Audiovisual and Literary Translation

Entry requirements

If your first language is English:

We will consider a 2:2 degree( or international equivalent) in French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish.

If your first language is either French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish:

We will consider a 2:2 degree ( or international equivalent) which includes English as a major component. If you have a joint honours degree (eg. Business Studies with English), your performance in the English component must be of a good standard.

Applicants may be required to successfully pass a Translation aptitude test.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Should translated literature be entirely faithful to the original text, or should the translation be creative in its attempt not to lose the poetry of the work? How can translation account for double entendre or other wordplay? Is it possible to translate experimental literature which ignores conventional grammar rules?

Building on the internationally recognised expertise of both our Departments of Language and Linguistics, and our Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, our MA Translation and Literature course will allow you to further specialise in literature and general translation. In the second term you will also learn techniques of professional literary translation. You develop your own personal translation skills, allowing you to translate a literary work accurately and creatively from one language to another for your dissertation.

Our course is offered with the combination of English and one of Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. You can be a native or near-native speaker of any of these languages, as you learn to translate to and from both languages. You work with native speakers in developing your ability to move accurately and quickly between your chosen language and English.

Explore our hands-on, practical modules, including:

• Principles of Translation
• US and Caribbean literatures in dialogue
• Translation Portfolios
• Technologies of Translation

We are one of the largest and most prestigious language and linguistics departments in the world, a place where talented students become part of an academic community in which the majority of research is rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, placing us firmly within the top 10 departments in the UK (REF 2014)

Our Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies is ranked among the top 200 departments in the world (QS World University Rankings, 2017). We are also ranked 13th in the UK for Linguistics in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2020).

If you want a global outlook, are interested in human communication, and want to study for a degree with real-world practical value in a world-class department, welcome to Essex.

Information for international students

IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 6.0 in all components.

Fees and funding

We offer many funding opportunities to support talented postgraduates, ranging from research council studentships and University scholarships to awards funded by charities and other external organisations. For more information, visit our website