Acquire a unique blend of language and technical skills that will set you apart and fast-track your career in the language industry.
Year of entry: 2024 (September)
1 year full-time
September 2024 (semester dates)
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Upcoming eventsLanguage services represent a rapidly growing and evolving industry which is key in today’s multilingual and interconnected world.
This course combines training in conference interpreting and translation with relevant aspects of computer science and will equip you with the specialist skills you need in order to get a head start in this exciting industry. You'll become a skilled professional linguist who's comfortable working with a range of topics, who understands different workflows and modalities, and who is capable of adapting to remote, hybrid and in-person learning and work environments. You'll work to find solutions to address various challenges, be they linguistic, cultural or technological.
Our technology modules will introduce you to the theory and functional principles behind the latest technologies being used and developed in the language services industry (such as AI). This technology-focused approach is also reflected across our translation and interpreting modules. We incorporate the latest software and hardware and provide opportunities for you to familiarise yourself with diverse settings and text genres. Our unique combination of training will enable you to thrive in an industry that requires versatility, a curious mind and the ability to learn quickly and effectively.
The Department is part of York's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, ranked 51st in the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Complete University Guide (2024)
All our modules are taught by experienced academics and practitioners. You'll study six modules in Semesters 1 and 2 (three per semester) and two modules in the Summer Semester. You'll take core modules to develop translation and interpreting skills and to acquire expert knowledge of applied technologies. In addition, you'll develop research skills and will learn the theoretical foundations of translation and interpreting, as well as how they underpin practice.
Translation and interpreting modules combine language-specific practice seminars in which you will work between your working languages and non-language specific sessions. The latter focus on core skills, business aspects, technologies applied to either translation or interpreting workflows and practice in multilingual projects.
You'll specialise in translation and/or interpreting between your working languages. For the academic year 2025/26, we accept applications from candidates with English as your A or B language and one or two languages from French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish, as follows:
Translation practice and assessment will be from and/or into English from one or two languages. For interpreting modules, AB, ABC and ACC pathways with the languages specified above are available. In any given combination, English must be your A or your B language.
For example, a student with German A, English B and French C will interpret both ways between English and German and from French into German (ABC pathway); a student with Spanish A and English B will interpret both ways between Spanish and English and a student with English A and Spanish and Italian C will interpret from Spanish into English and from Italian into English.
You are welcome to join translation and/or interpreting practice sessions for language directions outside your stated combination if this allows you to maintain and improve your languages. Priority for booth access and feedback will be given to students taking that specific combination as part of their chosen pathway.
In Semester 1, you'll study three core modules: Consecutive and Simultaneous Interpreting, Translation Theory and Practice, and Technologies in the Language Services Industry.
In Semester 2, you'll study either three option modules or two option modules and an elective module. At least one of your option modules must be a translation or interpreting module at an advanced level. If you want to specialise in interpreting, you should study the two advanced-level interpreting modules.
You will also study three option modules:
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
In the Summer Semester, a core professional practice module will provide language enhancement to help get you ready for the world of professional translation and interpreting, while you learn key employability skills and start to grow your professional network. You'll also apply your newly acquired knowledge and skills to translation and/or interpreting assignments.
Alongside the core practice module, you'll complete an independent study module that can be either a research-based or a practice-based reflective study. You'll learn the skills required to successfully carry out your independent project throughout the course.
Previous independent project topics:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
The support from the staff, especially those lecturers who I have had contact with, has been excellent. I have always been welcomed into their offices to talk about both academic and personal aspects. During the masters degree, I constantly asked myself a question: and now? what's next? Staff in the department have given me excellent advice and encouraged me to trust myself.Eloi, Language and Linguistic Science StudentRead more about what our students say about us.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £10,590 | £23,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) | £5,555 | £12,540 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2024/25 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our innovative approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll study and learn with experienced academics who are active researchers and/or work in the language services industry themselves and with practitioners with expertise in specific genres and settings. Our staff are experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects.
We are corporate members of organisations such as the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies, UK and Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Linguists and collaborate with different industry partners and institutions. These collaborations allow you to join relevant networks, access bespoke learning and practice opportunities and improve your career prospects.
All of our modules have Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) websites where all crucial materials, such as reading lists, handouts and discussion boards are always accessible.
Our dedicated multilingual conference suite has the professional-grade interpreting booths and equipment that you would find in real-world meetings and conferences. The facility is also fully configured for hybrid meetings, allowing students to become proficient with the hardware and software they will come across in real assignments following graduation.
We have our own departmental e-Lab for the teaching and study time of our students. Here you'll have access to a variety of resources, including specialist linguistics software, collections of text and speech, and online language-learning materials.
We are using Phrase in our translation courses free of charge. Phrase is a complete translation platform that includes translation memory, integrated machine and human translation, terminology management, and both online and desktop CAT tools.
You will be based in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in Spring Lane Building and Vanbrugh College, with some additional teaching in other locations on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll receive extensive individual and group feedback in practice sessions and will develop self and peer assessment skills, which are crucial for professional practice. You'll be assessed through methods including translation assignments, interpreting assignments, translation reports, group projects, presentations, individual projects and essays.
You'll develop professional skills such as project management and intercultural communication, and will develop an understanding of the language services industry. Embedded in our programme are opportunities for networking, development of employability skills, events with practitioners and industry partners and opportunities to practise your skills in real-life settings.
You'll also develop an in-depth understanding of technological foundations applied to translation and interpreting and will learn how to use applied technologies effectively and confidently both in dedicated modules and in the core translation and interpreting courses. This will allow you not only to use technology, but to have a say in its development and evolution as it applies to language services.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in Languages, Translation and Interpreting, or another relevant discipline. We accept applications from candidates with varied academic and professional backgrounds |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
As part of your personal statement please confirm your language combination.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 7.0, minimum 6.5 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | C1 Advanced: 185, with 176 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 8, minimum 7 in each component |
| Duolingo | 130, minimum 120 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | C1 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 75 with a minimum of 70 in each component |
| KITE | 495-526, with 459-494 in all other components |
| Skills for English | C1: Pass overall, with Pass in each component |
| PTE Academic | 67, minimum 61 in each component |
| TOEFL | 96, minimum 23 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Distinction in all component |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Unless you have substantial prior experience and/or your entry qualifications provide solid evidence of your suitability for the programme, the selection process will include an online interview.
The interview is aimed at learning more about you as a candidate and to assess your suitability for the programme. As part of the interview, you will be asked to use your two or three chosen languages of study, including English, to complete a set of tasks. These tasks are aimed at assessing your comprehension, analysis, transfer and production skills in the relevant languages, depending on your language combination:
For A-B Pathway applicants: you will watch a short presentation in English and will be asked to provide an oral summary in your B language.
For A-C-C Pathway applicants: you will watch a short presentation in your ‘other’ C language and will be asked to provide an oral summary in English.
No prior preparation is required, but knowledge of current affairs in the countries where your working languages are spoken is essential.
Applicants will have the chance to select a suitable interview slot once they have been invited for interviews. Interviews will take place during the weeks commencing on the following dates:
Please note that the final deadline to apply for 2024/2025 entry is different for overseas students:
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