MA in Professional Translating for European Languages
Develop professional translation skills between English and French, German, Italian and/or Spanish
This exciting course gives you the training and know-how to become a professional translator.
In practical translation classes you translate between English and French, German, Italian or Spanish. You will get a grounding in several genres – business, legal, technical and/or literary translation, for example – because employers and clients expect specialist expertise. You only translate into your native language, because that’s what you will do in professional life. This means that English native writers can add translation classes from a second foreign language – translating French and Italian texts, say, or German and Spanish texts.
If you wish, you can also take practical interpreting classes: two-way 'liaison interpreting' and one-way 'consecutive interpreting', again between English and French, German, Italian or Spanish.
You also learn the wider skills and knowledge needed for working in translation and interpreting – such as professional studies (including effective job-finding), reference and research skills, and translation studies.
The course can be taken full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years).
For a content summary, entry requirements and how to apply, plus fees, funding and visa information, please see the web prospectus page for the MA in Professional Translating for European Languages.
Course content
In Semesters 1 and 2, you take a range of taught modules:
- In Compulsory modules you learn practical translation skills in your main language pair (English to or from French, German, Italian or Spanish), how to work as a translation and interpreting professional, the principles of translation and its role in the world ('translation studies'), and how to research translating and interpreting.
- Optional modules offer extra translating and interpreting skills (e.g. an extra language pair for translators into English), literary translation (one of Newcastle's specialisms) more translation studies, translation and the EU, how to use crucial computer-based translating tools, small-business skills, and lots more.
Then, in the summer, you research a translation-studies Dissertation, or you write a Translation Project (a long translation plus commentary).
Staff
The staff are a key strength of this course. We are:
- Academics in translation studies or other relevant fields
- Real-world translating and interpreting professionals
- Specialist translator and interpreter trainers
Most of us fall into two of these categories – and some of us into all three! What's important, however, is that we work together as a closely-knit team. And even more important is that we believe in supporting you as individuals.
The learning experience
We use a wide range of learning and teaching methods to help you develop skills and knowledges that are crucial for the translation profession. Staff give intensive input and feedback. However, for you to develop as a professional working with other professionals, we believe that independent and group work are just as important. And while preparing your summer Dissertation or Translation Project, you have regular one-to-one meetings with a staff supervisor. You can make appointments with full-time staff to talk about anything concerned with your studies. Key here is your Personal Tutor, 
who you'd also meet to discuss any issues to do with welfare and well-being.
- More about the learning experience.
- We arrange an optional visit to Brussels each summer to find out about the work of European Union translators and interpreters. See the Course News Archive for information about recent visits.
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Among our facilities are: a senior student common room; a translating and interpreting area at the-state-of-the-art Language Resource Centre, equipped with audio-visual and computing facilities linked to a digital speech bank; three dedicated interpreting suites; professional translation software; excellent facilities for language learning in general and translators and interpreters in particular; and an excellent library collection on translation and interpreting studies, including e-books and e-journals.
Course news archive
News about staff and students (2007-2010).
Key contact people
- Degree Programme Director: Dr Francis Jones. E-mail him if you have any questions about the learning content of the course.
- Postgraduate Officer: Lucy Brickwood. E-mail her if you have questions about applying for the course, or other administrative matters.
Corporate Member, Institute of Translation & Interpreting