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MA Interpreting

MA Part-time 3 years

The MA Interpreting equips students with advanced linguistic, cultural, and professional skills to work effectively as interpreters across a range of sectors and settings.

The MA Interpreting equips students with advanced linguistic, cultural, and professional skills to work effectively as interpreters across a range of sectors and settings.

Award
MA
Start date(s)
13 September 2027
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (3 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus

Why choose this course?

Develop the specialist skills and confidence to work in complex professional interpreting environments with the MA Interpreting at the University of Wolverhampton. Designed for sign language interpreters and translators (SLT/I) working with British Sign Language and English, the course combines advanced practical performance with critical reflection, research and specialist professional knowledge. Standout modules include Interpreting in Healthcare Settings and Interpreting in Legal Settings, helping you understand the language, professional expectations and decision-making required in challenging real-world contexts.

A distinctive feature of the course is its emphasis on situated learning alongside allied professionals. Teaching involves experienced practitioners including interpreters, translators, nurses and solicitors, while visiting speakers, external visits and in-situ interpreting can add further practical experience. You can also develop your skills for international and high-profile environments through Interpreting in Conference Settings, building your ability to make effective interpreting decisions in complex and unpredictable situations.

The MA culminates in an Interpreting Studies Dissertation, giving you the opportunity to investigate an area of interpreting or translation that interests you and develop advanced research expertise. The course is designed to prepare interpreters and translators for specialist work across health, legal and conference settings, areas where the profession increasingly values advanced specialist knowledge. It can strengthen your professional practice and career development while also providing a route into further research and PhD study.

What's unique about this course?

Specialised sign language interpreting and translation focus: develops both theoretical knowledge and practical interpreting skills in English and British Sign Language. 

Domain‑specific training: covers interpreting in key professional contexts including healthcare, legal and conference settings.

Interdisciplinary and reflective practice: integrates critical analysis and reflection on professional interpreting practice to enhance performance and decision‑making.

Research‑led dissertation project: allows you to undertake an independent research study into an interpreting or translation topic of your choice. 

Designed to enhance employability: prepares you for careers as a professional interpreter/translator or in supervisory, research or specialist roles within the sector. 

What happens on the course?

On the MA Interpreting, students develop practical interpreting skills through a mix of workshops, simulated real-world scenarios, and hands-on practice. The course covers consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, sight translation, and professional ethics, while also enhancing language proficiency and cultural awareness. Students benefit from interactive learning and peer feedback preparing them to work confidently in healthcare, legal, business, and community interpreting contexts.

Employability on the course

Our courses are designed from day one to prepare you for your future career. You will benefit from:

  • Induction: a period to familiarise yourself with your new university
  • Structured learning pathways: courses are crafted with a focus on preparing students for future careers
  • Situated Learning experience: practical roleplays designed around real-world scenarios
  • Embedded professional development: all courses are designed with workplace skills development.
  • Industry-informed modules: course content is kept up-to-date with industry standards through our industry links, staff's research and work in the field

Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

The course prepares learners to work as sign language translators/interpreters (SLT/I) within the health, legal and conference domains and is the only course in the country to engage in situated learning alongside allied professions. The profession has been seeking greater levels of specialism for legal and health settings and this course will provide that degree of specialism.

Learners also have the option to progress to higher degree. A master’s qualification prepares graduates for PhD study. Increasingly the department is attracting PhD students in the subject area.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

This programme offers flexibility to students in terms of career choice and meets industry demand because there is a wide appeal amongst employers for students who have both the knowledge, skills and performance as SLT/I and the research skills to develop sector knowledge and expertise.  

The course is unique in bringing together situated learning alongside allied professionals, and teaching on the course is undertaken by experienced practitioners (interpreters, translators, nurses, solicitors, etc.). The teaching team have published situated learning and is recognised as a European level for the European forum of sign language interpreters as a leader in training.

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems in SLT/I through situational analyses.

2. Act autonomously in planning and implementing of the interpreting task: pre-; during; and post assignment; at a professional or equivalent level.

3. Demonstrate the SLT/I techniques and skills necessary for employment requiring:

  • the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility via clear communication of your in-situ decisions
  • decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations
  • the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development.

4. Critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship in the discipline; evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them.

5. Apply knowledge in an original way, critically analysing how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline.

 


 

Location Mode Sep intake Fee Year
Home Part-time £3672 per year 2026-27

These fees relate to new entrants only for the academic year indicated for entry onto the course, any subsequent years of study may be subject to an annual increase, usually in line with inflation.

Postgraduate Loan (Home Fee Status):

You may be able to get a postgraduate student loan from Student Finance England of up to £13,206 to help pay for a Master’s degree. Applications are made through Student Finance England and more information on the regulations and eligibility criteria can be found at Masters Loans gov.uk.

* Any RPL will invalidate your eligibility as you must study a minimum of 180 credits


Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as Overseas (International) students for fee purposes. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:

You can get 20% discount on a taught on-site postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.

The University offers a generous 20% Loyalty Discount to students progressing from an undergraduate programme to a taught postgraduate programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree as long as this is your first Masters level qualification.

The discount applies to the first year of enrolment only. Students who receive a loyalty discount are not entitled to any further tuition discount or bursary. For full terms and conditions click here.


Self-funded:

If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.


Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Charitable Funding:

You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts. Please contact Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Aid. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.


You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

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