Translation, Interpreting and AI MA - 2026/7
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MA Translation, Interpreting and AI
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Translation, Interpreting and AI |
| PGCert | Translation, Interpreting and AI |
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PPA63041 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
| Part-time | PPA63042 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
N/A
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences - Literature & Languages
Programme Leader
ASIMAKOULAS Dimitris (Lit & Langs)
Date of production/revision of spec
02/12/2025
Educational aims of the programme
- The growing complexity of international communication, involving written, spoken as well as technically mediated communication, increasingly requires combined competencies. Recognising this need, the programme unites translation and interpreting studies, providing students with the skills and the flexibility to perform both tasks professionally in a business context. The programme relates issues of translation and interpreting to contemporary discourse in corporate and institutional contexts and prepares students for private and public sector employment including corporate business, public services and NGOs. The programme combines the study of the major principles of, and scholarly approaches to, translation and interpreting with opportunities for application and practice
- The programme also aims to instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research in an area of translation or interpreting
- Translation and interpreting are rapidly changing due to the impact of globalisation, social change and new technologies. The programme will provide students with insights into recent developments and related research - with the aim of enabling the students to: develop a broad understanding of current and future challenges of translation and interpreting
- apply scholarly approaches to critically evaluate professional practice in the light of current and future requirements
- perform relevant translation and interpreting tasks
- reflect on their own practice, using scholarly and professional writing on relevant aspects of translation and interpreting
- transfer the acquired skills and knowledge to novel and unpredictable situations of translation and interpreting
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| On completion of the programme students will be able to: apply advanced translation and interpreting techniques to a variety of fields, modes and genres as well as novel and unplanned situations to produce multilingual output that meets industry standards, is adapted to different contexts and target audience needs and follows best practices grounded in translation and interpreting scholarship to justify choices and decisions | KCP | PGCert, PGDip, MA | |
| Become competent users of language technologies for translation and interpreting (including computer-assisted translation and CAI tools, machine translation, tools and platforms for remote/distance interpreting, corpus technologies and NLP) to support a range of translation- and interpreting-related tasks at different stages, from pre-process (preparation) to peri-process (performance) and post-process (output analysis and debriefing) | P | PGCert, PGDip, MA | |
| Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main principles and theoretical, professional, socio-political and ethical issues that underpin translation and interpreting as different yet interrelated activities affected by digital technologies | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MA | |
| Reflect on, analyse, synthesise and critically evaluate a range of issues relevant to translation and interpreting as disciplines, practices, professions and industries, with evidence of speedy and efficient processing of complex information and problem solving | KCT | MA | |
| Acquire the ability to work both independently and with others on extended pieces of work in a sustained way and to a high standard, using advanced research skills, and engage with learning self-critically, exercising initiative and personal responsibility | CPT | PGCert, PGDip, MA | |
| Demonstrate commitment to continuous professional development and advanced employability skills by independently pursuing opportunities to engage with various (academia/profession/industry) stakeholders in a market where flexibility and a varied professional portfolio is an advantage | PT | PGCert, PGDip, MA |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Part-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied part-time over two academic years, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 8
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 8
Students must choose a language pair from Professional Translation Practice 1 and 2 and Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting 1 and 2 as compulsory modules.
Students choose three optional modules (ideally one in Semester 1 and two in Semester 2) from the listed optional modules. The optional modules may include another language pair from Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting 1 and 2
Semester 2 options from Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting II must be taken in conjunction with the corresponding Semester 1 option.
Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must choose a language pair from Professional Translation Practice 1 and 2 and Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting 1 and 2 as compulsory modules.
Students choose three optional modules (ideally one in Semester 1 and two in Semester 2) from the listed optional modules. The optional modules may include another language pair from Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting 1 and 2
Semester 2 options from Consecutive and Dialogue Interpreting II must be taken in conjunction with the corresponding Semester 1 option.
Part time students follow same rules as for full time students. Maintaining a balance of taught credits across the years.
Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 8
Module Selection for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 8
Part time students take their compulsory year long module(s) in the second year.
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | N | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
Core strengths and skills of the programme:
Global & Cultural Capabilities. Translation Studies is an interdisciplinary field that adopts global, balanced (North-South/East-West) perspectives and challenges traditional ideas through the lens of technological/social change. The learning environment is highly interactive, multi-cultural, focused on comparative analysis in language usage/professional behaviour.
Employability. Students gain linguistic, technological, business and soft skills required for the language services industry. They work with professional translators/interpreters on realistic simulations across diverse thematic areas. Practical/technology modules focus on high-demand skills, like Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT), post-editing Machine Translation (MT) output, remote collaborative translation, and video-mediated interpreting.
Digital Capabilities. Students gain proficiency in: AI-powered platforms, CAT tools, MT systems, terminology databases, subtitling software, respeaking software, and corpus management tools. The approach is also reflective, focusing on training students to critically assess the quality and reliability of technological solutions.
Sustainability & Resourcefulness. Sustainability is addressed through practical modules (working with texts on environmental sustainability and decent work) and theoretical modules (exploring how digital solutions consolidate resources and prepare for work diversification). The program also addresses reducing inequalities by examining the visibility/service of cultural and linguistic minorities.
Resourcefulness and Resilience are fostered through inter-disciplinary foundations (social sciences investigation/humanities reflexivity) and a focus on problem-solving skills in a supportive, empathetic environment. Assessments are designed to build self-efficacy, and flexible timetabling encourages student agency.
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.