Why study this course?

A globalised world has warranted a growing trend in the need for translators. The Translation BA degree will engage you with all aspects of technical translation as well as some aspects of literary translation, focussing on practical work and the professional skills needed for a successful career in translation.

London Met is a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), it is also a member of the Conférence Internationale Permanente d'Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI), a prestigious international association of translation and interpretation institutes.

More about this course

This vocational degree provides excellent grounding in language, culture mediation, and translation theory and practice. Enjoy the opportunity to translate multimedia texts such as advertisements, comic strips, songs and films, as well as documents from specialist areas including finance, law, IT and medicine.

We'll equip you with the transferable professional skills required in the translation industry and give you an in-depth knowledge of translation theories, methods and procedures. You'll also study interpreting skills and learn about the various techniques used in liaison interpreting within business settings.

As part of the degree you'll have the opportunity to undertake a work placement where you can benefit from our links with the EU Directorate General for Translation, Moscow State University, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, the British Council and the United Nations.

This Translation BA course offers English language combined with French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Polish or Russian. You must be fluent or proficient in both English and your chosen language.

In particular cases, there may be the possibility to learn a further foreign language outside your translation pair.

We also organise an extensive programme of industry speakers, professional translators, interpreters and IT specialists.

The translation technology software that we use on our courses include:

Assessment

You'll be assessed via coursework, class tests, exams, individual and group presentations, a translation portfolio, a translation project and commentary.

Professional accreditation

As part of the Translation MA, module TR6P04 (Translation Project) is
accredited by CIOL QUALIFICATIONS (CIOLQ), an internationally recognised professional body that awards exemptions from Unit 1 (Written Translation of a General Text) of the Level 7 Diploma in Translation (DipTrans).

We are also a full member of the CIUTI (Conférence Internationale Permanente d’Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes), Routes into Languages/Capital L and the National Network for Translation.

Fees and key information

Course type
Undergraduate
UCAS code Q910
Entry requirements View
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Entry requirements

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

  • a minimum grade C in three A levels or minimum grades BBC in at least two A levels in academic subjects (or a minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
  • GCSE English Language at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent) or
  • an appropriate Access certificate
  • you must be fluent or proficient in both languages 

The BA Translation is available in eight language pathways paired with English. We may need to test your language proficiency in your chosen pathway. If this is the case, we will ask you to contact the course leader to arrange to take a test. We may be able to offer you the test via skype.

You may also be asked to contact the course leader for an interview. Please email the tutor to arrange this.

We welcome applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications who have relevant experience and can show an ability to study at this level.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements. Entry on to Year 2 or 3 of the course will require you to meet higher/exceptional requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Tuesday afternoon

This module introduces students to the study of intercultural communication, its various aspects and their description. It also focuses on the importance and impact of cultural differences in intercultural exchanges. The module aims at providing a solid foundation in the understanding of cultural diversity. Interactive lectures, seminars and group discussions are designed to encourage student autonomy, enhance participation in class and develop the range of skills needed for effective study, self confidence and achievement. Included in these skills are oral and written communication, essay planning, summarising, note taking, referencing, researching, time management, revision, critical reading and other transferable skills.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Tuesday afternoon

This module introduces students to the study of language, its various components and their description. The module aims at providing a solid foundation in the understanding of human communication and linguistic diversity. Interactive lectures, seminars and group discussions are designed to encourage student autonomy, enhance individual participation and develop the range of skills needed for effective study, self confidence and achievement. Included in these skills are oral and written communication, summarising, note taking, researching, time management, revision, critical reading and other transferable skills.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester
  • spring semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Tuesday morning

This module focuses on developing consultation and documentation skills crucial to work as a translator. The focus of the module is on translation as a process. Students will be exposed to the use of monolingual/bilingual dictionaries and glossaries and to a variety of other internet-based translation resources. As translation trainees, students are expected to be working actively with these resources from the beginning of the course and learn to understand the limitations that such resources present as well as the advantages they offer.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Tuesday morning

The focus of the module is on translation as a product. Students are expected to use the research skills developed in Practical Resources for Translators (TR4054) to check the accuracy of the final product. In view of this, they will be trained to edit their own and others’ translations in terms of style, structure, content and accuracy.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Wednesday morning

This practical module explores the relationship of the translator to culture. The module focuses on cultural concepts and culture bound language: specific aspects of culture are addressed, analysed and discussed as to what problems they might pose during the translation process into different languages. In typical areas of culture-bound language related to names, geographical references, political and educational institutions, legal systems etc., students are introduced to practical translation procedures which are used to translate such language, and the terminology relating to it. In their specific language pair sessions, students are introduced to aspects of practical translation by concentrating on those areas which are characterised by non-equivalence in relation to culture-bound items. Students are made familiar with culture-bound ‘translation problems’ as well as how to select and apply the most appropriate procedures in order to solve these problems.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Wednesday morning
  • autumn semester - Thursday morning

This practical module explores the relationship of the translator to language. In this module, students are introduced to language as grammar and, specifically, to various grammar concepts such as gender and number, pronouns and others as well as their grammatical equivalence in the target language system. In their specific language pair sessions, students are introduced to aspects of practical translation by concentrating on those areas which are characterised by non-equivalence. The module familiarises students with grammatical ‘translation problems’, and introduces them to the most appropriate ways of transfer.

