Postgraduate Taught Degrees

MA Applied Translation Studies (Part time)

Duration:: 2 years
Attendance:: Part Time
Award:: Degree of Master of Arts
School of Study:: Language and Communication Studies

Overview
Why Choose Us
Course Profile
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MA Applied Translation Studies In the MA in Applied Translation, we are particularly interested in the transfer of information across languages in a broad range of fields such as business, commerce, legal, science and technology, publishing, journalism and other areas of the media. The course focuses on non-literary translation and is designed to provide an academic qualification for those intending to take up careers as in-house professional translators or who aim to work as freelance translators. It is also aimed at practising translators who would like to update their knowledge and skills or wish to gain access to teaching and lecturing. The MA provides a solid base for those wishing to pursue further postgraduate research in Translation Studies. While it is not a professional translator training programme, it equips its graduates for successful careers in a wide range of professions including translation thanks to its significant, and distinctive, practical components.

Why study Applied Translation at UEA?

Several factors combine to make the choice of the UEA MA in Applied Translation programme an appropriate and exciting one:

The School of Language and Communication Studies is a vibrant environment with a focus on issues relating to contemporary language and translation. The work we undertake in the School has successfully positioned us at the cutting edge of research, ensuring our graduates are well-informed and highly employable.

Research in the School focuses on cross-cultural communication, with all staff sharing an interest in the study of language use (pragmatics), translation, interpreting and media in an intercultural and multilingual framework. The different standpoints from which they approach the interaction between language and forms of communication constitute complementary and mutually enriching perspectives, in line with UEA’s tradition of interdisciplinary research and Critical Linguistics research.

Benefit from our long experience in Applied Translation studies. Our MA has been running for over 10 years, and we're continually building on its proven strengths.

The intake of students is very linguistically diverse which enables you to learn about the systems and features of many languages beyond your own language pair: Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Malay, Mexican, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese are just some of the languages and nationalities represented by recent students.

We provide you with training in technological tools for translators, especially Trados, which gives you a grounding in the tools used by most professional translators today. This module is taught by the highly experienced Jo Drugan, a leading researcher in translation quality and real-world practice, author of Quality in Professional Translation (Continuum, 2013).

Our Translation Work Experience optional module is highly distinctive. It provides you with the opportunity to work on professional translation briefs for public service organisations in the UK and abroad, notably museum services (see photo above, for example).

In conjunction with the MA in Literary Translation in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, we provide a series of translation workshops each semester delivered by practising translators and academics which give you insights into both the translation profession and academic discussions about aspects of the profession.

It is also possible to participate in the editing of the Norwich Papers journal which is devoted to essays on translation.

The School provides a friendly and stimulating environment in which to study. The size of the School allows for more personal staff-student contact and individual academic support than in many larger institutions.

The James Platt Centre for Language Learning which is housed within the School provides an extensive range of language resources including live satellite broadcasts, CDs and DVDs in various foreign languages, as well as a wide variety of foreign language printed matter. These materials complement the excellent holdings of the UEA library. IT facilities are excellent throughout the University.

Course Content and Structure

The MA in Applied Translation is a one-year, full-time taught course but it can also be taken part-time over two years.

It is intended that this course should provide students with a high level of theoretical and practical training combined with the opportunity to maintain an interest in their chosen academic discipline. Teaching is mainly through the media of seminars and individual dissertation supervision.

The compulsory modules are: Translation and Theory, and Technological Tools for Translators. In your first semester, you also choose from two modules: Translation in Context, and The Power of Discourse: Representation and Interaction. Alongside these modules, you follow a research methods module and attend the translation workshops. The final module is chosen from a range which includes Translation Work Experience, Translation and Cultural Representation across Arts and Media, Forensic Linguistics and Translation, Language Issues in a Global Multilingual Context, Intercultural Communication in Practice, and Process and Product in Translation. The final compulsory element is the dissertation which is written between the end of the second semester and the end of August.

