Postgraduate
Master of Translation Studies
Contact us
Address
Student Central
The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Telephone
131 UWA (131 892)
International
(+61 8) 6488 1000
Hours
Frequently asked questions
Events you may be interested in
Show more eventsCareers and further study
Explore the career opportunities available to you.
Career Pathways
UWA’s Master of Translation Studies students will graduate with a qualification relevant to professional employment in a range of business, government and non-government organisations in Australia and overseas. This course could lead to career opportunities as a: copywriter, advertising professional, foreign affairs and trade officer, bilingual professional, post-editor, terminologist or translator.
Further Study
Fees and scholarships
Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course.
Domestic Student Fees
Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.
Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
International Student Fees
Find out more about tuition fees or visit the fee calculator for the estimated total course fee.
Note, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are subject to increase up to 7.5 per cent per annum.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Internships
As part of your studies, you can choose to complete a six-week work placement, either in Australia or overseas. You can apply for your own internship, or via one of our hosts, including:
- UWA International Centre
- The Confucius Institute
- Chambers of Commerce
- The Oriental Journal
- Scoop online magazine
- WA Museum
- Government bodies
- Immigration and education agencies
These internships ensure a high level of practical training and provide the opportunity for professional contacts for future employment. On occasion, graduates gain ongoing employment with their hosts on completion of their studies.
Students are afforded many opportunities to network with professionals thanks to workshops and informal gatherings with professional organisations and work placement hosts.
Admission requirements
If you’re interested in furthering your career by studying this postgraduate degree, find out the admission details below
Admission Requirements
(a) a relevant bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in the Level 3 units of a relevant major;
and
(c)(i) demonstrated native or near-native proficiency in the chosen language specialisation; or
ii) for French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish, B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or equivalent internationally recognised test; for Chinese, a minimum of HSK 4; for Japanese, Level N2/N3 at the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test); for Indonesian, Level 3 at the UKBI (UjianKemahiran Bahasa Indonesia) or Level 4 at the ISLPR (International Second Language Proficiency Ratings); and for Korean, Level 4 at the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean).
Ranking and Selection Process
English competency
English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.
Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.
How to apply
Ready for the next step?
Find out how to apply through our simple online application process.
We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course.
We can’t wait for you to join us!
Course details
This course is subsidised for Australian residents through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). Visit our fee calculator for CSP rates and an estimate on your course fees.
About the course
Gain world-class specialised translation training at the largest language hub in Western Australia and complete professionally endorsed (NAATI) translation training between English and one of ten languages. Designed for graduates pursuing bilingual and multilingual careers, this course is taught by practitioners and translation researchers to help you develop a competitive edge in an increasingly globalised job market.
Quick details
- Available
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- 10 hours plus own study time
- Postgraduate
- 12520
- 079540G
Specialisations
You will specialise in translating in both directions between English and one of our ten languages:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Zoe Womack
Zoe Womack
It’s been my dream to be a Japanese-English translator since I started learning Japanese at high school in 2002. The Master of Translation Studies unfortunately didn’t exist when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in 2009, but when I discovered that, not only did my dream course now exist, but it had also become commonwealth supported, I knew I had to return to Australia from Japan and complete the course.
The teaching staff at UWA are amazing. They’re so friendly and always happy to answer our questions and support our learning. I feel like I’m being taught a good balance of theory and practical knowledge to prepare me for my future career as a translator.
To be a certified translator in Australia, NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) requires new applicants to have a degree in translation to ensure practitioners have received adequate training before sitting the certification test. With my Master of Translation Studies degree, I will be eligible to apply to be a Certified Advanced Translator, which will give me more credibility as a professional translator.
The course has also provided me with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a competent and ethical translator. I’m aware of difficult situations and issues that may arise, and how to handle them. I’m also aware of different text types, functions, and translation purposes, as well as various translation strategies and when and how to apply each.
Why study postgrad?
Acquire Translator Skills
Students translate written texts and are sometimes asked to do some interpreting. But how?
- Develop linguistic mastery via writing and reading practice of a variety of text types related to diverse professional contexts
- Acquire intercultural awareness via research, consultation with experts, immersion in an English-speaking and/or foreign culture
- Become technology savvy by building translation memories and glossaries using state-of-the-art tools, and become conversant with powerful corpus-based techniques to mine big (language) data
- Learn to collaborate with professionals and become a ‘connected’ translator
- Train to do low-level consecutive interpreting (spoken translation) to prepare for language-related demands.
Course structure
Postgraduate coursework degrees and combined (coursework and research) degrees comprise a number of units. Refer to the course structure for more information.
Why study this course?
- Students have the opportunity to apply their studies during internships taken in Australia or the foreign country appropriate to their language pair
- Students develop high proficiency and communication skills in their language pairs (English and Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese or Spanish)
- Students will be part of a network of professionals and researchers in translation studies
You'll learn to
- develop high proficiency and communication skills in language pairs: English and Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese or Spanish
- translate between two languages accurately and fluently, using state-of-the-art technology and applying time-honoured and innovative strategies
- develop professional skills, and build a network of peers and professionals in the field
Hear about the Master of Translation Studies
Internships
As part of your studies, you can choose to complete a six-week work placement, either in Australia or overseas. You can apply for your own internship, or via one of our hosts, including:
- UWA International Centre
- The Confucius Institute
- Chambers of Commerce
- The Oriental Journal
- Scoop online magazine
- WA Museum
- Government bodies
- Immigration and education agencies
These internships ensure a high level of practical training and provide the opportunity for professional contacts for future employment. On occasion, graduates gain ongoing employment with their hosts on completion of their studies.
Students are afforded many opportunities to network with professionals thanks to workshops and informal gatherings with professional organisations and work placement hosts.
The School of Humanities
Assured Pathways
Professional accreditation
Articulated courses
This course is part of an articulated sequence with the:
A day in the life of a translation studies student
Step into Claire's life and experience what it's like to be a Master of Translation Studies student for the day.
Bei Zhou
Bei Zhou
Students in the Master of Translation Studies can complete a six-week internship in Australia or overseas to get practical training and establish professional contacts. Student Bei Zhou (Master of Translation Studies - Chinese specialisation) completed her internship with the UWA Confucius Institute in 2018.
“This six weeks’ work placement has definitely been a rewarding experience for me. I gained experience in terms of handling ethical issues, getting along with co-workers, and choosing different strategies as per translation theories (learned in the course at UWA).”
Translation Studies explained
Allira Hanczakowski
Allira Hanczakowski
The opportunity to undertake a six-week internship in Italy was an extremely valuable aspect of the course, enriching my translating skills and giving me an insight into the life of a translator. My ultimate goal is to work in the field of literary translation. I absolutely love the challenge of transferring messages, ideas and emotions across languages. Learning how to be the bridge that facilitates cross-cultural communication and breaks down language barriers is truly an art.
Study abroad
Flexibility
We understand that life is busy. That's why our postgraduate courses are designed so you can balance your work and studies. Our flexible postgraduate experience includes the opportunity to study part time, a range of units that are taught after hours, and the option to learn via intensive units. Ask our Student Central team for advice on choosing the right postgraduate route for you. Find out more here.