phd in english translation

Translation Studies MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

At the UCL Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), we enjoy an international reputation for the quality of our research and teaching in a wide range of translation and interpreting-related subjects, as well as translation technology.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

A Master’s degree with Merit (ideally Distinction) in translation studies, in a language and culture subject or other relevant field from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Admission is dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal and applicants must have the agreement of their potential supervisor before submitting a formal application.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Research proposals which engage with theoretical, linguistic and technical aspects of translation and interpreting are welcomed. Examples of current research projects undertaken by PhD students in Translation Studies include the translation of humour in video games, the subtitling of gender stereotypes, translating British and American science fiction, exploring the notion of reflexivity in translation, and translating political speeches.

How to apply:

As a first step, please complete the Online Enquiry Form, which will be considered at our next regular PhD supervisors meeting. PhD places are tightly limited and we are only able to encourage those with outstanding research proposals to move ahead to a formal application to UCL. Please therefore take care to present a fully developed 500-word summary of your project as part of this enquiry. Further information on writing research proposals can be found in the ' Need to Know ' box on our Postgraduate Research page. Please do not apply formally to UCL until you have received a response regarding your initial enquiry.

Who this course is for

This MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in conducting multi-disciplinary research, who may have completed post-graduate training or study and want to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific translation research area. The programme is for applicants with a background or interest in translation theory and history; audio visual translation; literary translation and performance; translation technology; languages and interpreting. It is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals.

What this course will give you

Located in the heart of multicultural London, UCL provides a uniquely rich environment for researching translation and interpreting in all its facets. Doctoral students can draw on a broad and diverse range of expertise from the Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), the Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry (CMII) and the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS).

Students are supported by a dynamic research culture, a stimulating environment and excellent opportunities for research training. UCL runs numerous seminar series and guest lectures, and researchers have access to state-of-the-art translation technology as well as world-class libraries, including those at UCL itself, the British Library, the School of Advanced Study, and the School of Oriental and African Studies.

The foundation of your career

The programme provides students with a range of professional and academic skills that will enable them to pursue careers in translation, higher education, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, international bodies, and other institutions around the world.

Recent PhD graduates have gone on to pursue postdoctoral study, have obtained lectureships in translation studies at reputable universities in the UK and abroad (Australia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan), and have joined companies such as British Telecom, Expedia and Paramount.

Employability

With the research training and experience gained during the PhD, students are excellently placed to pursue a career in the fields of academia and professional translating and interpreting.

Translation PhD students will acquire extensive transferable skills, including the ability to analyse and process vast amounts of data, to teach courses in their field of expertise, to present research to small and large audiences, to network with diverse groups. This ample and highly adaptable skill base gives students an unparalleled edge and employment opportunities.  

UCL is extremely well positioned to offer students opportunities for networking and to establish academic and professional contacts. Supervision and mentorship is available from world-leading researchers, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

PhD students are actively involved in attending and organising seminar series and guest lectures, and have the opportunity to liaise with world-renowned scholars and experts in the field of translation and interpreting. Students have opportunities to engage in numerous projects involving research such as Global Health and Crisis Translation, Audio-visual Translation, as well as translation technology and theory.

Teaching and learning

Research students undertake relevant induction sessions and can take advantage of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme. PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors and may be offered opportunities to gain valuable teaching experience and participate in reading groups and conferences.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week, or 15 hours for Part-time students. Students agree to a timetable of regular meetings with the Principal Supervisor to effectively manage the progression of project aims. This is flexible, at some points it may be necessary to meet more or less often.

Full-time students can expect to meet supervisors every two weeks during the academic year, and part-time students every four weeks. If a student has external funding, they should also ensure they meet the Terms & Conditions of the funder.

Research areas and structure

UCL offers expertise in translation technology, audiovisual translation, localisation, literary and theatre translation, history of translation, translator and interpreting training, technical and scientific translation, translation and accessibility to the media, translation theory.

Research environment

Research students are encouraged to participate in research seminars and networks across and outside SELCS-CMII. Students contribute significantly to the research environment through the organisation of annual conferences, and participation in seminars and online journals. 

Our Transcluster, a suite of 60 IT stations, is equipped with cutting-edge eye-tracking equipment and programmes, developed specifically for CenTraS staff and research students. Students can access special collections at UCL and other world-class libraries (Senate House and British Library) within walking distance of campus. As well as access to research support in the form of academic skills courses, student-led workshops and reading groups.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is usually three years for full-time and five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration.