Year 2 modules include:

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Thursday morning

This module develops students’ knowledge of the range of electronic tools available for translation. It familiarises them with the principles and methods of Automatic/Computer/ Human-assisted translation systems and compares and evaluates these in terms of their relevance for the practice of translating. The focus is on machine translation (MT), post-editing and translation memory (TM) software (also known as Translation Environment Tools); students will work with a variety of packages and systems, both theoretically and practically, developing their skills through "hands-on" sessions, troubleshooting issues which may arise in their workflow, comparing features among tools and reflecting on both the impact these tools have on translators’ workflow and the role they play in current professional settings.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Thursday morning

In response to a growing professionalisation of the translation industry, this module offers students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with aspects of managing the translation process from the perspective of various agents in the translation workflow. It covers aspects such as types of work in the translation industry and skills and abilities required to perform them, opportunities and challenges when entering the translation market, and professional responsibility and ethical standards in various roles in the translation industry.
By providing an employability component within the translation course, this module complements linguistic and cultural knowledge of translation students develop in other modules and prepares them to become reflective and responsible professionals in the translation industry.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Tuesday morning

This module builds on previous knowledge acquired in TR5052 and explores what translation procedures can be used to solve issues of non equivalence occurring at various levels in a text. While reiterating the usefulness of concepts students are already familiar with, practical opportunities of applying these concepts during the translating process are offered to them. Students will be required to use appropriate meta-language to describe and discuss translation problems encountered and to explain and justify the translation procedures adopted to solve them.


Students will draw on the theory of anticipating and solving translation problems in language-specific practical sessions, where they will be translating a wide variety of text types into and out of English.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Tuesday afternoon

This module focuses on developing the analytical and interpretive reading and writing skills which are a necessary and integral part of the translation process. As translation trainees, students are expected to acquire advanced reading competence. In this module this is achieved through an examination of complex theoretical grammar concepts, as seen operating in a variety of written contexts. Productive skills related to students’ individual competence in written domain-specific language are also developed through practical exercises aimed at improving nuanced expression and register-dependent paraphrasing.


This module has both a theoretical and a practical nature which is reflected in the teaching structure which aims to foster transferable translation-specific skills.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Tuesday afternoon

This module is a follow-up of TR5054. It focuses on developing students’ awareness of the important role that cultures play in the ways we process and produce texts. The focus on text is broadened through an examination of some key concepts which affect the ways in which texts operate within the cultures and societies that produce them. Existing translations and relevant theoretical concepts will be analysed with the purpose of identifying the factors which may have an impact on the choices made by the translators.


As TR5054, this module has both a theoretical and a practical nature which is reflected in the teaching structure which aims to foster transferable translation-specific skills.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Thursday afternoon

This module explores text typology and specific aspects of Source Text analysis. The module focuses on the translation stages and the mechanisms underlying these stages. It introduces students to techniques for a successful source text analysis which will help them to anticipate translation problems. Students will be familiarised with the relevance of extra and intra-textual features of the source text to the translation process. They will be required to use appropriate meta-language to describe and discuss various anticipated translation problems in a variety of source texts and source forms.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester
  • spring semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

Year 3 modules include:

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Tuesday evening
  • spring semester - Monday afternoon

This module provides students with the experience of planning and bringing to fruition a piece of research work on the translators’ professional environment.
The module offers a range of workshops and professional talks to enhance students’ industry knowledge and further develop their research skills. The research will include, for example, the client-translator relationship, areas of specialisation, associations supporting translators in source and target language as well as continuous professional development and working for agencies. It will support future employability and reflective practice, as students will have the opportunity to assimilate the knowledge they gained in the work placement through research and independent study. For this, the assessment will take the form of a reflective account where students will have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have gained further industry knowledge.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Wednesday afternoon

In this module, students are exposed to the specific requirements for the translation of texts belonging to specialist areas (e.g. medicine, law, multimedia areas such as television programmes, video games, comics) and the literary field such as the translation of children literature. Students are introduced to the characteristics of texts from these specialist domains and are familiarised with types, terminology, stylistic features, structure and the possible constraints imposed by the medium. The module therefore focuses on two main domains encompassing specialist areas and fields:
1. Technical/Applied Domains
2. Multimedia/Literary Domains

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Tuesday morning

This module is a generic, non language-specific module which builds on students’ knowledge of the main theoretical trends and approaches in translation, allowing them to reflect critically. It facilitates students’ grasp of the main translation theories, and addresses the role of theory in shaping translation practice with a focus on the latest research available in the discipline. Throughout, students are requested to evaluate different translation theories and reflect critically on how these theories support the translator. Seminar discussion and regular, formative student presentations will address questions such as: Are all theories useful for all kinds of translation? What aspects of translation do specific theories address? How does translation theory influence the translation product? In which context do the theories operate?

