MSc Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting

Overview

September 2024 entry

The deadline for applications from UK students is 30 August 2024. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 2 August 2024.

MSc Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting

MSc Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting is a twin-focus masters degree which will prepare you for an exciting, international career as a professional translator and interpreter from Chinese-English and vice-versa.

This specialist programme develops a necessary balance of theoretical knowledge and professional language skills, with options to study intercultural communication or international politics and organisations alongside your translation and interpreting courses.

Professional skills

Studying MSc Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting at Heriot-Watt University will give you access to our excellent facilities, which include professional-standard translation and interpreting labs.

You will be taught by professional interpreters and translators and your learning will focus on developing a professional expertise in areas such as:

• Technical and scientific translation
• Subtitling and audio-visual translation
• Use of Computer Aided Translation tools
• Sight translation
• Simultaneous interpreting
• Consecutive interpreting and note taking

You will develop these skills to a proficient standard and learn about the different approaches and skillsets required from interpreters when working in distinct professional contexts such as healthcare, court and legal, educational and conference interpreting.

Professional-standard classrooms

Our state-of-the-art language labs and suite of simultaneous interpreting booths will provide you with the ideal setting in which to perfect your translating and interpreting skills to professional standards.

Our Interpreting Booths are modelled on those used by the United Nations, the European Union and the Scottish Parliament, whilst Translation Labs provide access to industry-standard software such as TRADOS, a computer aided translation memory tool and WinCAPS, the professional subtitling tool.

Your practical interpreting and translating skills will be developed through a combination of practice seminars, lectures, masterclasses, and workshops and virtual classes delivered by our external partners. In addition to regular practice seminars in your chosen language combinations, you will attend mock conferences throughout semester 2 to practice simultaneous interpreting, relay, event chairing and public speaking for a real audience including lecturers and peers.

You will also fine-tune your conference interpreting skills on a larger scale at the annual Heriot-Watt University Multilingual Debate. This is a formal debate between two multilingual teams which is watched by thousands of school-aged languages pupils from across the United Kingdom.

Taught by the experts

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

A true blend of academic and professional expertise helps our programme maintain its position at the fore-front of industry practice and means you gain practical insights into the careers of successful interpreters and translators on a daily basis.

Links with industry

By studying on our MSc Chinese-English Translation and Interpreting you will gain access to an ever-growing international network of employers who recognise the high standard of skills and expertise of Interpreting and Translating graduates.

These industry links contribute to our SWATI Day (Starting Work as a Translator or Interpreter), an industry-focussed conference which brings key figures from industry to Heriot-Watt University for a day of professional guidance and networking.

Graduate destinations

This degree has a strong focus on career preparation, so our graduates are sought after and respected across the translation and interpreting industries.

Recent graduates from our interpreting and translation degrees have progressed to the following careers:

• In-house translator
• Freelance conference interpreter
• Founder of translation and interpreting agency
• Courtroom interpreter
• National Health Service interpreting head

You will also be equipped with the transferable skills and qualities necessary to build successful careers as project managers, copywriters, editors, media specialists and educators, especially in settings where Chinese language and intercultural knowledge is beneficial.