Translation Studies MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Languages, Countries and Cultures

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2026
Part-time
  • MSc | 2 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Study location

Central Area

Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

Our MSc Translation Studies will enhance your practical skills in, and theoretical understanding of, translation as an activity. You will have the opportunity to focus on two languages in addition to English, making the University of Edinburgh the ideal place to study translation.

Throughout our programme, we encourage critical thinking on language use and translation and an understanding of the factors which impact translation practice and the field of Translation Studies.

We will introduce you to key concepts in translation theory and discuss how to apply them in translation practice.

This will help you sharpen important professional skills, such as:

  • undertaking research
  • thinking and writing analytically
  • understanding texts in different genres and how to translate them
  • writing commentaries and essays to deadline
  • developing oral and visual presentation techniques
  • using a range of resources

The programme will also broaden your understanding of issues relating to translation, such as gender, institutional power relations, technological advancements (including AI), and colonialism.

Languages

We offer a wide variety of languages, from Arabic to Norwegian, with the opportunity to focus on two of them in addition to English.

Browse our full range of languages offered and find out about language pairs

Community

Our MSc Translation Studies draws on the expertise of research-active teaching staff and translation and interpreting practitioners from across the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, as well as visiting speakers.

You will be part of an international community of students and a friendly, close-knit department with an excellent PhD programme, its own seminar series, and many industry and cultural partners in the city of Edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh library holds some two million borrowable volumes and subscribes to the 'Bibliography of Translation Studies'.

Translation and technology

We closely follow the developments in machine translation and generative AI, and how they might influence the teaching of translation. We also look to the language service industry and professional associations to understand how translators use AI and what opportunities and challenges these technologies might pose for linguists.

Our option course, Technology and Translation in the Workplace, focuses in part on the field of machine translation. The computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools we use, such as RWS Trados, now incorporate not only translation memory systems, but also machine translation and other forms of automation as standard components. In our classes, we examine the impact of these technologies on the workflow and on the role of the translator.

We continuously adapt our teaching to include discussions on technologies as they develop. For example, we also cover machine translation and generative AI in other courses, particularly in relation to creativity, translation practice and research methods, and ethical and legal issues (such as data usage or transparency).

Study options

There are two study options for this programme, both starting in September of the academic year.

Full time

If you take the full-time study option, you will complete the programme in one academic year. 

You will take two core courses in Semester 1 (September to December), and two core courses in Semester 2 (January to April). Each semester, you will also choose an optional course from a range.

You will start working on your dissertation (15,000 words) in May. You will submit your dissertation around 10 weeks after Semester 2 ends.

Part time

If you take the part-time study option, you will complete the programme in two academic years. 

In your first year, you will take one core course in Semester 1 and another in Semester 2. You will also choose an optional course in either Semester 1 or 2. 

In your second year, you will also take one core course in Semester 1 and another in Semester 2. You will choose an optional course in either Semester 1 or 2, and submit your dissertation (15,000 words).

What's the best type of masters programme for you?

Programme rankings

  • 3rd in the UK for Modern Languages
  • 3rd in the UK in the broad subject area of Arts and Humanities

Rankings from QS World Rankings by Subject 2025

Programme benefits

  • Gain practical skills in, and a theoretical understanding of, translation as an activity
  • Focus on up to two languages in addition to English
  • Learn to critically use a range of translation technologies, including machine translation and generative AI
  • Study at a highly-ranked institution with links to the translation industry, including the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL)
  • Develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, project management and communication skills
  • Join a supportive and international postgraduate community with its own annual series of Translation Studies events

I really enjoyed my coursework and the professors – I found them extremely knowledgeable and very approachable. Having been away from university for a while, it didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable, thanks to their dedication to our intellectual wellbeing. With a strong community of students and the support of the professors, I absolutely relished the opportunity to devote myself to learning once more.

Mark Bradshaw MSc in Translation Studies, graduated 2018. Former teacher and now full-time project manager, translator and subtitler at Screen Language

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

If you are working with either French or Spanish on this Translation Studies programme, you may be eligible to apply for the Muriel Smith Award. This award covers tuition fees for a maximum of one year at the Home/EU rate.

For these same two languages, if you are a current student or graduate of the University of Edinburgh, you are also eligible to apply for a John Orr Award. This award is for £5,000 per annum.

Find out more about masters awards in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant discipline, plus a research interest or professional experience in translation or another relevant field.

Applicants must have native speaker competence in any languages that they apply to work with other than English.

Please consult the offered language pairings available on the programme website:

Translation studies

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

During the programme, you will take:

  • two core courses, including research training
  • two practical translation courses
  • two optional courses

Each course is worth 20 credits.

Dissertation

The final element of the programme is your dissertation, a piece of independent research - 15,000 words (worth 60 credits) - written with the advice and support of a designated supervisor.

