| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | UK MA in Translation Studies Thread poster: Mark Sam
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Mark Sam
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
New user
Spanish to English
Hi all. I’m considering doing a distance learning Masters in Translation Studies at either Portsmouth or Birmingham university. On paper both courses look good and offer an interesting choice of useful subjects. Just wondering if anyone has first hand experience of either of these courses or has heard any feedback from people who have studied these.
Thank you!
| | | | Baran Keki 
Türkiye
Local time: 11:26
Member
English to Turkish
| Translation Studies | Mar 6 |
I have no experience, but the general feeling on these fora is that translation studies are no longer worth the investment in this day and age where the translators are increasingly being replaced by the AI.
I'd look for a course that will provide me with more in-demand, AI-proof skills like plumbing, mechanics, electronics etc. But if your heart is so set on translation, then you might consider looking for a "AI-based translation reviewing" course, which I'm sure will open in most UK uni... See more I have no experience, but the general feeling on these fora is that translation studies are no longer worth the investment in this day and age where the translators are increasingly being replaced by the AI.
I'd look for a course that will provide me with more in-demand, AI-proof skills like plumbing, mechanics, electronics etc. But if your heart is so set on translation, then you might consider looking for a "AI-based translation reviewing" course, which I'm sure will open in most UK universities in the next couple of years.
In the meantime you can take up plumbing. A part time German plumber translator here makes big bucks (or so I've heard). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| I wouldn't recommend it | Mar 6 |
Mark Sam wrote:
Hi all. I’m considering doing a distance learning Masters in Translation Studies at either Portsmouth or Birmingham university.
I agree with Baran. The consensus seems to be that you are not going to make enough of a return on such an investment to justify it. The translation industry is in flux, and many freelancers are struggling to survive.
You seem to already have a solid qualification that naturally leads to a specialization for translation, so why not just get stuck in? Start part time, and work your way up. If you find that you have more work than you can deal with part time, consider a change to full-time work. But you'd have to be brave and confident...
Regards,
Dan
| | | | Emily Scott
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2018)
French to English
+ ...
Both courses look similar to the one I completed in Hull 10 years ago and that was a great course, so I'm sure these will be too. If you like the look of them and are excited about the course, go for it! Not every agency is looking for translators with an MA, but a lot of them are, so if it's something you want to pursue, it's a good thing to have in your back pocket.
Yes, there may be a lot of doom and gloom about AI at the moment, but there always seems to be something plaguing th... See more Both courses look similar to the one I completed in Hull 10 years ago and that was a great course, so I'm sure these will be too. If you like the look of them and are excited about the course, go for it! Not every agency is looking for translators with an MA, but a lot of them are, so if it's something you want to pursue, it's a good thing to have in your back pocket.
Yes, there may be a lot of doom and gloom about AI at the moment, but there always seems to be something plaguing the translation industry at any one time, it's just the way it is. I believe the world will always need good human translators, especially in very technical fields. I'm not a legal translator myself, but I imagine being a qualified lawyer (which you are) with an MA Translation Studies will put you in good stead. All the best Mark ▲ Collapse
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| This bit may well be right ↓ | Mar 6 |
Emily Scott wrote:
Yes, there may be a lot of doom and gloom about AI at the moment, but there always seems to be something plaguing the translation industry at any one time, it's just the way it is.
While Emily and myself have somewhat different perspectives, probably informed by our different routes into the translation industry, I wholeheartedly agree with this part of her comment.
I do have serious concerns about the future of the industry, but then again people worried about the advent of the internet (competition from people in low-cost countries, woe is me!), about CAT tools (impossible to make money with fuzzy matrices, woe is me again!), and now it's machine translation (unlimited woe!). And yet, for some of us - yma o hyd.
I'm not denying that some freelancers were affected by these changes and doubtless some have already been affected by MT, but I believe there is still a future for those competent / agile / flexible enough to adapt. I'm still waiting to find out if I'm in that group.
As for rates, I refer you to this thread from nearly 24 years ago, showing that it is a perennial concern of freelancers.
