Master of Translation and Interpreting

Facilitate cross-cultural communication.

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) are available for this program

Check the Fees & Scholarships tab for details

Want a global career? Through the Master of Translation and Interpreting you’ll gain the skills to work as a professional translator and interpreter in Australia and beyond.

Faculty

Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture

Delivery Mode

Face-to-face (includes blended), Online

Award

Master of Translation and Interpreting

Commencing Terms

Term 1, Term 2, Term 3

Duration (Full Time)

2 Year(s)

Overview

The Master of Translation and Interpreting at UNSW is a two-year full-time postgraduate degree that allows you to specialise in an area relevant to your professional translating and interpreting ambitions.

This degree combines translation studies and interpreting courses with elective courses from applied linguistics to provide you a complementary and comprehensive language education tailored to your interests. You’ll graduate with the knowledge, skills and appropriate certifications required to work as a professional translator or professional interpreter in Australia and beyond.

Our academics provide you with real-world interpreting and translating projects in professional settings. This gives you the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you've learned through critical analysis, independent research, project management, and teamwork.

Key features

Languages and specialisations
Our program offers translation and interpreting in the following languages, subject to demand:

English
Chinese (Mandarin)
Chinese (Cantonese)
French
Greek
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Serbian
Spanish

The areas of specialisation covered in the program are legal, medical, business, community and conference interpreting.

Real-world technology
You'll have access to the latest interpreting and translation technology and equipment including training stations, simultaneous interpreting booths, a moot courtroom, translation memories, machine translation, audio-visual translation (subtitling and captioning) and corpus linguistics software.

Research informed education
Leading researchers and practitioners in the field of Translation and Linguistics deliver this degree. Your training and education will draw on the results of cutting-edge research in the field undertaken by UNSW academics as well as practical experience.

Become qualified
Your study will prepare you to sit certification exams administered by NAATI for qualification as a Certified Provisional Interpreter, Certified Interpreter, and Certified Translator. You can also prepare to sit specialist certification exams for Certified Advanced Translator, Certified Specialist Interpreter (Health), Certified Specialist Interpreter (Legal) and Certified Conference Interpreter.

Why study this degree at UNSW?

Become qualified through a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) endorsed program
Be supported by our diverse, collaborative and inclusive Arts, Design & Architecture community.
Learn through research-informed teaching
Prioritise career success – UNSW won the Australian Financial Review’s Most Employable Students Award in 2023.
Benefit from strong industry links and partnerships
Access world-class alumni connections
Join a global top 20 university (QS World University Rankings, 2024)
Join a community that’s part of the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities

Program Code

8204

CRICOS Code

083246B

Campus

Kensington

Total Units of Credit (UOC)

Indicative Enrolments

196

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Entry requirements

Bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) in any discipline with a record of academic achievement equivalent to a UNSW credit average of 65% and an advanced level of bilingual proficiency.

English language requirements

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If you’re completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.

If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:

If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College’s Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.

Bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) in any discipline with a record of academic achievement equivalent to a UNSW credit average of 65%^ and an advanced level of bilingual proficiency.

^Students from a non-211 university in China are now required to have a record of academic achievement equivalent to a UNSW distinction average (75%).

English language requirements

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:

Check the specific English language requirements for this program

Select from the options below

Which applies to you?

Program structure

The Master of Translation and Interpreting consists of 16 courses and can be completed in two-years full-time.

Full program structure

Each university year at UNSW has three terms and an optional summer study period.

Some courses need to be studied in your first and second year, so you’re prepared for courses that can only be studied in later years. Depending on how you plan your study load, you can fit two or three courses into a term and one course in a summer term.

The Master of Translation and Interpreting includes:

4 Translation and Interpreting core courses
1 Research course
4 Advanced Interpreting courses
4 Advanced Translation courses
3 Prescribed electives

You can take the following additional course to develop your academic writing skills, credit points will not count towards the program requirements.

ARTS5503 - Academic Writing for the Humanities

For your further information on coursework, course listing, descriptions and timetables please see the UNSW Online Handbook.

Go to the handbook

Future careers

This degree will equip you with the essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills to work as an interpreter or translator domestically or internationally across a wide variety of sectors and organisations.

Potential careers

Career opportunities include:

Education and Academia
Tourism
Business and Economics
Media and Journalism
Marketing
Publishing
Science and Technology
Health
Law
International Relations

Accreditation

National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, The program is endorsed by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) and also prepares students to sit certification exams administered by NAATI for qualification as a Certified Provisional Interpreter, Certified Interpreter, and Certified Translator. With certain coursework, our program will also prepare students to sit specialist certification exams for Certified Advanced Translator, Certified Specialist Interpreter (Health), Certified Specialist Interpreter (Legal) and Certified Conference Interpreter.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted through our Apply Online portal. We encourage you to submit your completed application as early as possible to ensure it will be processed in time for your preferred term. Some high-demand programs and Faculties with limited places may have an earlier application deadline or commencement date. Find out more.

Ready to start your application?

Apply now

For most international students, applications are submitted via our Apply Online service. We encourage you to submit your completed application as early as possible to ensure it will be processed in time for your preferred term.

Some high-demand programs with limited places, may have an earlier application deadline or may have an earlier commencement date. For more information visit our international applicant information page.

Ready to start your application?

Apply now

Fees & Scholarships

Commonwealth Supported Places

2023 Indicative CSP First Year Fee

$4,150*

2023 Indicative CSP Fee to Complete Degree

$8,730*

All places within this degree are Commonwealth supported. This means that if you receive an offer from UNSW Sydney as a domestic student, you will have a substantial proportion of your fees subsidised by the Australian government. Start your application today with our guide on how to apply.

Commonwealth Study Assistance such as Ausstudy, and Youth Allowance is available for some Masters degrees. For the most up-to-date information and list of degrees visit UNSW Current Student Financial Support.

2023 Indicative First Year Full Fee

$27,360*

2023 Indicative Full Fee to Complete Degree

$55,200*

Full Fees are the cost of the degree for students who do not receive a CSP place.

*Fees are subject to annual review by the University and may increase annually, with the new fees effective from the start of each calendar year. The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only other fees and charges are not included. The amount you pay will vary depending on the calendar year to enrol, the courses you select and whether your study load is more or less than 1 Equivalent Full Time Student Load (8 courses per year). Indicative fees are a guide for comparison only based on current conditions and available data. You should not rely on indicative fees. More information on fees can be found at the UNSW fees website

Indicative fees to complete the program have been calculated based on a percentage increase for every year of the program. Fee increases are assessed annually and may exceed the indicative figures listed below.

2023 Indicative First Year Fee

$38,165*

2023 Indicative Fee to Complete Degree

$77,320*

Indicative fees are a guide for comparison only based on current conditions and available data. You should not rely on indicative fees. More information on fees can be found at the UNSW fees website.

Indicative fees to complete the program have been calculated based on a percentage increase for every year of the program. Fee increases are assessed annually and may exceed the indicative figures listed here.

Indicative fees to complete the program include tuition plus an estimate of study-related costs of approximately $1,000 per year. To find out more about other costs, visit UNSW International.

Scholarships

At UNSW, we award over $83 million in scholarships each year. We pride ourselves on rewarding excellence and making university accessible to students from all walks of life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, our range of scholarships, prizes and awards can support your journey.

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