Translation Skills  Postgrad Certificate

Overview

City's Translation Skills Postgraduate Certificate course, taught by distance learning, is for graduate translators with work experience translating out of their mother tongue, who wish to obtain an internationally-recognised qualification from a British university.

Language combinations offered
This course has been running since 1998 in Spanish into English, principally in conjunction with partner institutions in South America. However, over the last few years, the course has expanded to recruit students from around the world, who apply directly to City University London.

Currently, the following language combinations are offered, subject to demand:
  • Spanish into English
  • Portuguese into English
  • Arabic into English

Course Fees:

  • Full-time Non EU: £To be confirmed
  • Part-time Non EU: £To be confirmed

Start Date:

24 September 2012

How to Apply

Entry Requirements

You should be a native speaker of Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic, with a first degree in a relevant subject (languages, translation, linguistics or philology) or an equivalent qualification in translation.

In addition, you should ideally have some practical experience of translation. 

English Requirements

You will need to have a level of competence in English equivalent to at least IELTS band 7.0 in the reading and writing components. You may be required to complete a short entry test electronically to ensure that your level of English meets the required standard. 

Visa Requirements

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course at City, there are different rules for:

  • Students on courses of more than 6 months
  • Students on courses of less than 6 months
  • Students on a pre-sessional English Language course

For more information see our main Visa page.

When and Where

Start Date:
24 September 2012
Duration:
Two years, by distance learning

Course Content

The course consists of six modules taken over two years. The course is practically-orientated, with the focus on the submission of translation coursework accompanied by reflective translator's logbooks, which receives detailed formative and summative feedback from native speaker tutors.

Course Structure

Modules

  • Modules 1 and 2
    Translation of four texts of a general/journalistic nature + translator's logbook for each assignment
  • Modules 3 and 4
    Translation of four texts chosen from the semi specialised fields of business, law and technology + translator's logbook for each assignment.
  • Modules 5 and 6
    You choose one of the two following options:
    i) Translation of an extended text (approximately 1800 words) + translator's logbook
    ii) Glossary building in a specialist area of your choosing

There are three modules a year, and you can start the course at any one of the three module start dates. 

Teaching and Assessment

Assessment
You are assessed on the coursework submitted as outlined in the 'content' section. Additionally there are open-book examinations at the end of modules 3 and 6.

Teaching
Teaching is entirely by distance learning. All tutors are fully-qualified native English-speaking translators with experience of teaching at British universities. Formative feedback on your assignments is complemented by online/telephone tutorials, end-of-module performance evaluations, and a Virtual Learning Environment which is a supplementary resource containing course information, past examination papers, useful websites, hints and tips for developing translation practice, and a discussion board for exchanges between students and tutors.

Fees

  • Full-time Non EU: £To be confirmed
  • Part-time Non EU: £To be confirmed

Fees are yet to be confirmed, please check again soon for more information or email the Course Administrator at translation@city.ac.uk. 


Funding

For up-to-date information about tuition fees, living costs and financial support, visit Undergraduate Fees and Finance or Postgraduate Fees and Finance.

Career Prospects

Students on this course are typically practising translators working in a variety of fields. Some are freelancers, while others work in-house for private companies or for translation agencies.

Find out more about City University London

  • If you are a member of the Colegio de Traductores Publicos de Buenos Aires, you should register directly with, and address all queries about the application process to, the Colegio.
  • All other students registering for module 1 should complete a City postgraduate application form. Please print this form, complete it by hand, and fax, post or email a scanned copy to us (see contact details on right of page).
  • Students registering for modules 2-6 should complete the online City module registration form.