University College London (UCL)
Translation and Technology (Scientific, Technical and Medical) MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
This MSc program focuses on the intersection of translation and technology within scientific, technical, and medical fields. It aims to equip students with a deep understanding of how language and technology work together, especially in specialized areas like healthcare, engineering, and the sciences. You will learn about advanced translation tools, data management, and how to adapt translation practices for new technologies. The course combines language skills with technical knowledge to prepare you for roles that require both language expertise and familiarity with cutting-edge technological tools.
The program offers a blend of practical skills and theoretical understanding, covering areas such as computer-aided translation, terminology management, and localisation. You'll also explore the ethical and professional considerations involved in translating sensitive scientific and medical information. Students engage in hands-on projects, gaining experience in real-world scenarios and learning how to handle complex translations that demand both linguistic precision and technical insight. The program is designed for those interested in careers where language and technology meet, including translation agencies, scientific publishers, and medical communications firms.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The degree programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, interactive practical seminars (both generic and language-specific) and hands-on experience with a wide range of translation tools and technology. Alongside private study and the undertaking of coursework assignments.
Students are assessed by a variety of methods, which may include coursework, presentations, written essays, project work, take-home translation assessments and in-class tests. Teaching sessions are interactive, with a limited amount of lecturer presentation and an emphasis on student participation and critical discussion.
For a full-time postgraduate course we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study a week. The majority of our courses have around 10-12 hours of formal teaching time which you will spend in lectures and seminars.
For a part-time postgraduate course your contact hours would usually be 5-6 a week across 2-3 days and we would recommend around 10-12 hours of independent study a week.
15 credit modules involve 150 learning hours and 30 credit modules involve 300 hours. Approximately one-third of the hours are allocated for the assessment exercise. The remainder is divided between class time and private reading. Hours expected to be dedicated to private reading far exceed the hours of class attendance. You should therefore be careful to ensure that you are setting aside enough time for reading.
Modules
Full-time
You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, including core modules and the dissertation module. Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering in consultation with the programme director to ensure your workload is balanced between terms.
During the academic year, you will take compulsory modules which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation and provide you with the specific skills to research, write essays and the dissertation. You will also choose optional modules from the suggested list (see Optional Modules). In addition to your taught modules, you will start formulating your dissertation proposal. This work will continue into the Third Term and across the remainder of the academic year. You will develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 12,000 word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your academic supervisor.
Part-time
You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, including core modules and the dissertation module. Optional modules are chosen from a wide offering in consultation with the programme director to ensure your workload is balanced across the two years if studying part time.
In the First Year you will take compulsory modules, which are designed to work as a postgraduate-level foundation module and to provide you with the specific skills to research, write essays and the dissertation. These modules set the foundation for the whole MSc, preparing you for further learning and for your dissertation.
In the Second Year you will take optional modules to develop a broader understanding of technological and language topics, as well as developing key concepts learnt in the First Year. You will also formulate and develop your dissertation outline and structure with support from your supervisor. You will then spend the summer researching and writing your 12,000 word dissertation on a topic to be determined in discussion with your academic supervisor.
Compulsory modules
- Language and Translation
- Language and Automation
- Scientific and Technical Translation
- Medical Translation
- Translation Technologies 1
- Translation Technologies 2
- Specialised Translation Dissertation
Optional modules
- Localisation
- Professional Skills for Translators
- Audio description for people with limited access to visual information
- Subtitling and Captioning for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
- Subtitling
- Translating for Voiceover and Dubbing
- Topics in Audiovisual Translation
- Crisis Translation
- Psychophysiological Methods in Translation Studies
- Translation for the Cultural and Heritage Sectors
- Translation Project
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Translation and Technology (Scientific, Technical and Medical).
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.
What this course will give you
Located in the heart of London, UCL is excellently placed to offer opportunities for networking and to establish professional contacts with the translation industry. At UCL we prepare you for the professional world by performing different roles within the translation workflow and by translating specialised texts on the widest possible variety of material, in the field of medical, scientific and technical translation.
We organise a wide range of activities which offer you a unique opportunity for informal contact with professional translators, translation agencies and leading academics. We also work closely with industry partners to ensure that the programme possesses the maximum professional relevance.
At SELCS-CMII, you will enjoy working with a team of renowned academics and professional translators, which has gained an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.
The foundation of your career
Our Translation MSc (all pathways) graduates find challenging and rewarding work within the translation/interpreting industry on completion of the degree. Some are working as in-house and freelance translators and interpreters, while others are active as project managers and translation technology experts in organisations such as RWS, Expedia, Hogarth, SDI-Media, ITR, TransPerfect and Deluxe to name but a few.
Others have gone on to work in the fields of journalism, health and social care, academic research, teaching and higher education.* In addition, the MSc may also serve as a basis for a Translation Studies PhD.
*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.
Employability
Translation is a dynamic and rapidly developing profession, which calls for linguistically-talented people with a clear understanding of the issues involved in cross-cultural transcoding and who are able to utilise the latest translation technology.
On completion of this MSc, you will be well placed for progression in your chosen career. We aim to make you highly attractive to employers within the translation industry, the world of science, technology and communications, and the pharmaceutical industry, among others. In addition, the skills acquired through taking this MSc will be highly relevant if your aim is to establish yourself as a freelance translator.
Networking
Our location offers students access to special collections in modern languages and culture at UCL and other world-class libraries nearby such as the Senate House Library and the British Library.
These resources, besides their collections of books, articles, videos, sound recordings and non-public online resources, offer a wide range of seminars, lecture series and other opportunities to exchange ideas. Other libraries and research centres within walking distance of campus include, the British Museum, Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, Institute of Historical Research and The Warburg Institute.
UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to skills development, recruitment and networking events.