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis

In the first year, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. You are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback and be given the opportunity to present your research to UCL academic staff and fellow PhD students

In the second year, you will be expected to upgrade from MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For more details about departmental funding available to postgraduate research students in the department, please refer to our Funding, Scholarships and Prizes (Research) webpage .

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

All applicants must identify and contact potential supervisors before making their application. For more information see our ' Need to Know ' page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry

[email protected]

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The Graduate Secondary Field in Translation Studies (GSFTS) offers graduate students the opportunity to undertake sustained study of the theory and practice of translation, broadly understood across languages, media, and the arts. The secondary field in translation studies has a triple rationale: intellectual, multidisciplinary, and practical. By examining a range of linguistic encounters and cultural exchanges, students pursuing the secondary field have the opportunity to root their translation work within their knowledge of at least two languages while expanding their engagement with the craft of translation. As they move through the curriculum, graduate students do more than simply examine how meaning is transferred from one language to another; they acquire the knowledge necessary to intervene in current scholarly debates in the growing field of translation studies, as well as the ability to teach translation to undergraduate and graduate students. While deepening their expertise in at least two languages, students enroll in a range of courses offered across departments that consider theoretical issues raised by and through the process of translation and will then complete a capstone project, supervised by a faculty advisor. 

The secondary field provides enrolled students with opportunities for professional development, training in translation pedagogy, and an additional credential in today’s extremely competitive academic job market. It complements students’ main PhD programs while providing the competitive edge that they need to distinguish themselves as outstanding candidates for jobs at research universities and liberal arts colleges in North America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Faculty with expertise in one or two national languages and literatures are often now expected to teach broad-ranging comparative courses in and on translation. Even a cursory look at this year’s MLA Job List shows that more and more advertisements for junior searches make explicit the desirability for practical and theoretical knowledge of translation studies as proof of interdisciplinarity and crossover intellectual capacity for a prospective faculty member. 

Admission Eligibility

A student may apply for the secondary field in translation studies at any point in their academic progression. Students from any PhD program in the FAS may apply; students may pursue only one secondary field. Students in the comparative literature PhD program interested in the translation studies secondary field must ensure that no courses taken for the field are double counted toward the PhD; that is, any courses counted toward the secondary field, including Translation Studies 280, may not be used also to meet requirements for the doctoral program. 

Requirements

The Graduate Secondary Field in Translation Studies involves the following requirements: 

Translation Studies 280: Proseminar in Translation Studies : The Proseminar will be a team-taught course that combines the study of translation theory with translation practice and will emphasize the development of projects that have the potential to become capstone projects. 

Two graduate-level seminars in translation studies , including, for example, Translation Studies 260: Literary Translation Workshop, which, with recurring support from the FAS Elson Arts Fund, pairs professional translators and source language experts with students as they workshop their manuscripts-in-progress. With approval of the student’s advisor and the Translation Studies Executive Committee, a summer internship in publishing, literary translation, or design may take the place of one of these two seminars.  

A capstone project which features a substantive translation, of variable length (dependent upon the difficulty of the languages involved), potentially publishable in a scholarly journal or as a short book. The capstone project will be accompanied by a critical essay of 4,000–7,000 words, or, if approved by the student’s advisor and the Executive Committee, a digital humanities project or public exhibition. As they complete the capstone project, graduate students will enroll in a semester-long 300-level Translation Studies reading course with their faculty advisor. The project will be supervised by the student’s translation studies advisor and evaluated by two appropriate readers from the Harvard faculty who, together with the advisor, will be responsible for assessing the completed project. 

The Executive Committee of GSFTS will appoint from among itself or, in the case of a language that is not represented on the Committee, from among the experts on the Harvard faculty, an appropriate advisor for each student in the secondary field, who will offer tailored guidance throughout the curriculum and on the capstone project.    

The co-chairs of the Executive Committee that governs the Graduate Secondary Field in Translation Studies for 2023–2024 are Professors Sandra Naddaff and Jeffrey Schnapp. The members of the Executive Committee for 2023–2024 are: Luke Leafgren, Sandra Naddaff, Luis Girón-Negrón, John Mugane, Stephanie Sandler, Jeffrey Schnapp, Karen Thornber, and Tom Wisniewski (fall). 

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Higher Degrees in English

The Graduate Program in English leads to the degrees of Master of Arts (AM) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The AM is an integral part of the doctoral program, and therefore only students who intend to pursue the PhD are eligible for admission to the Graduate Program in English.