Course Assessment:

Assessment is on the basis of coursework which principally involves presentations and essays.

Final Dissertation:

The dissertation is either a translation and commentary of 15,000-20,000 words altogether, or a dissertation on another topic such as translation theory, translation in specialised context(s) or case studies, in which case it is 12,000-15,000 words in length.

Transferable Skills and Careers:

Students who successfully complete the MAATS programme will have developed to a high level their theoretical and practical knowledge of applied translation and its concerns, learnt how to evaluate the relevance and usefulness of a range of critical approaches to their own needs and circumstances, and refined their ability to read and utilise research literature, and to participate effectively in written and oral debate.

Our students go into the translation industry but also a wide range of other professions. See what our postgraduates say for more examples.

Student Experience

Imogen Hancock, now a freelance legal translator having worked in a legal translation company for a few years, commented on completing the MA:

‘Having just finished the MA in Applied Translation Studies I feel sad that it is all over but excited about all the possibilities it now presents me. I particularly enjoyed the practical elements of the course. The work experience module offered an invaluable opportunity to produce translations for public use, while giving me the support and linguistic supervision I needed. The whole course provided a good balance between theory and practice and a solid foundation on which I can now begin to build my career as a translator. It opened my eyes to a wide range of translation issues of which I was not previously aware. Above all the tutors made this course stand out among my other experiences of further education. Not only did they provide high quality and challenging instruction, but also a level of individual support that was refreshingly personal and attentive.’

MA Degree Programmes	Postgraduate Diplomas (MA in Communication and Language Studies only)
Four taught modules assessed by coursework (six for Communication and Language Studies)	Six taught modules assessed by coursework
Obligatory core elements and options	Obligatory core elements and options
Year Long Research Method module	Two-semester 100% taught courses (no dissertation)
15,000 word supervised dissertation (8,000 for MA in Communication and Language Studies) Easter to early September
Multi-disciplinary environment, wide range of options from across the Faculty
Full time and Part time programmes

Course Organiser:Dr. Roger Baines

Why Choose Us? International exchange and attendant issues in our fast-changing world are key concerns in the School of Language and Communication Studies. They are addressed from the complementary perspectives of Translation, Cross Cultural Communication and Linguistics, each represented by its own MA.

The University of East Anglia is a thriving academic environment, with many distinctive features:

Thriving interdisciplinary and multicultural environment
Expertise in a wide range of languages
Birthplace of Critical Linguistics
MA programmes designed specifically for international students
Translation Workshops led by distinguished practising translators
Opportunity for students to benefit from the activities of the prestigious UEA-based British Centre for Literary Translation, which attracts visiting translators from all over the world.
Opportunity for postgraduate students to edit issues of the UEA-based journal Norwich Papers
Translation Workshops series.

The School also benefits from an outstanding research environment. UEA is home to the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT), translators and students edit the UEA journal Norwich Papers which devotes issues to the publication of students' scholarly work on translators and translation.

Peter Trudgill, now retired from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, has come back to Norwich, his home town, to join the School of Language and Communication Studies team as Honorary Professor in Sociolinguistics to research changes in the local vernaculars which he started studying 35 years ago.

Year 1
Year 2

This is the first year of your taught Masters programme.

Compulsory Study (25 credits)

Students must study the following modules for 25 credits:

Name	Code	Credits
RESEARCH METHODS PART I	LCS-MR01	5
This module is the first part of a course designed to familiarise postgraduate students with research resources and basic aspects of research methodology (e.g. access to, and use of, sources and resources, collection, analysis and presentation of materials and data) and focuses on seminar-related activities. It is taught in the first semester of the first year of study. The unit is compulsory for all LLT part-time students on MA Taught programmes and open only to them. Co-Requisite: LLT-MR02.
TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR TRANSLATORS	LCS-MT12	20
The aim of this module is to provide an introduction for students of literary and non-literary translation to computer-based tools, technologies and methodologies used by translators, and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of such tools.
TRANSLATION WORKSHOP	LDCEM04Y	0
A series of workshops by practising translators, shared by the MA in Literary Translation and the MA in Applied Translation Studies. These will be on different aspects of translation, and will involve various genres. There is generally no preparation required for workshops, but students are asked to find out as much as possible in advance about the workshop-holder's background and work. There will usually be translation exercises and discussion in class. Some workshops are on literary topics, but some also deal with non-literary translation or other issues such as approaching a publisher. The workshop programme will be distributed at the start of the academic year.

