Interpreting MA  Interpreting MA London Metropolitan University ../webroot/files/Institutions/cover_photo/1563785059London-Metropolitic1.jpg

The Interpreting MA prepares you for work mainly as a professional conference interpreter for international organisations and the private market. Languages offered include English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Spanish. You’ll benefit from work placements, site visits and dummy booth practice at the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the International Maritime Organisation and the United Nations (Geneva and Vienna). It’s suitable for translators and linguists new to the field but would also benefit practising interpreters without formal qualifications.

The Interpreting MA is a vocational master's course grounded in theory and practice, specifically set up to train professional interpreters. The course offers you an opportunity to acquaint yourself with the theoretical and professional frameworks of interpretation applied to a range of interpreting types including public service interpreting, conference interpreting and remote interpreting (telephone and video conferencing).

We offer excellent interpreting facilities, including six AIIC (Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conference) standard soundproof booths, each with audio and video digital recording facilities. The interpreting suite facilities are the same as those used in Brussels for the European Commission and each booth is equipped with broadband and audio-visual digital recording. You’ll also benefit from the use of our virtual platform to access teaching materials and documentaries, presentations for conferences and recordings of mock conferences.

If you pass the Public Service Interpreting module with at least 60% you’ll achieve the Institute of Linguists Educational Trust (IoLET) accredited Level 7 Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI).

A key part of the course is a work placement during which you’ll perform live interpreting tasks under supervision and shadow professional interpreters at work. The course offers a wide range of language combinations paired with English: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Japanese. Further language combinations with English may also be available, such as Arabic, subject to demand, staff expertise and availability. In the past, we have offered Romanian, Dari and Lithuanian.

You will be required to have:

• a 2.1 first degree or a 2.2 with professional experience in interpreting (candidates with substantial experience as a professional interpreter but no degree will also be considered)
• certificate and diploma-level English and one other language, or MA level English and one or two other language(s)
• near-native proficiency in your first foreign language (language B) and a good command of your second foreign language (language C)
• a very good command of English with a Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): Grade AM

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Tier 4 student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Entrance aptitude test

Application forms are processed by the admissions tutor. Once you've demonstrated that you match the entry criteria, you'll be invited to London Metropolitan University to attend the entrance aptitude test. For international students, the test can be done remotely.

The entrance aptitude test is free and runs on Fridays between 10am and 1pm twice a month. It includes:

• translations into and from English
• presentations in the various language combinations
• consecutive interpreting into the A language (mother tongue)
• essay writing
• an interview with the admissions tutor and interpreting lecturers

You'll be assessed through a variety of coursework, interpreting exams, presentations, essays, independent work and a research project.