Before you start investing heavily in an MA, perhaps you could look at other ways to market yourself, such as filling in your bio properly here on proz.com (effectively free), maybe setting up a simple ( = cheap) website and so on?
Regards,
Dan
[Edited at 2025-03-06 11:55 GMT]
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 04:26
German to English
| Return on investment | Mar 6 |
I've worked with a number of graduates of translation programs over the years. Some were well-prepared for a career in the field; in addition to possessing basic translation skills, they knew how to maintain a database, use translation tools, and were able to sensibly formulate a query. They also had a sense of the business of translating: how to maintain records, how to invoice clients, etc. Others, unfortunately, were less aware of resources they needed for complex tasks, and working with them... See more I've worked with a number of graduates of translation programs over the years. Some were well-prepared for a career in the field; in addition to possessing basic translation skills, they knew how to maintain a database, use translation tools, and were able to sensibly formulate a query. They also had a sense of the business of translating: how to maintain records, how to invoice clients, etc. Others, unfortunately, were less aware of resources they needed for complex tasks, and working with them was very frustrating. A recent contributor to this forum went through a two-year program at a well-respected American university and revealed herself to be utterly clueless as to how to create an invoice, for example, or how to apply for jobs. She apparently spent two years learning the art of translation, but was utterly unprepared for the realities of earning a living in the profession.
Thirty years ago, a graduate degree in translation made sense, and in many cases, paid off (relatively) handsomely, since there was a demand for skilled translators. In the current market, however, loss of income due to two years of translation studies, as well as the related financial investment will not be easily recouped. Nowadays, beginners are not only competing against other translators, but against AI as well. There is still a demand for quality translations, but that segment is rapidly diminishing, and gaining access to that market increasingly difficult. Today, academic preparation is less likely to pay off.
I might mention that a former colleague, a graduate of one of the best American translation programs, with 25+ years of experience and an enviable CV, decided to quit the business to develop her culinary skills, since she could no longer make a decent living as a translator.
[Edited at 2025-03-06 13:41 GMT]
[Edited at 2025-03-06 13:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Kelly
France
Local time: 09:26
Member (2022)
German to English
+ ...
Hi Mark,
a few points:
1) If you're a qualified lawyer, law pays more (I work in a support role at a law firm, so I know a little bit about both worlds). If you don't want the hours of a lawyer, being an in-house counsel is often thought to be a little less gruelling.
2) With revenue from translation being unstable (few full-time jobs, and freelance work is threatened by companies using automated solutions) you really need to look before you leap.
3) If you really want t... See more Hi Mark,
a few points:
1) If you're a qualified lawyer, law pays more (I work in a support role at a law firm, so I know a little bit about both worlds). If you don't want the hours of a lawyer, being an in-house counsel is often thought to be a little less gruelling.
2) With revenue from translation being unstable (few full-time jobs, and freelance work is threatened by companies using automated solutions) you really need to look before you leap.
3) If you really want to do translation, you could keep your day job (as I have done to this day) and then send off applications for freelance work. You can focus on legal translations and emphasise your legal qualifications. Then build up your client base. It will probably take a while before it will be viable to switch to full-time translation, if ever. But it can be a useful supplementary income and/or interest.
4) And finally, the key things that you need to know for freelance translation are technical skills relating to MemoQ/Trados, so you could try some tutorials in those. And on the Spanish side, you could try getting an official certificate for C1 or C2 level. All of this could be done without the commitment and expenditure of a full degree course. Particularly as you already have a degree which will set your CV apart anyway.
Good luck!
Michael ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mark Sam
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
New user
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
Hi All
Many thanks for all the thoughts, hints and tips which are all very useful and eye-opening.
I suppose I'm in the fortunate position of already having a good full-time legal job and translation for me is almost a hobby, you could say, so as not to lose my language skills and because, at heart, I've always been a linguist. Any further language studies would be more for the academic challenge and interest rather than a tool to get into the translation business. Alth... See more Hi All
Many thanks for all the thoughts, hints and tips which are all very useful and eye-opening.