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name	Code	Credits
THE POWER OF DISCOURSE: REPRESENTATION AND INTERACTION	LCS-ML13	20
Language occurs in specific social situations, among specific social actors and for a variety of purposes. In turn particular uses of language have the power to shape social encounters and relationships and to help construct and maintain specific ideologies and perspectives. Discourse analysis aims to uncover the ways in which language in use is tied to its social context. This approach is thus at the heart of the analysis of human interaction in society. This unit provides the students with analytical tools that can be fruitfully applied to the study of a variety of texts (e.g. media, advertising, politics, education, business, creative writing) and for a variety of purposes (e.g. developing critical understanding, uncovering ideological bias, reproducing texts successfully in translation and achieving the desired impact through one’s own writing). Presentations of the main concepts and examples are followed by practice sessions in which students have the opportunity to analyze a variety of texts both for class discussion and for their final project.
TRANSLATION IN CONTEXT	LCS-MA01	20
This module explores the issues fundamental to translation as process and product in practical contexts, examines theories of equivalence and textual structure in different language-cultures, and applies theory to specialised practice (e.g. commercial, legal, technical, political). Taught by a range of LCS staff.

This is the second year of your taught Masters programme.

Compulsory Study (115 credits)

Students must study the following modules for 115 credits:

Name	Code	Credits
DISSERTATION MAATS	LCS-MD2X	90
The dissertation is a compulsory requirement for all taught MA programmes. Work on the dissertation is begun at the end of the 2nd teaching semester. The choice of research topic for the dissertation is made by the student in consultation with their course convenor and or supervisor (students normally receive four hours of supervision in all over the period of supervision).
RESEARCH METHODS PART II	LCS-MR02	5
The module is the second part of a course designed to familiarise postgraduate students with research resources and basic aspects of research methodology (e.g. access to, and use of, sources and resources, collection, analysis and presentation of materials and data) and focuses on work for the dissertation. It is taught in the second semester of the second year of study and assessed by an oral examination on a pass/fail basis after the end of the second semester. The module is obligatory for all LLT part-time students on MA taught programmes and open only to them. Pre-requisite: LLT-MR01.
TRANSLATION AND THEORY	LCS-MA03	20
This module explores ways in which concepts and notions develop into theoretical approaches and translatorial practices but also how practice establishes theoretical positions. Each weekly seminar will focus on key concepts and their use in the existing bibliography on translation, while the practical tasks will give to students the opportunity to apply these concepts to their own translation work.
TRANSLATION WORKSHOP	LDCEM04Y	0
A series of workshops by practising translators, shared by the MA in Literary Translation and the MA in Applied Translation Studies. These will be on different aspects of translation, and will involve various genres. There is generally no preparation required for workshops, but students are asked to find out as much as possible in advance about the workshop-holder's background and work. There will usually be translation exercises and discussion in class. Some workshops are on literary topics, but some also deal with non-literary translation or other issues such as approaching a publisher. The workshop programme will be distributed at the start of the academic year.

