Interpreting is a highly-skilled profession, requiring academic training as well as extensive practice in relevant settings.

The MA in English-Chinese Interpreting with Translation is ideal for those looking to embark on careers as professional interpreters, combining interpreting theory and practice and with teaching taking place in a state-of-the-art Interpreting Suite. Students are also encouraged to use these facilities outside of teaching time to develop their practical skills further.

This MA programme involves intensive in-class practice, delivered in the University of Birmingham's purpose-built Interpreting Suite, using the professional Televic technology that is employed by international organisations. Students are trained in simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, with the option of taking a course in community interpreting too.

The course will take students through a range of both introductory and advanced modules, allowing them to develop their skills rapidly across two terms of teaching, and culminating in an extended project. The taught modules will prepare students for interpreting in a range of scenarios drawn from business, legal, medical and other interactional settings, and the project will allow students to focus on their chosen topic(s) in depth.

This programme provides extensive interpreting practice and theory alongside complementary training in translation and in research methods, which provides an ideal foundation for both careers in interpreting or for further research.

The University of Birmingham has membership of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and of the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies, UK and Ireland. The University of Birmingham is also part of the SDL University Partner Program, which allows them to allocate SDL Studio Freelance licences to students for the duration of their studies. Finally, the University of Birmingham is also a member of the Association of Translation Companies, which enables them to work closely together with a number of translation companies to support the new generation of language services industry professionals.