This module currently runs:
  • all year (September start) - Thursday evening

This module allows students to show their analytical skills as well as their practical translating competence by completing an extended translation and writing a commentary on it. They will be expected to know how to find a text of appropriate level of specialisation and length for the purposes of translation into the relevant target language. Students are shown how and where to search for appropriate source texts in terms of difficulty, length and degree of specialisation, how to work independently on their chosen text, the production of a commentary as well as their translation, under the guidance of their language-specific supervisor. Students are expected to use feedback they receive to improve and develop their project. Students will at all times be expected to demonstrate the ability to work independently, seek advice from appropriate sources (supervisor, peers, colleagues, etc) and make constructive use of feedback. They are also expected to translate the text to a professional standard of accuracy, identify and make use of appropriate research, apply searching and documentation strategies and use appropriate translation tools. Students will analyse the text in the light of the knowledge they have accumulated in previous years while studying other modules such as TR5052 and TR5053 and write a commentary that goes beyond mere descriptiveness, showing their analytical and strategic competence at pre-translation stage. Students are finally expected to give due importance to post-translation analysis.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester - Monday afternoon

This is a work based learning module that offers an introduction to real-life translation situations in the setting of a Language Service Provider (LSP). The module builds on prior learning gained from academic studies and other relevant experience. It aims to enhance the student's understanding of the sector through applying their knowledge to practical work based situations. Students will have the opportunity to recognise the benefits of work experience by developing soft skills of interest to employers and extend their translation-related skills. The module aims to develop employability skills and competences by exploring career options and networking opportunities with future employers.

Students are required to undertake a minimum of 105 hours, equivalent to 15 full working days (based on 7 working hours per day). The minimum hours can be completed full-time or part-time during the summer after completion of level 5 modules, or over the autumn semester at level 6.
The responsibility for finding a suitable placement lies with the student, but support is available to find and apply for suitable opportunities not only through the module leader but also via the GSBL Placements and Employability Unit and University Careers service.
The module leader will assess the suitability of the proposed placement and approve as appropriate.

Detailed guidance on the module requirements and the assessment will be provided during the workshops and via WebLearn.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Wednesday afternoon

This module will expand students’ skills in cross-linguistic and intercultural mediation by introducing them to essential interpreting skills, required in selected professional contexts. It will cover generic sessions on the nature of various types of interpreting and modes of delivery which are widely used in professional situations in a business setting. The module will aim at developing students’ skills for liaison interpreting, to facilitate dialogue and discussions between speakers who cannot speak each other’s language.
The generic sessions will be followed by practical sessions providing students with ample opportunities to acquire and develop relevant skills including memorising, note taking and communication.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

This module currently runs:
  • autumn semester
  • spring semester

Please check the Open Language Centre for confirmation of language level.

This module currently runs:
  • spring semester - Thursday afternoon

This module allows students to build on – and expand – the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired throughout their degree and, more specifically, in the module TR6052. It focuses on enhancing students’ capacity to reflect upon both theoretical and practical aspects of specialised translation by developing a dissertation in which they will examine and critically discuss wider issues in research specific to a specialist translation domain of their own choice.
Apart from consolidating their theoretical background, this module also aims at developing students’ research skills, self and time management, independent and team work, decision making and communication skills.

What our students say

"I could not better express how essential the BA in translation is to anyone wishing to embark on a career within the translation industry. I look back on my academic experience and feel that the course has provided me with invaluable expertise, knowledge, skills and confidence to embark on a profession I am passionate about." Laurent Thibaud

"The course focused on the professional world and prepared us for the demands of being a translator (working to deadlines, translating, proofreading and editing). The work placement was a real learning curve and taught me a work method and translation techniques that I still use today when producing a translation." Céline Cabesos

"I really enjoyed my course. I’ve always loved languages and it’s great to have a practical application for my interest. We’ve had talks from the industry, ranging from professional translators to IT specialists. I also undertook a work placement, which gave me a clear idea of the work place." Jeanne Okie

Where this course can take you

This degree prepares you for career opportunities in translation agencies, national and international governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the European Union, the United Nations, banks and multinational corporations as well as language service providers in general. Many of our graduates work as freelance translators or in an academic setting teaching foreign languages.

The course programme also provides excellent preparation for postgraduate study in specialised translation, interpreting or any other language related area.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Discover Uni – key statistics about this course

Discover Uni is an official source of information about university and college courses across the UK. The widget below draws data from the corresponding course on the Discover Uni website, which is compiled from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges. If a course is taught both full-time and part-time, information for each mode of study will be displayed here.

How to apply

If you're a UK applicant wanting to study full-time starting in September, you must apply via UCAS unless otherwise specified. If you're an international applicant wanting to study full-time, you can choose to apply via UCAS or directly to the University.

If you're applying for part-time study, you should apply directly to the University. If you require a Student visa, please be aware that you will not be able to study as a part-time student at undergraduate level.



When to apply

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.

If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.

To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

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