Master of Arts in Translation and Language Technology

Aims and Characteristics

Programme Aims

1. Synergistic Foundation: The programme aims to cultivate a new paradigm where translation and interpreting competence and technological proficiency are developed as interconnected capabilities from the outset. Rather than teaching traditional skills and then adding technology, the curriculum integrates AI literacy and language technology throughout all the components of training. This approach develops future-ready professionals who naturally think and work with technology as part of the translation process.

2. AI Literacy as Foundational Competency: The programme establishes AI literacy as a core foundational competency for all students. Graduates will develop a critical understanding of AI systems relevant to translation and interpreting, including model architecture, training data, bias detection, evaluation metrics, and ethical implications. They will be equipped to interpret AI outputs responsibly, assess system limitations, and make informed decisions about the use of AI tools in professional practice. This foundational knowledge underpins all subsequent applied and collaborative capabilities developed in the programme.

3. Integrated Innovation Leadership as an Applied Capability: Building on this foundation, the programme develops graduates’ capacity to apply AI literacy strategically and creatively within professional contexts. Students will learn to design and manage hybrid human–AI workflows, implement quality assurance protocols for AI-generated content, and apply techniques such as prompt engineering and model optimisation in translation and localisation settings. This aim focuses on higher-order innovation skills, enabling graduates not only to use AI tools, but to lead their effective and responsible integration in practice.

4. Collaborative Technology Development as Interdisciplinary Engagement: At a more advanced level, this programme prepares graduates to engage actively in interdisciplinary collaboration and technology refinement. Students will be trained to provide structured linguistic feedback for system improvement, contribute to evaluation and benchmarking processes, support specialised model adaptation, and communicate effectively with engineers and developers. This aim emphasises collaborative contribution to AI development rather than individual tool use, distinguishing it clearly from both foundational literacy and applied innovation leadership.

5. Adaptive Synergy Mindset: The programme is designed to instil a mindset that views technology and human expertise as complementary forces that, when properly synchronised, create outcomes superior to either alone. By grounding students in both linguistic excellence and technological innovation as unified competencies, the programme fosters adaptable and resilient lifelong learners who continuously discover new synergies as both fields evolve.

Characteristics

This programme provides professionally oriented, practice-based training that integrates translation and interpreting expertise with cutting-edge language technologies. The programme combines core theoretical foundations with hands-on application, ensuring that theoretical concepts are directly relevant to improving professional performance in AI-enhanced translation and interpreting workflows.

The curriculum adopts a broad-based yet integrated structure, enabling students to build strong competencies in translation, interpreting, and language technology before pursuing focused professional specialisation in areas such as localisation, AI-assisted translation, or interpreting in digital environments. Graduates develop a distinctive hybrid skill set that bridges linguistic expertise and technological literacy, making them highly competitive and adaptable professionals in both the public and private sectors of the global language services industry.