The Program

The program takes from four to seven years to complete, with the majority finishing in five or six years. The first two years are devoted to coursework and, in the first year, to preparation for the PhD Qualifying Exam (the “General” exam) at the beginning of the second year. The second and third years are devoted to preparing for the Dissertation Qualifying Exam (the “Field” exam) and writing the Dissertation Prospectus. The fourth, fifth, and sixth years are spent completing the doctoral dissertation. From the third year until the final year (when they are generally supported by Dissertation Completion Fellowships), students also devote time to teaching and to developing teaching skills. Students with prior graduate training or those with a demonstrated ability may complete their dissertations in the fourth or fifth years. Students are strongly discouraged from taking more than seven years to complete the program except under the most exceptional circumstances.

The program aims to provide the PhD candidate with a broad knowledge of the field of English, including critical and cultural theory. Additional important skills include facility with the tools of scholarship—ancient and modern foreign languages, bibliographic procedures, and textual and editorial methods. The program also emphasizes the ability to write well, to do solid and innovative scholarly and critical work in a specialized field or fields, to teach effectively, and to make articulate presentations at conferences, seminars, and symposia.

The minimum residence requirement is two years of enrollment in full-time study, with a total of at least fourteen courses completed with honor grades (no grade lower than B-).

The minimum standard for satisfactory work in the Graduate School is a B average in each academic year.

• A minimum of 14 courses must be completed no later than the end of the second year.
• At least ten courses must be at the 200- (graduate) level, and at least six of these ten must be taken within the department. Graduate students in the English department will have priority for admission into 200-level courses.
• Beginning with the incoming class of 2020-21, two proseminars are now required as part of the ten required seminars.
• The remaining courses may be either at the 100- or the 200-level.
• Students typically devote part of their course work in the first year to preparing for the “General” exam, focusing increasingly on their field in the second year.
• Students are strongly encouraged to take at least two courses that engage extensively with texts in Literary Theory. Such courses should introduce works by writers such as Freud, Barthes, Derrida, Foucault, de Beauvoir, Fanon, Gates, Bhabha, and Jameson, and texts such as  The Poetics  by Aristotle,  The Birth of Tragedy  by Friedrich Nietzsche,  Mimesis  by Eric Auerbach, and  The Theory of the Novel  by Georg Lukacs. We recommend students consult with mentors and the graduate office if they need help finding courses that introduce these and similar works of theory.

Proseminars

• Beginning with the incoming class of 2020-21, two proseminars will now be required as part of the ten required seminars.

• The first-year proseminar (taken in the spring semester of the first year) introduces students to the theories, methods, and history of English as a discipline, and contemporary debates in English studies. The readings feature classic texts in all fields, drawn from the General Exam list. This first-year proseminar helps students prepare for the General Exam (taken at the beginning of their second year); it gives them a broad knowledge for teaching and writing outside their specialty; and it builds an intellectual and cultural community among first-year students.

• The second-year proseminar has a two-part focus: it introduces students to the craft of scholarly publishing by helping them revise a research paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal by the end of the course. It thus gives students the tools to begin publishing early in their career. It also introduces students to the growing array of alternative careers in the humanities by exposing them to scholars who are leaders in fields such as editing, curating, and digital humanities.

Independent Study and Creative Writing

• Students may petition to take one of the 100-level courses as independent study (English 399) with a professor, but not before the second term of residence.
• Other independent study courses will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances and with the consent of the professor and director of graduate studies (DGS).
• Only one creative writing course, which counts as a 100-level course, may count toward the PhD degree course requirements.

Credit for Work Done Elsewhere (Advanced Standing)

Once the student has completed at least three 200-level courses with a grade of A or A-, a maximum of four graduate-level courses may be transferred from other graduate programs, at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Transferred courses will not count toward the minimum of ten required 200-level courses, but will be counted as 100-level courses.

Incompletes

No more than one Incomplete may be carried forward at any one time by a graduate student in the English Department. It must be made up no later than six weeks after the start of the next term.

In applying for an Incomplete, students must have signed permission from the instructor and the DGS, or the course in question may not count toward the program requirements. If students do not complete work by the deadline, the course will not count toward the program requirements, unless there are documented extenuating circumstances.

Language Requirements

A reading knowledge of two languages is required. Normally, Latin, Ancient Greek, Old English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian are the accepted languages. Other languages, including ASL and computer languages, may be acceptable if the DGS deems them relevant and appropriate to a student’s program of study. Students may fulfill the language requirements:

(1) by passing a two-hour translation exam with a dictionary; (2) by taking a one-term literature course in the chosen language, when conducted in the language and/or the readings are in the language (DGS approval may be necessary in some cases) (3) or by taking two terms of Old English*, elementary Latin or Ancient Greek.