Compulsory courses

The core courses are:

  • Translation Studies 1 (taken in Semester 1): An introduction to key concepts in translation theory, focusing on their practical application.
  • Research in Translation Studies (taken in Semester 2): A course providing you with research skills specific to the discipline of translation studies and prepares you for your dissertation.
  • Portfolio of Written Translation Exercises (taken in both Semester 1 and 2): Practical translation courses that consist of tutor-led class time and workshops with Translation Studies staff. You will be supervised and assessed in practical translation exercises and graduate with a rich portfolio of translations.

Option courses

You will choose option courses from a range of subjects. Each course is worth 20 credits. Our option courses typically include:

  • Technology and Translation in the Workplace
  • Translation and Creativity
  • Introduction to Interpreting (English-Mandarin)
  • Translation Studies 2

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time
Part-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Our programme is taught through a combination of:

  • seminars
  • workshops
  • tutorials
  • student-led presentations (in option courses)
  • written translation exercises

Assessment

Our programme combines:

  • core courses
  • optional courses
  • research training
  • practical translation
  • a dissertation

You will be assessed through essay writing and translation exercises. For example, you will produce a translation and commentary in Translation Studies 1. In our practical translation courses, Portfolio of Written Translation Exercises 1 and 2, you will be assessed through two translation exercises.

Learning outcomes

When you graduate, you will be able to:

  • think critically about language use, translation and the use of translation technologies (including AI)
  • understand the key concepts of the academic discipline of translation studies
  • implement diverse translation strategies commonly used and recognised within the field of translation studies
  • apply a broad and deep understanding of a variety of issues in relation to translation, such as gender, power relations, and religion
  • demonstrate important transferable skills, such as project management, problem-solving, and attention to detail

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Where you will study

Academic facilities

As a student here, you will have borrowing rights to over two million volumes in the University's Main Library, which subscribes to the 'Bibliography of Translation Studies' database.

The Main Library also holds academic books, journals and databases, films, newspapers and other media. Its Centre for Research Collections brings together:

  • more than 400,000 rare books
  • six kilometres of archives and manuscripts
  • thousands of works of art, historical musical instruments and other objects

Many of our Special Collections are digitised and available online from our excellent Resource Centre, Computing Labs, and dedicated study space in LLC.

Career opportunities

Our programme in Translation Studies is designed to enhance your industry skills in translation, with practical exercises throughout the year, and a strong emphasis on communication and working to deadlines.

Our programme is an ideal primer for a range of careers. Many of our graduates have gone on to work as freelance and in-house translators, as well as project managers, and language teachers. Others work within international companies or in marketing and communications, and some have continued into doctoral studies.

We hold an annual event with UK-based Translation Studies graduates and industry professionals employed in various sectors, providing you with inspiration and networking opportunities. For our Chinese students returning to East Asia after the programme, we also have a dedicated member of Translation Studies staff. They are able to provide advice and guidance on employment opportunities in China.

Completing our MSc will also help you develop and refine your research skills and theoretical understanding of translation. Our degree is a good foundation for a PhD if you want to continue your career in an academic environment.

Professional links

We are a member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and of the RWS Campus-Trados Academic Partner Program, providing students with the necessary knowledge, expertise and resources to help prepare for a career in the translation industry.

We are also an official Higher Education Language Partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) and a member of APTIS (Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies, UK and Ireland), which aims to improve the quality of translation and interpreting teaching in British and Irish universities.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Mark Bradshaw

Degree: MSc Translation Studies

Year of graduation: 2018

Current work: Project Manager at Screen Language

The most useful thing I learned was the general theory behind subtitling and translation, which has helped to inform and guide my own practice – the actual practical work of subtitling I was able to learn on the job. In terms of the project management side of things, I feel much more comfortable taking on projects and interacting with our many freelancers and linguists having that strong, shared foundation in translation.

Meet our graduates: Mark Bradshaw

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 30 July 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Personal statement

The personal statement in the online application process helps us decide whether you are right for the MSc programme you have selected but. Just as importantly, it helps us decide whether the MSc programme is right for you.

To help us with this, please ensure that you download and complete the Personal Statement Pro Forma, which should then be uploaded to your application as an additional supporting document.

Personal Statement Pro Forma

You should indicate the languages you wish to take - a maximum of two - and contact us to check their availability. You will always translate into and out of English. Our programme website details all the languages we currently offer.

Browse our languages offered

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

Living in Edinburgh has been a truly enriching experience: not only because of the city’s historical and aesthetic importance, cultural events, and proximity to nature, but specifically due to the traces of Scotland’s great writers and literary heritage you can find around every corner in monuments, landmarks, museums, libraries, archives, bookshops, and literary festivals.

Julia Voigt MSc Literature and Society graduate, 2025

Julia, who provided us with this quote about her experience of living and studying in Edinburgh, is originally from Germany. While studying with us, she was the Postgraduate Taught School Representative for the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

Together with Programme Representatives, Postgraduate Representatives are your voice in the university - sharing your feedback to continually improve the student experience for everyone. Their roles are voluntary, and supported by the Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA).

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office

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