Course Code:

 

DC615 (Full Time)

Course Type:

 

Postgraduate

NFQ Level:

 9

Delivery Modes

Full-Time

Duration

(FT-1 Year)

 

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The MA in Translation Studies / MA i Staidéar an Aistriúcháin at Dublin City University is a one-year, full-time programme which provides advanced linguistic and technical training, leading to a postgraduate qualification in Translation Studies.

Dublin City University offers a comprehensive postgraduate programme in Translation Studies, with a wide range of modules including Translation Technology, Audiovisual Translation, Research Methodologies, Translation Theory, Simulated Translation Bureau. Students take Translation Practice modules in one or two of French, German, Irish, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Translation is into English except for students taking Irish who work into Irish.

The MA in Translation Studies at DCU is a member of the European Masters in Translation (EMT) Network established by the Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commission. This has established the MA programme as one of the most prestigious in Europe. For more information see: https://ec.europa.eu/info/european-masters-translation-emt_en

Lecturers on the MA in Translation Studies at Dublin City University are internationally recognised scholars in the field of Translation Studies, many of whom have extensive connections with the translation profession and the translation industry.

PROGRAMME

Programme Structure and Content

Students on the MA in Translation Studies take core modules Translation Technology, Computerised Terminology, Translation Theory, Research Methodologies and Simulated Translation Bureau. Specialised translation modules available are from French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese into English, and from English into Irish.

Optional modules include, Localisation, Community Interpreting, Digital Methods in Language and Discourse.

Students write a dissertation over the course of the summer months. Alternatively, they can participate in a three-month work placement in Ireland or abroad.

Irish language fees subvention/support

• DCU may award subvention of up to 50% of fees for applicants studying Irish, based on the quality of MTS applications received. Successful candidates will be notified in August. Applicants who intend to study Irish in both semesters should notify the Programme Chair when submitting their application.
• Under the Higher Education Authority /Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Irish Advanced Skills Initiative, all postgraduate candidates wishing to study Irish translation at designated centres around the country are now required to sit the TEG B2 exam before being accepted onto programmes. Deadlines and exam dates for the TEG B2 test are available from http://www.teg.ie/english.167.html
• Those who fail to take the TEG B2 exam in time and are accepted onto the MTS are required to sit the TEG exam at the first available opportunity thereafter. Students of Irish will be required to pass TEG C1 before completing their studies.

View the current course structure

COURSE LIFE

• We offer Ireland's longest-running comprehensive postgraduate programme in Translation Studies.
• Our programme is well-established and belongs to the prestigious European Masters in Translation (EMT) network initiated by the European Commission in order to promote a quality brand of translator qualifications.
• Our programme combines a firm grounding in the academic discipline of Translation Studies with a strong practical and professional dimension.
• We work closely with professional bodies (e.g. Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association), international organisations (e.g. EU) and the translation industry to deliver a programme that prepares graduates to work as translators.
• We provide an excellent research environment with internationally recognised scholars in the field of Translation Studies.
• Our students are recruited by high-profile European public institutions as well as private multinational organisations.

Why this programme?

• Develops a range of professional and linguistic skills appropriate to the translation profession
• Provides practical training in the translation of a range of specialised texts
• Equips students with the technological tools and skills required in the profession in the twenty-first century
• Introduces students to contemporary theoretical issues in Translation Studies.

Students are also able to pursue further study in the field through the internationally recognised Centre for Translation and Textual Studies (CTTS), DCU's University Designated Research Centre, which provides a stimulating research environment. 

 

Four Testimonials:

• Overall, my work experience at Iota was invaluable. I could take part in many kinds of translation projects and I could learn many things from them. I could see the entire cycle of translation projects and what kinds of people take part in them. I was surprised that much more kinds of people get involved in one project than I expected. They are not only engineers and translators but also salespersons, reviewers and people who give instructions on other people in terms of the management of terminology and translation strategies. My impression of translation work is individual work, but I learnt that it is extremely significant to collaborate with each other to complete one task.
• I will look back on my three months in Berlin as a time, during the course of which I got the opportunity to gain some valuable experience. After stepping out of the office for the final time, I prioritise the comparative analysis between the work-related elements of translator's profession which I learned in theory during my Masters’ degree and the elements which I actually got to experience first-hand as a translator at Performics. 
• This experience was the perfect chance to introduce a master student into the working world and I could not feel more satisfied of what it gave back to me.  
• MTS Working for Xplanation has been amazing. I would highly recommend this traineeship to future Translation Studies students seeking a work placement and especially those interested in project management

CAREERS

Bilingual and Irish language media

Diplomatic Services

EU and International Advisory bodies

EU Institutions

European Institutions

International organisations

Self Employed

Social media

Starting Your Own Business

Translating and Interpreting

The technology and translation skills taught on this course are an essential part of practising as a translator, and they improve employability, both within large organisations and as a freelance translator

Many graduates from the MA in Translation Studies become professional translators, working on a freelance basis for agencies or in the translation departments of large companies.

 

Graduates may also be eligible for the competitive examinations leading to employment in the Translation Divisions of the Institutions of the European Union or other international organisations.

For more information on translating for Europe see: https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/translation

For information on the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union see: https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/agencies/cdt_en

Some graduates follow careers in related fields such as

• Publishing
• Broadcasting
• Information Technology (IT)

Where graduates may take up positions such as:

• Terminologists
• Technical writers
• Lexicographers
• Subtitlers
• Software localisers

Others opt for careers in the public service, in teaching, at secondary or tertiary level, or undertake research.

Some graduates may wish to continue their studies to doctoral level at DCU or elsewhere. For more information on continuing research in the area of Translation Studies see Research in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS): https://www.dcu.ie/salis/research.shtml

REQUIREMENTS AND FEES

Requirements

For admission to the MA in Translation Studies, successful applicants will have -

A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.2 or above) or equivalent,

OR

Applicants with appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may also be considered. This includes discipline-specific knowledge and know-how; transferable skills; basic research competency; personal effectiveness.

This Programme requires a high level of Language Competence:

1. Applications are invited from graduates normally with at least a Second Class Honours degree in any one (for the one-language route) or two (for the two-language route) of the following language(s): Irish, Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish.
2. In addition, applicants should preferably have spent a total of at least 12 months in a country/countries where the language(s) they wish to study are spoken.
3. Consideration will be given to other subject specialists with appropriate linguistic competence.
4. International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.  More information about DCU's English language requirements can be found here.

Fees

Full time

EU Status Fee

€7,400

Non EU Fee

€16,000

Part time

EU Status Fee Part-time

N/A

Non EU Fee Part time

N/A