Any course taken to fulfill the language requirement must be passed with a grade of B- or better. Literature-level language courses count for course credit ; elementary language courses do not. *Please note that only the spring semester of Old English will count towards the graduate course requirement (as a 100-level course, or as a 200-level course in the case of ENG 200d) when taken to fulfill a language requirement.

Examples of past language exams can be found  here .

The (Non-Terminal) Master of Arts Degree

In order to apply for the AM degree, students must complete, with a grade of B+ or better, no fewer than a total of seven courses, including a minimum of four English courses, at least three of which must be at the graduate (200-) level, and one additional course that must be taken at the graduate level, but may be taken in another department. Students must also fulfill at least one of their departmental language requirements.

General Exam

At the beginning of the second year, students will take a 75-90 minute oral exam, based on a list of authors and/or titles which the Department will make available for each entering class in the summer prior to its arrival. The examiners will be three regular members of the department (assistant, associate, or full professors), whose names will not be disclosed in advance.

Candidates whose performance on the exam is judged inadequate will be marked as “not yet passed” and must retake the exam at a time to be determined. If candidates do not pass on the second attempt, they will not be able to continue in the program.

Note: Students must fulfill at least one language requirement by the end of the first year in order to be eligible to take the General Exam.

Field Oral Exam

The purpose of the Field Oral exam is twofold: to discuss an emerging dissertation topic, and to examine students' preparation in primary teaching and the scholarly field(s) they mean to claim, particularly field(s) related to the dissertation. Students should be prepared to display knowledge of the field(s) in general based on the books and articles listed in their field bibliography.

The order of events in the exam is up to the committee and student to establish beforehand, but typically the exam has two parts: a discussion of the field(s) in which the proposed dissertation situates itself and in which the student intends to teach; and a discussion of the dissertation topic. The exam should assess both the viability of the thesis topic and the preparedness of the student to pursue it at this time. The level of preparedness should be clarified between the student and committee in their meetings before the exam. The discussion of the dissertation topic should substantially aid the student in writing the prospectus, due six weeks after the exam.

In some field exams, there is already a clear idea of the dissertation, one that the student has already discussed with the committee. The discussion in the exam can thus dive more deeply into the details of the project. In other field exams, the student's dissertation project is not yet fully formed, and the exam actively contributes to fleshing out the formation of the project's scope and direction. The committee and student should agree beforehand on the specific format and scope of the exam.

The two-hour examination is typically taken before the end of the Fall Reading Period of the third year of graduate study, although it is possible to take it as late as the end of February, should the need arise. The exam is conducted by a three-person examination committee, chosen by the individual student, normally from among the tenured and ladder faculty of the English department, (the chair is chosen by May 15 of the second year, and the remaining examiners by no later than September 1 of the third year). One faculty member acts as chair of the committee and often assists the student in selecting other members. The committee, or some part of it, will likely continue to serve as individual students’ dissertation advisors.

During the exam, students are asked to describe and discuss their dissertation project, and to demonstrate an adequate knowledge both of the major primary works and of selected scholarly works in the field(s) as they relate to their dissertation.

The twin purposes of the exam--representing the chosen field, and giving a first account of a dissertation project--are represented by two separate bibliographies, each consisting of primary and scholarly works, drawn up by the student in consultation with the examination committee. There may be considerable overlap between these two bibliographies.

At least four weeks before the exam, the student should meet with the committee, present the two bibliographies (of the chosen field(s) and of the dissertation project), and discuss the format of the exam.

The exam is graded Pass/Fail.

Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus, signed and approved by three advisors (or two co-advisors, with a third committee member to be added at a later date), is due to the Graduate Office six “business weeks” after passing the Field Oral Examination. The “business weeks” do not include the Winter Recess, so a student passing the exam four weeks before Winter Recess begins, for example, would have another two weeks after the start of classes in the Spring Term to complete the prospectus.

The prospectus is neither a draft chapter nor a detailed road-map of the next two years work but a sketch, no longer than seven to ten pages, of the topic upon which the student plans to write. It gives a preliminary account of the argument, structure, and scope of the intended treatment of the topic. The overview will be followed by a bibliography.

The prospectus is written in consultation with the dissertation advisors, who will meet with students at least once in the spring of the third year to discuss the prospectus and to draw up a timetable for the writing of the dissertation.

