwick Writing Programme

Welcome to the Warwick Writing Programme, an internationally acclaimed writing programme that attracts writers and literary translators from across the globe. If you join us, you will immerse yourself in contemporary and experimental narratives, including screenwriting, literary translation, gaming, creative non-fiction, spoken word, and fieldwork.

We foster and maintain excellent creative industry links and networks to enable our students to achieve their career ambitions. We are the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our teaching staff of novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, screenwriters and literary translators includes A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely, Gonzalo C. Garcia, David Morley, Lucy Brydon, Dragan Todorovic, and Jodie Kim.

Find out more about us on our website.

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Application deadlines

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2026 opens on 2 October 2025.

Applications close on 2 August 2026 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

Useful links

Applicant portal
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Admissions statement
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2024 entry

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Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

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by the UK's top 100 graduate employers (The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd)

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Page updates

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history.

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2026 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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Literary Translation Studies (MA) (2025 Entry)

Find out more about our Literary Translation Studies MA degree at Warwick

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Why Warwick

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