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Translation and Technology (with Interpreting) MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Gain the skills needed to work in the translation and interpreting industry through this degree that combines language skills with translation innovations. The Translation and Technology (with Interpreting) MSc will enable you to hone practical skills in language and translation, while learning industry-standard computer-based tools. Taught at UCL, you’ll have access to renowned specialists and benefit from contact with professional translators.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A high upper second-class Bachelor's degree (average 65% and above), or a BA/BSc (any result) plus a minimum of 2 years’ proven experience in the translation industry, or an MA/MSc (any result), or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Students should only translate out of a language in which they have an advanced level and translate into a language in which they have native proficiency (language combinations subject to availability).

The English language level for this course 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 and Technology (with Interpreting) MSc is based in UCL's Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), an interdisciplinary research centre that is home to postgraduate degrees in Translation and Technology (MSc) and Translation Studies (MA). 

Students benefit from an excellent research environment and a broad range of cross-disciplinary expertise offered by UCL’s Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry (CMII) within the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS).

On this course, you will take five core modules designed to provide a strong postgraduate-level foundation. These modules will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to conduct research and write your dissertation, while also developing your fundamental interpreting abilities and understanding of translation technologies. You will also choose three optional modules, enabling you to explore interdisciplinary fields within translation. These modules offer the opportunity to enhance your skillset and specialise in areas that align with your personal interests and professional ambitions.

By focusing on specialised translation, foundational interpreting skills as well as liaison and consecutive interpreting, you will be equipped with the skills needed for professional work in the translation and interpreting industry and for research in translation studies. You will practise translation and interpreting in specific language pairs and will become conversant with translation technology which has been transforming the way in which professional translators and interpreters work.

Who this course is for

The MSc is suitable for both practitioners and recent graduates looking to specialise in the fields of translation, interpreting and translation technology, as well as for those aiming for a research degree and/or academic career.

MSc pathways are only offered in specific language pairs and directions. In line with industry standards, MSc students are only allowed to translate from a language they are proficient in (Advanced level) into their mother tongue or native language.

Language pairs available in this MSc pathway (subject to availability):

  • English into Arabic/Arabic into English
  • English into Chinese/Chinese into English
  • English into Japanese/Japanese into English
  • English into Korean/Korean into English
  • English into Russian/Russian into English
  • English into Ukrainian

If you don’t see your language combination, please email the MSc Director and let us know what your language combination is.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Located in the heart of London, UCL is excellently placed to offer opportunities for networking and establishing professional contacts. At UCL we prepare you for the professional world by performing different roles within the translation workflow, by translating texts of a specialised nature and by practising foundational skills, liaison and consecutive interpreting..

We organise a wide range of activities which offer excellent opportunity for informal contact with professional translators and interpreters, translation agencies and leading academics. We also work closely with industry partners to ensure that the course possesses the maximum professional relevance.

At SELCS-CMII, you will enjoy working with a team of renowned academics and professional translators and interpreters, which has gained an international reputation for the quality of its research, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

Our location offers students access to special collections and resources in modern languages and culture at UCL and other world-class libraries nearby such as the Senate House Library and the British Library. Other libraries and research centres within walking distance of campus include the British Museum, the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, the Institute of Historical Research and the Warburg Institute.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Our Translation MSc (all pathways) graduates find challenging and rewarding work within the translation/interpreting industry on completion of the degree. Some are working as in-house and freelance translators and interpreters, while others are active as project managers and translation technology experts in organisations such as TransPerfect, Planet Languages, Dropbox, Eikon Group Ltd and Coventry University.* 

The MSc may also serve as a basis for a Translation Studies PhD, whilst other graduates have gone on to work in the fields of publishing and journalism (20%); health and social care (10%); accountancy and financial services (10%); academic research, teaching and higher education (10%).* 

*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

Translation and interpreting form part of a dynamic and rapidly developing profession, which calls for linguistically-talented people with a clear understanding of the issues involved in cross-cultural transcoding, and who are able to utilise the latest computer-based tools.

On completion of this MSc, you will be well placed for a fast-track progression in your chosen career. We aim to make you highly attractive to employers within the translation/interpreting industry and the world of communications, and to international institutions. In addition, the skills acquired through taking this MSc will be highly relevant if your long-term aim is to establish yourself as a freelance translator and/or interpreter. Transferable skills include intercultural understanding; translation and communication skills; and analytical rigour.

Networking

Students spend a year amongst a thriving, cross-disciplinary community of translators and research students. The multidisciplinary research culture at UCL ensures that there is a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other opportunities to exchange ideas. The number of libraries and institutes in Bloomsbury means that wider cultural opportunities are always readily available. Students have opportunities to engage in numerous projects involving research such as Global Health and Crisis Translation, Audio-visual Translation, as well as translation technology and theory.

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

Teaching and learning

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials, private study, interactive practical seminars (both generic and language-specific) and hands-on experience with a wide range of translation and interpreting tools and technology, alongside private study and the undertaking of coursework assignments.

Students are assessed by a variety of methods, which may include coursework, presentations, examinations, written essays, the research dissertation, project work, take-home translation assessments and in-class tests.

For a full-time postgraduate course, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study a week. The majority of our courses have around 10-12 hours of formal teaching time which you will spend in lectures and seminars.

For a part-time postgraduate course your contact hours would usually be 5-6 hours a week across 2-3 days and we would recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study a week. There is minimal teaching during Term 3, as students focus on the dissertation and assessments.

Hours expected to be dedicated to private reading far exceed the hours of class attendance. You should therefore be careful to ensure that you are setting aside enough time for reading.

Modules

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits in total.

During the academic year, you will take five compulsory modules which set the foundation for the whole MSc, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. You will also choose 45 credits of optional modules from the suggested list (usually three 15-credit modules). Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering to ensure your workload is balanced between terms.

During Term 2, in addition to your taught modules, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. You will develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. Planning and research will continue into Term 3 and across the remainder of the academic year. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 12,000 word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your academic supervisor. 

In Year 1, you will take five compulsory modules, which set the foundation for the whole MA, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation. In Year 2 you will take 45 credits of optional modules from the suggested list (usually three 15-credit modules).

These optional modules will build a broader understanding of theoretical, technological and language topics, as well as developing key concepts learnt in Year 1. Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering to ensure your workload is balanced across both years if studying part-time.

You will also formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor in Year 2. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 12,000 word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your supervisor.

In total, you will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. 

Compulsory modules








Optional modules

















Translating Performance



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 MSc in Translation and Technology (with Interpreting).

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

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Graduate Open Events: Translation Studies

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Are you interested in an MA / MSc course in Translation at The Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS@UCL)? Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-languages-culture/translation-studies-ma-msc for more details.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course 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 with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

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

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying. Students receive a free printing allowance each year and pay for any additional printing (see details), while books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library as hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions.

For in-person teaching, 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 £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. 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.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Dutch Studies Bursary

Deadline: 1 November 2025
Value: From £1,250 to £2,500 (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas

Next steps

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 course 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 and Technology (with Interpreting) at graduate level
  • why you want to study Translation and Technology (with Interpreting) at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen course
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging course
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Due to the highly competitive nature of this course and the limited places available, it is advisable to apply as soon as possible. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry
Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry

selcs-cmii.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk

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