In planning a timetable, students need to bear in mind (1) that two draft chapters of the dissertation must be completed by the middle of their fifth year, if they are to be eligible to apply for completion fellowships in their sixth year, and (2) that students generally enter the job market in the fall of their sixth year, with at least two final chapters and a third draft chapter completed. They should also remember that term-time fellowships and traveling fellowships may be available to them in the fifth year, but that these require applications which are due as early as December or January of the fourth year.  Note: The timetable described above can be accelerated if a student so wishes and is in the position to do so.

Article Submission and Professional Writing Workshop

Students are required to submit an article to a scholarly journal by the end of their 5th year (acceptance is not required). Failure to do so would result in the loss of good standing. This is encouraged for all students, but is a requirement beginning with the incoming class of 2015-16. In conjunction with this new requirement, the department has established a professional writing workshop open to English department students only. Attendance will not be required but expected of students in residence. Students will be expected to take the course at some time before the beginning of the 6th year, and ordinarily in the spring of their 5th year. The course will be graded Sat/Unsat.

Dissertation Advising

Students should assemble a group of faculty members to supervise the dissertation. Several supervisory arrangements are possible: students may work with a committee of three faculty members who share nearly equal responsibility for advising, or with a committee consisting of a principal faculty advisor and a second and third reader. In the first scenario, one of the three faculty members will be asked to serve as a nominal chair of the committee; in the second scenario, the principal advisor serves as chair. If the scope of the project requires it, students should consult the DGS about including a faculty advisor from a department other than English or from another university.

The advising mode chosen will be indicated to the department when the prospectus is submitted. Regardless of the structure of advising, three faculty readers are required to certify the completed dissertation. If it is deemed useful, chapter meetings between the student and the entire committee may be arranged in consultation with the chair.

The Dissertation

After the dissertation prospectus has been approved, candidates work with their dissertation directors or their dissertation committee. All of the designated advisors must approve the final work.

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original and substantial work of scholarship or criticism, excellent in form and content. The department accepts dissertations on a great variety of topics involving a broad range of approaches to literature. It sets no specific page limits, preferring to give students and directors as much freedom as possible.

Dissertation Defense

The Dissertation Defense will be a necessary part of receiving the PhD, though it will not be a pass/fail examination. The defense is required for all students who entered the program in 2007 or after.

The form of the defense is as follows:

• Each student’s defense will be a separate event
• In addition to the student and the advisors, the participants typically include any interested faculty and any interested graduate students
• The Graduate Office will announce the upcoming defense to all members of the department, unless otherwise specified by the student
• The event will start with a 15–20 minute presentation by the student and last at most 90 minutes
• If a student has left Cambridge and cannot return easily for this purpose, the defense may be held remotely

Arrangements will be overseen by the Graduate Office but conducted by the student (as with the Fields examination); students will be required to send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies and to the Graduate Program Administrator, with a copy to their advisors, indicating the day, time, and location of the defense.

The meeting for a November, March, or May degree must take place any time after advisors have signed off on the dissertation (by signing the Dissertation Acceptance Certificate) and, in the case of the May degree, at least a week before Commencement. In practice, however, the student will need to defend after advisors have signed off and before advisors disperse. That period will normally be between 1–14 May, and most probably in the early days of May. It is up to the student to coordinate the arrangements.

Students begin teaching in their third year*. Ordinarily they teach discussion sections in courses and in the department’s program of tutorials for undergraduate honors majors.

Preparation for a teaching career is a required part of students’ training, and Teaching Fellows benefit from the supervision and guidance of department members.

Teaching fellows are required to take English 350, the Teaching Colloquium, in their first year of teaching. In addition, they are encouraged to avail themselves of the facilities at the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

*English graduate students wishing to teach in their 2nd year must have 1) passed Generals, 2) completed all required course work by the end of their first year OR must have previous comparable teaching experience, and 3) received written authorization from the Director of Graduate Studies and the GSAS Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid.

Doctoral Conferences "Colloquia"

The Department of English’s  Doctoral Conferences (commonly referred to as “Colloquia”) bring together students and faculty from Harvard and other institutions to discuss current research in literature. Colloquia meet regularly throughout the academic year, and all Harvard graduate students and faculty should feel free to attend any of them, regardless of primary field(s) of interest.

