phd translation studies ucl

Translation: Translation Studies MA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Translation: Translation Studies MA (2024), click here

The Translation: Translation Studies MA will give you the skills needed to thrive in the field of translation in both the private and public sectors. This programme enables you to advance your practical translation and technology skills while focusing on a specific language. Taught at UCL, you’ll learn from renowned specialist translation experts and enjoy regular workshops with leaders from the translation industry.

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26), programme starts, applications accepted.

Applications open

• Entry requirements

A minimum of a first or high upper second-class Bachelor's degree (average 65%) in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Students should only translate out of a language in which they have an advanced level minimum and should only translate into a language in which they have native-level proficiency (language combinations subject to availability).

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Translation: Translation Studies MA allows you to focus on a specific language, gaining practical experience of translation and the critical and analytical skills required for research and employment. You will also choose from a range of translation modules covering theoretical and technological topics. The dissertation project provides a bespoke opportunity to showcase your translation interests and abilities in an extended annotated translation.

Optional advanced translation modules are available to students in the following languages: Dutch, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian languages, and Spanish. We also offer optional modules with language-specific strands (subject to availability). The individual modules listed below outline the available languages and usually include a wide range of European languages as well as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian. We are also able to offer Ukrainian (subject to availability - please contact the MA director). Please visit our Postgraduate Modules page for more details. 

Who this course is for

The programme is particularly suitable for graduates with a language and culture degree who wish to develop practical translation skills alongside an understanding of theoretical aspects of translation, for professional development or further research in this field. A sound knowledge of at least one language other than English is essential.

What this course will give you

Located in the heart of multicultural London, UCL provides a uniquely rich environment for studying and researching translation in all its facets. Students are taught by specialist translation staff with a diverse range of research interests including literary translation and theatre translation.

The MA is truly interdisciplinary with access to experts in an unrivalled variety of languages and disciplines from across Europe and further afield. This allows students to customise the programme in relation to their language competencies and other academic and professional interests.

UCL translation students are highly valued by the translation industry, with workshops and networking events organised during the year.

The foundation of your career

Former Translation MA students have gone on to complete further postrgaduate study or work as authors writers and translators for companies such as Rosetta Translation, Morning Side Translation and Translate Plus. Graduates also acquire transferable skills that lead them into careers within journalism, accountancy and financial services, PR, IT, Technology, marketing, health and social care or other educational activities; examples include our graduates who are now working for Oxford University Press, RWS Group, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Codex Global Ltd.*

* Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency ( HESA ), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.

Employability

The programme aims to provide graduates with a range of vocational skills to enable them to pursue careers in the fields of translation and interpreting. Transferable skills include intercultural understanding; translation and communication skills; and analytical rigour. 

CenTraS graduates may look to enter both the translation industry and the academic sector, whether in the UK, China, or elsewhere. Other suitable career paths include media, publishing, education, the cultural and heritage sectors, consulting, and civil and diplomatic services.

Our location offers students access to special collections in modern languages and culture at UCL and other world-class libraries nearby such as the Senate House Library and the British Library. 

These resources, besides their collections of books, articles, videos, sound recordings and non-public online resources, offer a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other opportunities to exchange ideas. Other libraries and research centres within walking distance of campus include the British Museum, Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, Institute of Historical Research and The Warburg Institute.

UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to skills development, recruitment and networking events.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical translation exercises, case studies, tutorials and private study, depending on the options chosen. The Third Term is devoted to revision sessions and the dissertation project. 

Students are assessed by a variety of methods. The core modules are assessed by essays and coursework. Optional modules are assessed through unseen and written examinations, coursework, translation projects and essays. Teaching sessions are interactive, with a limited amount of lecturer presentation and an emphasis on student participation and critical discussion.

For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. The majority of our courses have around 10-12 hours' teaching time spent in lectures and seminars.

For a part-time postgraduate course, your contact hours would usually be 5-6 hours per week across 2-3 days and we recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study per week. Those undertaking language modules may have additional contact hours.

There is minimal teaching during the Third Term, which focusses on the dissertation and assessment. 15-credit modules involve 150 learning hours and for 30-credit modules, 300 hours. Approximately one-third of the hours is allocated for the assessment exercise. The remainder is divided between class time and self-directed study. Hours expected to be dedicated to private reading far exceed the hours of class attendance.

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, including two core modules and the dissertation module. Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering in consultation with the programme director, to ensure your workload is balanced between terms.

During the academic year, you will take compulsory modules designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and provide you with the specific skills to research, write essays and support the dissertation. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules from the suggested list (see Optional modules). In addition to your taught modules, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. This work will continue into the Third Term and across the remainder of the academic year. You will develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor.

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, including two core modules and the dissertation module. Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering in consultation with the programme director to ensure your workload is balanced across the two years if studying part-time.

In the First Year, you will take compulsory modules designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation module and to provide you with the specific skills to research, write essays and support the dissertation. These modules set the foundation for the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation.

In the Second Year, you will take optional modules to develop a broader understanding of theoretical, technological and language topics, as well as developing key concepts learnt in the First Year. You will also formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will then spend the summer of the Second Year researching and writing your dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your supervisor.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Translation: Translation Studies. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Translation: Translation Studies.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team .

