MA in Translation

This qualification is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills as a translator, equipping you to work in the fast-growing translation-services industry. You'll experiment with different genres through practical, inspiring translation activities, and hone your practice through peer review. You'll gain hands-on experience in using tools necessary to operate in this rapidly evolving area (e.g. audiovisual translation or cloud-based translation tools). You'll underpin your work with an understanding of translations theories and debates. You can study French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic or Chinese – in combination with English.

Key features of the course

• Choose from French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese or Modern Standard Arabic – in combination with English.
• Engage in authentic translation tasks and connect with established translation communities to develop useful employability skills.
• Have the option to undertake a substantial translation or a more traditional academic dissertation.

The Open University is recognised as a HE Language Partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) and is a Corporate Member of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI). We are also members of the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies of the UK and Ireland (APTIS UK).

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

Course details

To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:

180 credits from:

• Introduction to translation theory and practice (L801)
• Translation in practice (L802)
• Extended translation project/dissertation (L803)

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.