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name	Code	Credits
FORENSIC LINGUISTICS AND TRANSLATION	LCS-MA08	20
This module is focused on theoretical and practical aspects of the interplay between language and other language-driven activities such as translation and memory in special circumstances of witnessing, experiencing or judging crime and providing expert linguistic testimony and language services such as translating and interpreting. It contextualises the consequences of this relationship within an interactive environment, namely forensic, psycholinguistic and cross-cultural contexts of language use. Another dimension of the course is an emphatic cross-linguistic approach, whereby we assume the latest linguistic typological perspective and discuss the effects of language differences on the kind of information habitually provided in or omitted from reports in one language and translation.
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN PRACTICE	LCS-ML22	20
This module explores the issues fundamental to intercultural communication (IC) in practical contexts. The theoretical component of the module examines the different ways of thinking about effective communication in a variety of work-based environments. We will also relate theory to the practice of intercultural communication in contextualised workshops. During these workshops, invited practitioners will introduce students to how IC operates in specific organisations, e.g. in government agencies, in multilingual business management, etc. The module is relevant to those wishing to pursue careers in international management and relations, multilingual business and international development; it is also of interest to those who wish to become more effective communicators in other professions such as translation, interpreting, education and cultural mediation.
LANGUAGE ISSUES IN A GLOBAL MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT	LCS-MC02	20
This module focuses on language-related issues associated with the globalisation of communication and the media. It considers a range of materials - texts and their translation(s), multilingual sources of information (e.g. global news, consumer information, websites), products of audiovisual translation (e.g. subtitling, dubbing, voice over), IT mediated or processed texts, etc - to explore issues involved in the transposition and dissemination of (spoken and written) text into other media and other languages across different spheres of activity (e.g. media, politics, culture). Receptive knowledge of at least one language other than the mother tongue required.
PROCESS AND PRODUCT IN TRANSLATION	LDCEM034	20
This module is designed to allow students to produce translations in conditions that encourage and facilitate reflection on the process and product of translation. It encourages students to think experimentally, not only about the forms a finished translation might take, but also about the ways in which process might be incorporated into that translation. The module has a workshop format and culminates in a series of presentations by students of the projects on which they have chosen to work. A series of sessions, devoted to the discussion of problems, both theoretical and practical, connected with translation and the projects ahead, precede the presentations.
TRANSLATION WORK EXPERIENCE	LCS-MA02	20
This module is aimed at MA Translation students with no (or little) previous translation work experience, and students who have experience of professional translation but would like the opportunity to review their practices by reflecting on, and critically documenting, the processes involved. It is based on work on authentic translation assignments negotiated with commercial clients and is very practical: it will promote hands-on sensitisation to aspects of professional commercial translation, to problems involved in translating to specifications, producing and presenting a product of professional standard, to techniques of translation and to the use of reference materials and support resources. The work for assessment also includes a theoretically grounded work experience report.

Disclaimer

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.

Entry Requirements

Degree Subject:: Humanities or Social Sciences
Degree Classification:: UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent

Students for whom English is a Foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
TOEFL: Internet-based score of 88 (minimum 18 listening, 21 speaking, 19 writing and 20 in reading)
PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the university directly for further information.

Assessment

All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 for International Students.

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).

Please note that all the above fees are expected to rise for the year 2014/15. We estimate living expenses at £600/650 per month.

International scholarships

All international students (outside the European Union) are considered for a scholarship of between £1000 and £2000 towards tuition fees. In order to be considered for an International Scholarship you do not need to make a separate application. Please indicate on your application for admission that you wish to be considered for a scholarship. It is important to make the application as early as possible because they are considered as they are received. So apply early to make sure of the best chance of success.

Scholarships are awarded to students on the basis of academic merit and are for the duration of the period of study (which will be one year). Students of outstanding academic ability will also be considered for Faculty Scholarship Awards, usually in March and May each year, which can be worth up to 100% of the tuition fee. These are highly competitive and prestigious awards. Those students being offered a scholarship will be notified directly by the School of Study.

Scholarships and Awards:

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has a number of Scholarships and Awards on offer for 2013 entry. For further information relevant to the School of Language and Communication Studies, please click here.

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.

You can apply online, or by downloading the application form.

Further Information

To request further information & to be kept up to date with news & events please use our online enquiry form.

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk

International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.