School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

What you'll study

Students take 180 credits in total: 120 credits from taught modules and a 60-credit dissertation in Translation Theory. Core and option elements include:

• Core: Dissertation in Linguistics (Translation Theory) — 60 credits; Translation Theory — 15 credits.
• Guided options (List A — choose 60 credits): Japanese–English Translation (PG); Translating Cultures; Korean–English Translation (PG); Concepts and Practice of Subtitling; Practical Translation: Other Languages into English (each 15 credits).
• Guided options (List B — up to 30 credits): Literature, Politics and National Identity in Modern China (PG); World Literature (PG); Myths, Legends and Folkways of East Asia (PG); Language, Society and Communication (Masters) (each 15 credits).

Languages available for practical work include Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Swahili, Thai and Turkish. The practical translation modules are optional; students may concentrate on cultural translation, mediation or theory instead.

Entry requirements

Applications with at least a 2:2 (or international equivalent) are considered. The supporting statement is taken into account; references are optional but can strengthen an application, particularly for candidates below 2:2 or with non-traditional qualifications. Further international and English language requirements are available from the programme.

Career prospects

The programme prepares students for the professional market as freelance translators, language professionals and cultural mediators, and provides a foundation for MPhil/PhD research. Recent graduates include award-winning literary translators Polly Barton and Asa Yoneda. Graduates from the school have been employed by organisations such as Google, BBC World Service, The Wall Street Journal, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

SOAS lists a range of scholarships and studentship deadlines relevant to master’s applicants, including Tibawi Trust Award, Felix Scholarships (including Felix Non-Indian Scholarship), Sasakawa Studentships, Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award and SOAS Masters Scholarships. Deadlines shown on the programme page include 2 March, 20 March, 8 June and 30 June for various awards. The programme also provides access to Phrase (a university translation platform) and to institutional resources such as SOAS Library and external collections like the British Library and the BBC World Service; postgraduate students are eligible to apply for internships and participate in optional Study Tours to international destinations.