Why study this course?

This course will prepare you for professional work as a conference interpreter. You could go on to work face-to-face or online via remote interpreting in the private market, for commercial organisations or large international institutions such as the European Union or the United Nations.

We offer this course in the following languages paired with English: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

This course offers a Distance Learning option for full time (one year) and part time (two years) students. Students from both courses are taught in a synchronous hybrid mode as one community of learners.

More about this course

Become a professional conference interpreter with this postgraduate diploma.

You’ll gain practical experience in our state-of-the-art interpreting suite, which has the same technology as those used by renowned international institutions such as the EU and the UN. Plus you’ll have opportunities to learn outside of the classroom on guided trips around London and possibilities to travel internationally to visit places such as the United Nations in Geneva, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, or the European Commission in Brussels.

Our expertise in innovative technology is key to this course. We’ve developed partnerships with external organisations that provide opportunities for remote interpreting practice, meaning you’ll gain experience of using online interpreting platforms too.

On this Conference Interpreting PG Dip you’ll not only learn how to perform long consecutive interpreting, but also how to embrace the challenges of setting up your own profile as a professional linguist and understand how to develop your visibility on the market.

You’ll study conference interpreting from a European Union and United Nations perspective, helping you to prepare for the accreditation test that freelance interpreters need to take to work for these institutions.

By interpreting in mock conferences throughout the year, you’ll learn about multilingual and multicultural conference management skills. On top of this, you’ll have opportunities to shadow professional interpreters at work and gain dummy booth practice face-to-face and/or online.

This postgraduate diploma doesn’t require you to complete research like on a typical master’s degree, and it can be studied as a stand-alone qualification or seen as a stepping stone to our full Conference Interpreting MA.

Available part-time, you can study this course alongside your job and other personal commitments. This is a day course that will require two days of your time for part-time students and four days as a full-time student.

Assessment

You'll be assessed through a variety of essays, presentations, practical interpreting performances, self and peer evaluations, and reflective portfolios.

Fees and key information

Course type
Postgraduate
Entry requirements View
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Entry requirements

You’ll be required to have:

  • a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in translation, interpreting, modern languages or related field
  • native or near native knowledge of the English language
  • near native proficiency in your chosen paired language
  • good command of the second foreign language (if applicable)

For international applicants you are required to have IELTS 6.5 with no component less than 6.0 and be able to meet the DfE entry qualification requirements or equivalents.

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 higher 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

You’ll need to complete 120 credits from the following modules:

  • Consecutive interpreting (English into A, or C1 into English) (core, 20 credits)
  • Consecutive interpreting (A into English or C2 into English)  (core, 20 credits)
  • Interpreting Theory and Interpreting Assignment Preparation Strategies  (core, 20 credits)
  • Simultaneous interpreting (A<>English , or C1 and C2 into English) (core, 20 credits)
  • The Interpreters Professional Environment (with Placement) (core, 20 credits)
  • Conference Interpreting (EU/UN Context) (core, 20 credits)

Where this course can take you

Conference interpreters are highly sought after around the world, and you could go on to work at intergovernmental organisations such as the European Union or United Nations, for either face to face, hybrid or remote interpreting assignments.

Working as a freelancer is a popular choice for interpreters, but you could also work for an agency, private company, international organisation, governments or an educational institution for either face to face, hybrid or remote interpreting assignments.

You could also advance to our Conference Interpreting MA in order to gain a highly-regarded master’s degree.

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.

How to apply

Use the apply button to begin your application.

If you require a Student visa and wish to study a postgraduate course on a part-time basis, please read our how to apply information for international students to ensure you have all the details you need about the application process.



When to apply

You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered 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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