I suppose I'm in the fortunate position of already having a good full-time legal job and translation for me is almost a hobby, you could say, so as not to lose my language skills and because, at heart, I've always been a linguist. Any further language studies would be more for the academic challenge and interest rather than a tool to get into the translation business. Although still some way off, (legal) translation may just be a nice little side earner when it comes to the time to retire. ▲ Collapse
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Mark Sam wrote:
Although still some way off, (legal) translation may just be a nice little side earner when it comes to the time to retire.
A few years ago we had a thread started by somebody who began freelancing after retiring.
He was perplexed that he wasn't getting any work, because he thought he was good.
It turned out that he had no idea how to market himself, and didn't like being told that he had no idea.
Freelancing is a different world.
It takes a while to learn the ropes, get established and build a client base.
Invest some time in your profile, network in the industry, make it known that you translate.
But marketing of some kind is absolutely essential.
If you want to do it, and you have some spare time, then I would start today.
None of us know what the industry will look like in five or ten years.
Dan
| | | | | Student in Bham here! | Mar 7 |
Hi Mark Sam,
I'm currently in the Translation Studies MA in Birmingham. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
| | | | | Translation studies and AI | Mar 7 |
I think that the rise of AI translation has two sides.
One is the struggle most freelancers are facing regarding the plummet of job offers and rates.
The other is on the opposite way, as the research over AI is rising inside and outside the translation industry.
For example, research over LLMs might help companies improve the data used on MT. One hot topic regarding research on AI translation is gender, since currently most MT are totally failing.
Outside th... See more I think that the rise of AI translation has two sides.
One is the struggle most freelancers are facing regarding the plummet of job offers and rates.
The other is on the opposite way, as the research over AI is rising inside and outside the translation industry.
For example, research over LLMs might help companies improve the data used on MT. One hot topic regarding research on AI translation is gender, since currently most MT are totally failing.
Outside the translation industry, research on AI is also flourishing, because only through research can people understand more about AI and its moral, ecological, and financial risks or outcomes.
So, if you want to focus on Translation Studies, I suggest looking for courses related to AI/MT research. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Emma MacNab
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
French to English
| Just finished Portsmouth course | Mar 11 |
Hello Mark,
I've just finished the Portsmouth MA in Translation Studies. I did it distance learning over 3 years and worked full-time in my job in the NHS at the same time. Happy to answer any specific queries you might have about the course.
Emma
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Emma MacNab wrote:
I've just finished the Portsmouth MA in Translation Studies. I did it distance learning over 3 years and worked full-time in my job in the NHS at the same time. Happy to answer any specific queries you might have about the course.
Glad to see you again, Emma. Given the tone of your previous thread I am not at all surprised to hear that you went ahead - you seemed methodical and determined. Congratulations on getting through it.
Best of luck,
Dan
| | | | | Approach with caution | Mar 13 |
I don't know anything about either of those two courses in particular but in general I would stay well clear of any translation degree. Because of AI, our industry is well and clearly screwed. Even apart from AI, translation is not a line of work that I would recommend to anyone because of the modest pay, lack of opportunities for promotion, boring work, etc. Like I said, approach with caution.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 09:26
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Gerard Barry wrote:
Even apart from AI, translation is not a line of work that I would recommend to anyone because of the modest pay, lack of opportunities for promotion, boring work, etc. Like I said, approach with caution.
I am not exactly thrilled by the documents I'm asked to translate (user manuals, government policies, contracts, laws, public contract specifications etcetera), but I enjoy every minute translating them. It's quite remarkable to choose translation if you think it's a boring job.
Also, opportunities for promotion and even the pay were never considerations when I chose to become a translator (just like I never planned to become a freelancer). I chose something that I enjoyed doing and found interesting, and that's exactly what I recommend my children to do, without even thinking about economical opportunities. Begin with doing what you would like to do, and if it doesn't work out: adapt and do something else.
My oldest son dreams of becoming a truck driver, for several years now. He's now studying supply chain management because I told him it would be ashame not to capitalize on his 6 years of Greek and Latin to get a college degree. But after that I will fully support him, despite the fact that the pay won't be great. Doing something that makes you happy is more important than a high paycheck or career opportunities.
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