Legal Translation MA

Course overview

• This course allows you to acquire a specialisation in an area of translation for which there is an increasing demand
• It provides an overview of the legal systems and terminology in England and Wales as well as those of the country of the students' other language
• The course establishes a theoretical framework for legal translation and offers practice in translating key documents in a range of legal fields
• The curriculum was developed in consultation with the legal translation industry and is tailored to its needs

Who is the course for?

• Practising translators wishing to specialise in legal translation
• Those already in employment in the legal profession wishing to become translators in the legal field
• Linguists who are interested in becoming legal translators
• Graduates in modern languages, translation or law

Which language combinations are offered?

We will consider applications for the following language combinations:

• English into one of French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian or Spanish
• French, German, Italian or Spanish into English

You can only take one language combination at a time, and you are expected to translate into your mother tongue. All language combinations are offered subject to demand. 

Course content

Modules

• Principles and Practice of Legal Translation
• Terminology and Translation of Contracts
• Translation for Litigation
• Terminology and Translation of Property Documents
• Company: Legal Principles and Translation
• Commercial: Legal Principles and Translation
• EU: Legal Principles and Translation
• Financial Legal Translation
• Dissertation (for MA students only)

Provisional dates, 2010/11

Part time, year 1

• Principles and Practice of Legal Translation | 1-4 September 2010
• Terminology and Translation of Contracts | 1-4 December 2010
• Company: Legal Principles and Translation | 6-9 April 2011
• Terminology and Translation of Property Documents | 8-12 June 2011 

Part time, year 2

• Translation for Litigation | September 2011*
• Commercial: Legal Principles and Translation | December 2011*
• EU: Legal Principles and Translation | April 2012*
• Financial Legal Translation | June 2012*

* exact dates to be confirmed

Full time

• Principles and Practice of Legal Translation | 1-4 September 2010
• Translation for Litigation | 15-18 September 2010
• Terminology and Translation of Contracts | 1-4 December 2010
• Commercial: Legal Principles and Translation | 8-11 December 2010
• Company: Legal Principles and Translation | 6-9 April 2011
• EU: Legal Principles and Translation | 13-16 April 2011
• Terminology and Translation of Property Documents | 8-12 June 2011 
• Financial Legal Translation | 15-18 June 2011

Teaching and assessment

The course is offered in a flexible format combining intensive face-to-face teaching with distance learning. You have the option to take individual modules for continuing professional development or to take the full one-year full-time or two-year part-time course leading to an MA.
 
Attendance on the part-time course is required for four days (Wednesday to Saturday) four times a year: mid-September, mid-December, around Easter and mid-June. On the full-time course, students are required to attend all eight modules in one year.

Assessment

For each module, you submit one or two pieces of translation for formal assessment.

There are no examinations, with the exception of an optional examination for the module EU: Legal Principles and Translation.

Employment

Our first group of students will graduate in September 2010. We will publish information about their employment destinations shortly after that date.

Graduates of the Legal Translation MA can typically expect to work as freelance translators, in-house for banks and law firms, as legal translators in translation agencies, or as translators for international organisations (UN, EU, etc.). 

How to apply

Entrance requirements

Students should normally have a good Bachelor degree (2:1) in a relevant subject and be able to demonstrate competence at a level equivalent to either a first degree or IELTS 7.0 in a language other than their mother tongue. Applicants may be asked to bring sample translations to their interview.
 
Please ensure you indicate the language combination you wish to apply for in the 'Statement in Support of Application' section of the application form.

Application deadline

• 1 March 2010 for those candidates wishing to be considered for an AHRC bursary
• 15 June 2010 for all other candidates

Application forms

• Apply online for the MA in Legal Translation starting in September 2010
• Download a PDF version of the application form

Fees & bursaries

Fees 2009/10

MA:

• UK/EU students: £4,850
• Overseas Students: £8,700

Individual modules (CPD): £450 per module

Please note: the fees for 2010/11 will be available in the spring, and are expected to increase by approximately 5 per cent.

Bursaries

City University London has allocated 1 bursary under the AHRC scheme to an MA Translation student for 2010/11. If you wish to be considered for an AHRC bursary, please submit your course application by 1 March 2010 along with the additional AHRC application form.

See also our Student Centre website for details of other sources of funding.

EU and International Students – an opportunity to take advantage of favourable exchange rates

The exchange rate between sterling and other currencies has moved several times over the past year.  At the moment, it is cheaper to buy sterling than it has been for some time.  If you wish to take advantage of the current exchange rate and not risk the rate moving against you later in the year, then you may pay your fees early, provided you are in receipt of an unconditional offer from the University.

Please note, that once you have paid your fees, we may not be able to refund these if you subsequently do not start your course at City University London, nor can you take advantage of more favourable exchange rates, should those occur later in the year.

Withdrawals and refunds

If a student leaves the University after commencing but before completing their course, the University reserves the right to charge the student the tuition fee for the full academic year in question (or full course for capacity-limited Postgraduate courses, up to a maximum of 2 years fees). The student may be charged the full fee for that year or course as applicable unless the student can prove that reasons exist for their withdrawal which are exceptional and were unforeseeable at the time of applying for the course.

News

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