27 January 2025

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Translation Studies (Morning)

09:00 — 10:00

Are you interested in an MA / MSc in Translation at The Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS) at UCL? Join us online for one of our Q&A sessions. Further information: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-languages-culture/translation-studies-ma-msc

Graduate Open Events: Translation Studies (Afternoon)

14:00 — 15:00

Are you interested in an MA / MSc in Translation at The Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS) at UCL? Join us online for one of our Q&A sessions. Further information: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-languages-culture/translation-studies-ma-msc.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

There is no fee deposit required for PG Dip and PG Cert applicants.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees .

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, or conference registration fees and associated travel costs.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide .

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees .

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

• why you want to study Translation: Translation Studies at graduate level
• why you want to study Translation: Translation Studies at UCL
• what particularly attracts you to this programme
• how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
• where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Got questions get in touch.

Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry

[email protected]

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Translation Studies (CMII) MPhil/PhD University College London

Course options

Qualification.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

UCL (University College London)

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Course summary

Research proposals which engage with theoretical, linguistic and technical aspects of translation and interpreting are welcomed. Examples of current research projects undertaken by PhD students in Translation Studies include the translation of humour in video games, the subtitling of gender stereotypes, translating British and American science fiction, exploring the notion of reflexivity in translation, and translating Arab political speeches.

With the research training and experience gained during the PhD, students are excellently placed to pursue a career in the fields of academia and professional translating and interpreting. Recent PhD graduates have gone on to pursue postdoctoral study, have obtained lectureships in translation studies at reputable universities in the UK and abroad (Australia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan), and have joined companies such as British Telecom, Expedia and Paramount.

Tuition fees

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£ 28,100 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

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UCL (University College London), Gower Street, London, Camden, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

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Translation Studies (CMII) MPhil/PhD

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Research proposals which engage with theoretical, linguistic and technical aspects of translation and interpreting are welcomed. Examples of current research projects undertaken by PhD students in Translation Studies include the translation of humour in video games, the subtitling of gender stereotypes, translating British and American science fiction, exploring the notion of reflexivity in translation, and translating Arab political speeches.

With the research training and experience gained during the PhD, students are excellently placed to pursue a career in the fields of academia and professional translating and interpreting. Recent PhD graduates have gone on to pursue postdoctoral study, have obtained lectureships in translation studies at reputable universities in the UK and abroad (Australia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan), and have joined companies such as British Telecom, Expedia and Paramount.

What students say

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A Master’s degree with Merit in translation studies, in a language and culture subject or other relevant field from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. Admission is normally dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal.

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MPhil/PhD Translation Studies

• University College London

At UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Qualification

Next intake

10 February 2025

Entry Score

Course info

About the course

Research proposals which engage with theoretical, linguistic and technical aspects of translation and interpreting are welcomed. Examples of current research projects undertaken by PhD students in Translation Studies include the translation of humour in video games, the subtitling of gender stereotypes, translating British and American science fiction, exploring the notion of reflexivity in translation, and translating political speeches. As a first step, please complete the Online Enquiry Form, which will be considered at our next regular PhD supervisors meeting. PhD places are tightly limited and we are only able to encourage those with outstanding research proposals to move ahead to a formal application to UCL. Please therefore take care to present a fully developed 500-word summary of your project as part of this enquiry. Further information on writing research proposals can be found in the 'Need to Know' box on our Postgraduate Research page. Please do not apply formally to UCL until you have received a response regarding your initial enquiry.

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Start dates and prices

Course fees are indicative and should be used as a guide. to get an accurate price.

Duration: 3 Year (s)

Fees: GBP 28100

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Entry requirements for University College London

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If you aren't eligible for the above entry requirements, you might ant to explore pathway options at University College London . If you want to find out more, speak to our counsellors.

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Associate Professor

• Associate Professor SELCS
• +44 20 3108 3653 (Work)
• [email protected]
• University College London, 33-35 Torrington Place, Room 1.3 University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

• Associate Professor UCL, School of European Languages, Culture and Society, London, United Kingdom 1 Oct 2023 - present
• Lecturer (Teaching) UCL, School of European Languages, Culture and Society, United Kingdom 1 Sep 2020 - 30 Sep 2023
• Senior Teaching Fellow UCL, School of European Languages, Culture and Society, United Kingdom 1 Dec 2019 - 1 Oct 2020
• Teaching Fellow UCL, Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, United Kingdom 1 Oct 2017 - 30 Nov 2019
• Teaching Fellow UCL, Centre for Translation Studies, United Kingdom 1 Oct 2016 - 30 Nov 2019

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

• Freelance Translator Freelancing 1 Jan 2015 - present
• PhD Translation Studies University College London 2020
• MSc Specialised Translation (Audiovisual) University College London 2016
• MA Translation for the Publishing Industry Universidad de Malaga 2015
• BA Hons Translation & Interpreting and Humanities Studies Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla) 2014

CERTIFICATIONS

• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy 1 Jun 2022 - present
• Fellowship Higher Education Academy 1 Jun 2018 - present
• Associate Fellowship Higher Education Academy 1 Jul 2017 - present
• Spanish; Castilian Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review
• Spanish - Latin American Can read, understand and peer review
• English Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review
• French Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review
• German Can read, speak and understand
• Italian Can read, write, speak and understand

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• 4 Quality Education

FIELDS OF RESEARCH

• Language studies Language studies
• Linguistics Linguistics
• Curriculum and pedagogy Curriculum and pedagogy