Careers and Placement Seminar

As students near the end of their dissertation writing, they may take a seminar preparing them to seek academic and other employment. Students learn about the job application process, develop cover letters and CVs, and practice presenting their work in interviews and job talks, all in a rigorous and supportive environment. Students should leave the seminar with strong materials for the job market, confident identities as the expert scholars and teachers they have become, and clear articulations of how they will contribute to literary studies in the years ahead. The seminar supplements and formalizes the extensive informal placement advising offered in the department.

Graduate Student Progress Timeline

This document  provides a year-by-year breakdown of requirements for satisfactory progress in our program.

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Translation Studies - Ph.D.

The Ph.D. degree in Translation Studies is a research-based program that provides advanced training in translation studies. The program focuses on translation research skills, specialized translation, computer-assisted terminology and translation, software localization and project management for the language industry. The program is designed to provide a comprehensive foundation for the development of key skills in humanistic translation and translation studies.

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Program Information

Full description.

The Ph.D. degree in Translation Studies is a research-based program that provides advanced training to support the investigation of translation- and interpreting-related phenomena. Program faculty have expertise in a wide-range of subjects and disciplines, including cognitive psychology; gender and sexuality studies; histories of translation; the language industry; machine translation, pedagogy of translation and interpreting' postcolonial approaches; translation quality assessment; and specializations of translation, from technical to legal to literary.

The doctoral program provides a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of translation studies, preparing students for careers in higher education, the language industry and government service — both in the United States and abroad. Funding opportunities are available on a competitive basis.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website . For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website .

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree in translation, a foreign language or in any other relevant discipline with prior experience or training in translation
• Minimum senior-year 2.750 undergraduate GPA and/or minimum 3.500 graduate GPA
• Official transcript(s)
• Proficiency in a foreign language
• Goal statement
• Essay or writing sample (7-10 pages) from a research paper on any aspect of translation (or a prospectus for a translation studies project)
• Three letters of recommendation
• Minimum 610 TOEFL PBT score
• Minimum 102 TOEFL IBT score
• Minimum 86 MELAB score
• Minimum 7.5 IELTS score
• Minimum 73 PTE score
• Minimum 130 Duolingo English score

Application Deadlines

• Priority deadline: January 1
• Priority deadline: October 1

Applications submitted by these deadlines will receive the strongest consideration for admission .

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate broad knowledge across several areas in the field of translation studies, as well as in-depth knowledge in an area of expertise.
• Demonstrate the ability to design and conduct original research.
• Critically assess translation studies literature, as well as their own empirical and theoretical findings.
• Communicate research findings effectively in written and spoken form.
• Follow ethical guidelines for work in the field.

Program Requirements

Major requirements.

Students may elect to take doctoral courses from other departments as appropriate and with prior approval from the graduate coordinator and the student's advisor.

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for TRST 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is required that doctoral candidates continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter TRST 80299 , each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. After passing the written examination, students must present a detailed written proposal of their dissertation research. The dissertation focuses on original research. The dissertation topic must fall within one or more of the sub-fields in translation studies. The written dissertation is reviewed and approved by the research adviser and the dissertation advisory committee prior to scheduling a final defense before the committee.

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DPhil in English

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The DPhil in English is intended to develop the skills and understanding necessary to undertake and present original research at a high level, and provide a thorough foundation for a career in research.

Course structure

Under the guidance of your supervisor, you will complete a thesis of 80,000 to 100,000 words. A typical term will involve a great deal of independent research, punctuated by meetings with the supervisor who will be able to suggest direction and address concerns throughout the writing process. 

In addition you will have the opportunity to attend a wide range of classes, seminars and lectures in order to learn bibliographic and research skills, interact with other researchers or gain new perspectives on your work. You may also be encouraged to attend the research skills courses available as part of the master's (MSt) programme, depending how much of this training has been covered previously.

The English Faculty is not responsible for providing teaching opportunities for research students as most undergraduate teaching in Oxford is organised by individual colleges. Teaching is not a compulsory part of the DPhil. But research students may wish to gain some teaching experience, so long as it does not interfere with their own progress. Those research students who wish to gain teaching experience are invited to attend Faculty-run preparatory teaching workshops and seminars, as well as enrolling on a Teaching Mentor Scheme. 

Further information about studying part-time

The faculty's research degrees are not available by distance learning. Although there will be no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training.

The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. To ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups, a pattern of attendance at training events and research seminars would form part of the general study agreement for part-time students, alongside the individualised arrangements between supervisor and student. You cannot be enrolled in the part-time course if you need a visa to study in the UK.

