Translation Studies

MA

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • Top 100 in the World for Modern Languages (QS World University Subject Rankings 2024)

  • Access professional language facilities and software

  • World Top 50 for Arts & Humanities (THE World University Rankings 2024)

Why Lancaster?

  • Gain the linguistic and technical skills that are sought after in specialist industries such as legal, technical or medical translation
  • Translate in a professional environment through a work placement, boosting your employability and expanding your industry contacts
  • Develop technical skills in the market leading Computer Assisted Translation tools, Trados
  • Explore the creative and critical possibilities in literary translation at a university renowned for its literary research
  • Learn from our guest speakers in the profession and literary translators in residence

With this dynamic course, youll develop the linguistic and technical skills to move into a wide range of careers in translation. This could be in literary translation, or in humanitarian fields like medical and legal translation.

Translation dynamics

You’ll gain a thorough understanding of Trados Studio, a Computer Assisted Translation tool. This industry leading software is a translator’s best friend, and will allow you to manage your translation work more effectively.

If you choose to specialise in the study of literary translation, you’ll spend time looking into creative and critical possibilities that translation can offer, as well as the role of translation in art and culture – one of the research strengths of the department.

A flexible approach

We combine language-specific practice in either one or two languages in addition to English. You can specialise in translation between:

  • German and English
  • French and English
  • Mandarin Chinese and English
  • Spanish and English
  • Italian and English

You also have the possibility of studying more than one language combination during your MA.

At Lancaster University, you have the chance to shape your study, building skills in areas of translation that are most important to you. This allows you to start shaping your career direction early in the programme, whether that’s a route into the business and legal fields, or technical translation. If you are already working in a translation role, you could use this course to advance your career and move into new avenues.

Careers

Translation is crucial to international communication and the skills you develop on this course allow you to pursue a wide range of diverse career paths. By the time you finish this course, you will have the skills needed to find work in a number of different sectors.

You may choose to pursue a career in:

  • International business affairs
  • Marketing
  • E-commerce
  • Medical translation
  • Legal translation
  • Literary translation
  • Technical translation

Alternatively, you might choose to further your studies to deepen your knowledge and conduct research, by working towards a PhD.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a language or a related subject is normally required. Native speakers of the languages taught are also welcome to apply. Applicants should state clearly in their personal statement which language they wish to specialise in.

We will also consider applications on an individual basis where you have a degree in other subjects, have a 2:2 or equivalent in a language or translation related subject or extensive relevant experience. You should be able to demonstrate how your skills have prepared you for the relevant discussions and assessments during postgraduate study.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Optional

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Fees and funding

Location Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year)
Home £11,960 £5,980
International £24,830 £12,415

General fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.