Interpreting and Translating (Taught)

This joint master’s programme has been designed to meet the needs of the international interpreting and translation industries. You’ll master the skills and techniques of translating and interpreting to a professional standard and will develop the ideal balance of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

You’ll learn relevant transferable communication skills, including the skills of summarising, abstracting, note-taking for interpreting purposes and public speaking. You’ll be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with other professionals in the field, including colleagues and clients. You’ll master IT skills that are relevant to the work of a professional interpreter and will be able to use specialised databases.

Each course will equip you with highly employable expertise and skills in interpretation and translation. You’ll have the opportunity to choose one optional course – including international politics and organisations, intercultural communication in the workplace, translation technologies and subtitling. This will allow you to customise your learning and develop specific interpreting and translating interests. Your interpretation and translation dissertation will allow you to engage in an independent in-depth critical examination of a particular topic that falls within the scope of Translation and Interpreting Studies, which is of interest to you.

You’ll benefit from the industry relevance of the programme, which will set you up for life after graduation. Upon completion, you’ll be equipped with the transferable skills and qualities necessary to become a professional interpreter and translator in a variety of professional contexts. Beyond the subject-specific knowledge and skills, you’ll also be given the opportunity to learn and practice transferrable skills such as presentation, communication and ICT skills.

Expertise
You will be taught by a team of highly qualified researchers, educators and practising professionals who bring knowledge, expertise and guidance to the classroom.

Your learning environment
The MSc Interpreting programme uses state-of-the-art language labs and interpreting booths which will provide you with the ideal setting to develop your interpretation and translation skills to professional standards. Our labs are equipped with state-of-the-art Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) software packages, digital resources for translating and interpreting, as well as student-centred study facilities.

Customise your learning

You’ll learn from eight courses on the syllabus (seven mandatory and one optional). The optional course allows you to focus on the area of interpretation and translation that interests you the most. This gives you the opportunity to customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course option.

Accreditation

Heriot-Watt University's MSc Interpreting and Translating is regarded as one of the strongest degree programmes of its kind by many within the industry. This is reflected in our professional membership of Conférence Internationale permanente d'Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI) a multinational organisation of universities which is dedicated to upholding a standard of excellence in the teaching of interpreting and translating. CIUTI recognition is a guarantee that the course content, teaching and examinations are conducted at the highest standard. It is a mark of quality which is recognised by major international employers of interpreters and translators.

Our training efforts are backed up by SCIC, the Directorate-General for Interpretation of the European Commission, through a cooperation agreement. This cooperation translates into virtual classes, pedagogical assistance missions and training for trainers delivered by SCIC trainers, as well as study visits to Brussels.