MA Translation Studies and Interpreting (not on offer in 2012-13)

The MA Translation Studies and Interpreting is designed to enable you to acquire advanced translation and liaison interpreting skills which you can apply in a professional capacity, whether in a company's translation department or in the environment of business negotiations. You do not do simultaneous interpreting.

You will be offered the opportunity to take part in a study visit, organised by CTS, to either the European Parliament, European Commission or the UN. The aim of the visit is to familiarise trainee interpreters with the work of professional interpreters and the workings of these organisations.

Why interpreting?

The increasing globalisation of international business, together with further expansion of the European Union, have made interpreting services a rapidly growing area with excellent employment opportunities for well-trained interpreters.

Why CTS@Leeds?

Leeds is one of only two UK universities recommended by the international professional body AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters). CTS@Leeds also receives pedagogical support from the EU's Directorates General for Interpretation. Teaching is provided by a team of practising interpreters with considerable current experience of working for the EU institutions, the UN and other governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Within the UK, CTS@Leeds coordinates the National Network for Interpreting to combat the shortage of L1-English interpreters and develop template modules to address the shortages of strategic Asian and Middle-Eastern languages (www.nationalnetworkforinterpreting.ac.uk).

How is the programme distinctive?

A distinctive feature of the Leeds programmes in interpreting is that students of all languages train together for parts of the interpreting skills classes. This provides invaluable experience of real working conditions at international meetings, where many varieties of English may be spoken.

The facilities at CTS@Leeds reflect the state of the art. Students have access to two conference suites equipped with single and double interpreting booths. These also make it possible to create a 'remote interpreting' scenario, where delegates and interpreters interact via a video link rather than being in the same room.

Since advanced translation skills serve as a valuable complement to interpreting in many professional environments, you also follow courses in specialised written translation.

The Centre has designed a number of elective modules that are led by research and respond to the concerns of the translation industry, dealing with machine translation, the uses of corpora, technical writing, an introduction to translation technologies and an introduction to audiovisual translation. You may also take electives offered by other sections of the School of Modern Languages, by the Language Centre or by other faculties.

Non-native speakers of English can opt for a module on English for interpreters.

• More information on modules and timetables for the MA Translation Studies and Interpreting (1 language)
• More information on modules and timetables for the MA Translation Studies and Interpreting (2 languages)

Career prospects

Since 2003 half of the CTS@Leeds interpreting graduates who have taken the competitive EU accreditation test have passed.

Many of our taught MA graduates progress to jobs at leading private companies, government bodies and international political organisations, such as the BBC, the UN, World Bank, WTO, SAP and major translation companies (SDL, thebigword). For more information how our graduates use their degrees to further their career, please consult the Alumni & Careers pages of this site.