As a part-time student you will be required to attend seminars, supervision meetings and other obligations in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year. Part-time students are expected to be present in Oxford for Faculty induction, college induction, and an initial meeting with supervisors in order to decide upon the programme of study for that term and to develop a plan for the coming year’s work. These are usually all held in 0th week of Michaelmas term of the 1st year. There will be some flexibility in the dates of term-time attendance which will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor, but part-time students are expected to be in Oxford in order to participate in key Faculty activities, which will occupy on average 20 days per term.Attendance outside of term-time is determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor.

Part-time students are expected to spend some periods in Oxford in at least two terms per year in the first two years.Part-time students are expected to attend at least half of the Faculty's (usually weekly or fortnightly) research seminar meetings in their subject area and to contribute to them as much as full-time students do over the length of their course.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of English and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Faculty of English.

It is expected that you will have at least two substantial supervisions in each term (or for part-time students, at least one each term). In the case of students who require specific help to adjust to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the supervisor will work with them to ensure that they have additional support.

You will be enrolled initially as a Probationary Research Student and will then apply to transfer to full DPhil status during your first year (or for part-time students, by the end of your second year). A further assessment of your work and progress takes place during the third year of the programme (for part-time students, this would be completed by the first term of your sixth year).

In the final year of your course, you will need to submit a thesis of 80,000 to 100,000 words for assessment by an internal examiner, from within the University, and an external examiner, from beyond. There will then be a ‘viva voce’ oral examination with the two examiners.

Graduate destinations

Graduates from the English Faculty are employed across a wide range of sectors. Many take up academic positions in the UK and overseas. Other graduates pursue careers in occupations including teaching, the arts, heritage, librarianship, journalism, publishing, law and the civil service.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or high upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification) and a master's degree with distinction. 

The undergraduate and masters' degrees should be in English literature and/or English language, or exceptionally in a related subject that prepares the applicant for the particular course of study they propose.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.75 (with at least 3.85 in the major) out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• Evidence of training in research techniques may be an advantage.
• It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.
• Publications are not required and the English Faculty does not expect applicants to have been published.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

The facilities for English graduate students in Oxford are outstanding. In the faculty building you will find superb computing resources, a graduate common room, a café and an excellent discipline-specific library.

The English Faculty Library holds over 110,000 volumes and a wide range of print journals; it also provides regular information skills training to support teaching and research in English. Graduate students have access to all of Oxford's libraries, numbering over one hundred and including the world-famous collections of the Bodleian Library.

You will have the opportunity to hear lectures and papers by leading writers, critics, and theorists from inside and outside the University. You are encouraged to participate in the many research seminars and reading groups that run throughout term time, many of which are coordinated by graduates themselves.

There is an active and lively graduate organisation funded by the faculty, English Graduates at Oxford (EGO), that organises study skills, training and career development seminars, as well as social events and conferences.

Oxford’s Faculty of English Language and Literature is by far the largest English department in the UK and has a very distinguished research record, awarded top grades in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. The faculty leads the Complete University League Tables (2023) and QS World University Rankings (2022) for English Language and Literature. Teaching has been graded ‘excellent’ in every quality assurance review.

The faculty currently has 80 permanent members of academic staff, including 9 statutory professors. This is in addition to a further 100 or so members teaching in the colleges and temporary members of staff. There are currently around 900 undergraduate students (with roughly 260 admitted each year to the single honours school and a further 20 to joint honours school programmes). The Oxford English Faculty has the largest graduate school in the country, with approximately 95 master's students, with a further 120 graduate research students. For the publications and research interests of particular faculty members, please consult their individual webpages.

English Language and Literature

Oxford’s Faculty of English Language and Literature is the largest English department in the UK, with over 300 graduate students. The faculty has a very distinguished research and teaching record covering all periods of English literature.

The size and distinction of the faculty’s graduate school, as well as the intellectual diversity of its graduate students, make Oxford a very stimulating environment in which to study English.

The faculty’s taught master’s courses are designed to serve both as autonomous degrees and as a solid foundation for the pursuit of more advanced research in literature in Oxford or elsewhere. One of the special features of these courses is that, unlike many master's programmes, they offer you the opportunity to pursue topics across period boundaries if you so wish.

Research in English at Oxford covers a wide range of work in literature and language over all periods to the present. The Faculty has a lively programme of research seminars in which staff and students have the opportunity to give papers on their work, and to meet specialists from other universities and institutions from the UK and abroad.

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The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You are not expected to contact a potential supervisor before submitting an application. However, if the proposed research topic is unusual, you may find it useful to review the faculty members and research sections of the faculty website to see if supervision is likely to be available from among the permanent members of staff.

