Interpreting MA – 2023 entry

Teaching staff

During the course, you'll learn through a combination of regular language pair-specific practice, simulations of multilingual events (mock conferences, guided campus tours and distance interpreting), modules highlighting different aspects of the profession, and a background lecture. Our experienced academic staff will help you develop a broad understanding of the current and future challenges of interpreting, while well-established, professional interpreters bring their workplace experience, standards and up-to-date knowledge of the market into the classroom.

Professional development

You'll have regular contact with professional interpreters in your practice-based modules and you’ll gain advanced knowledge of how technologies are shaping the interpreting profession, making you fit for the current market. You'll benefit from course components that emphasise the business and industry aspects of interpreting. You'll have access to:

• Two conference interpreting suites equipped with ISO-approved double interpreting booths, as used by international institutions, to practise simultaneous interpreting
• A portable interpreting system for training in mobile interpreting (used for museum or factory tours)
• A two-way and multipoint videoconferencing system to simulate remote or distance interpreting, with delegates and interpreters interacting over video link
• A cloud-based Remote Simultaneous Interpreting platform.

You'll have invaluable opportunities to apply and further hone your interpreting skills and strategies in real-life working environments. For instance, our students have provided interpreting services for a variety of multilingual events held at the University, ranging from graduation ceremonies to a three-day medical conference and other workshops. You’ll also have the opportunity to further refine your skills by participating in a remote interpreting summer school, as well as shadowing professional interpreters working at several international conferences held in London, thanks to our well-established contacts with some major interpreting service providers.

You'll benefit from free access to a wide range of specialised software, including:

• WinCaps
• Dragon Naturally Speaking
• Sketch Engine.

You'll also gain further insights into the industry from the external guest speakers we invite to our Centre for Translation Studies seminars and workshops, such as:

• Professional translators and interpreters
• Subtitlers and audio describers
• Professionals working in public services, companies and international organisations
• Representatives of professional translator and interpreter associations
• Translation and interpreting researchers.

These opportunities will prepare you to begin work as a freelancer or as a language service provider at an international organisation, government body, university or private company. You will receive guidance on the development of a professional engagement portfolio to help you build a professional CV as you study. This involves documenting collaborations with language services providers, and extra-curricular activities, such as joining a professional body, attending professional development workshops and webinars, and participating in projects with the local community.

Industry links

We offer professionally relevant courses and have forged close links with the main professional bodies. For example, after graduating from our MA Interpreting course you will be able to apply for membership of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters. We've also been invited to take part in prestigious schemes such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists Higher Education Language Partnership and we're corporate members of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. You can join these bodies as a student member during the course and then become a full member after you graduate.

We're a member of the Translation Automation User Society and the European Language Industry Association, which gives you the possibility to apply for a work placement with various translation and interpreting partner companies. We collaborate closely with language service providers, and have an extensive network of visiting professionals, so you will benefit from excellent connections and be taught to industry standards.

We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University. Our graduates have lifetime access to Surrey Pathfinder, our online portal for appointment and events bookings, jobs, placements and interactive development tools.

Local and international companies from the language industry who have an active interest in Surrey graduates come to our Centre for Translation Studies. They explain what current and future opportunities they have, providing a chance for you to engage with them directly and kick-start your career in an informal, friendly atmosphere.

Our emphasis on professional development means that you'll be well equipped to begin work as a freelancer, in-house interpreter, interpreting services manager or as an interpreting technology co-ordinator at international organisations, government bodies, universities and private companies.

The language services industry continues to grow despite a challenging international economic climate. Globalisation and technological innovation open new markets and create novel demands for multilingual interpreting services to exchange knowledge and communicate with clients. As an MA Interpreting graduate and qualified language professional, you'll be able to take advantage of global employment opportunities.

Technological innovation is also rapidly reshaping the interpreting industry, creating new research opportunities.

Your dissertation will enable you to consolidate the knowledge and skills acquired during the taught components of the course and guide you along the identification and selection of an appropriate research topic or a translation/interpreting project or work placement. It’s also one of the many ways of getting involved in ongoing research in the Centre for Translation Studies. We regularly have students who decide to stay on to study for a PhD and pursue an academic career in translation and interpreting studies. For further information, see our PhD course.

To further help our students with work opportunities in the language services industry, we host an annual careers fair where local and international companies with an active interest in Surrey graduates meet our students in an informal, friendly atmosphere.