Please note that the allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of English and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Please note also that a faculty member's willingness to supervise is no guarantee of admission.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic who you would like to supervise your research. Otherwise leave this field blank.

Referees Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

The Faculty of English expects three academic references in all but exceptional cases, and never fewer than two academic references.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement and motivation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Research proposal: A maximum of 1,500 words

The research proposal should be an outline of the research plans, written in English. The overall word count should include any bibliography.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• the coherence and viability of the project
• the originality of the project
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course (a maximum of four years)
• evidence of understanding of appropriate research skills required for successful completion of the project and of appropriate training at master’s level or equivalent to undertake the project.

Written work: Either two essays of a maximum length of 2,000 words each or one essay of a maximum length of 4,000 words

Academic essays from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required. Extracts from longer pieces are welcome but should be prefaced by a note which puts them in context. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.

It is better to submit essays related to the area and in the subject in which you wish to work.

This work will be assessed for analytical and critical acumen; ability to construct and defend an argument; and powers of expression.

Instructions for submitting one long piece of work instead of two short pieces

To submit one longer piece of work in your application instead of two shorter pieces, you should upload this document in the first 'Written work' slot on the 'Supporting Documents' tab of the Application Form. In the second 'Written work' slot, you should upload a PDF document with the following statement:

' I have included one long essay in lieu of two short essays. I have checked the course page to confirm this is permitted for this course. '

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 5 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of English Language and Literature

• Course page on the faculty's website
• Funding information from the faculty
• Academic and research staff
• Faculty research
• Humanities Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 281140  or  +44 (0)1865 271541

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

Translation Studies, PhD

Phd in translation studies.

The doctoral program is primarily designed to prepare its graduates for careers in both the academic field and scholarly research, including research-informed translation. It offers individualized interdisciplinary tracks to accommodate a variety of backgrounds. The doctoral program offers the following features:

Inclusive curriculum comprising, but not limited to, history and traditions of translation studies, literary studies, cultural and postcolonial studies and philosophy;

Individualized interdisciplinary tracks, with the option to take courses in other academic departments; 

Learner-centered atmosphere through discussion seminars and independent studies to make learning an enriching exchange among students and faculty.

Guidelines & Checklists For Current Students

Students pursuing the PhD in Translation Studies must follow the standard Graduate School matriculation procedures.

Admission decisions are made by the TRIP Director, in consultation with the advisory committee and any other faculty member whose expertise seems appropriate for the applicant.

Graduate applicants should demonstrate the following background, as attested by transcripts, standard exam scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement and a writing sample.

• Near-native fluency in English, as well as (and especially) the ability to write academic texts in English, as demonstrated by high GREs (310+) (GMAT or LSAT will be accepted in place of the GRE), and high TOEFL scores (100+);
• Near-native fluency in a second language;
• Optionally, but desirable: a good reading knowledge of a third language, meaning the applicant can read reliably with a dictionary;
• Previous immersion in a culture where the second language is spoken;
• A Master's degree in a relevant area; applicants with no graduate course work in languages should also be prepared for a diagnostic examination during the application process.
• Background in translation studies; applicants who do not have a documented background in translation studies, or who do not have any formal certification in translation, may be provisionally admitted; full admission will be granted after passing the certificate examination.

Note: The Translation Studies doctorate is part of the Translation Research and Instruction Program (TRIP), and is not managed by the Department of Comparative Literature. Please direct any questions about the doctorate to TRIP.

Students completing the Translation Research and Instruction Program (TRIP) Ph.D. in Translation Studies will obtain the following abilities:

• Broaden and deepen knowledge of areas relevant to their research interests, including interdisciplinary knowledge and skills appropriate to the field; 
• Define a research project in translation studies of appropriate scope or develop a substantial translation with an accompanying analysis; 
• Develop as a scholar in the field through the practice of independent research and writing. 

Program of Courses (Required Core Curriculum)

Translation Practice

• TRIP 572: Translation Workshop: Literary - (4 credits)
• TRIP 573: Translation Workshop: Non-Literary - (4 credits)

Translation Theory

• TRIP 560: Intro to Translation Studies - (4 credits)
• TRIP 562: Scholarly Methods in Translation Studies - (4 credits)

(Students who present workshop credits from Binghamton University or elsewhere may petition to have the required workshop courses waived. However, if a waiver is granted, these credits must still be fulfilled with other relevant classes.)

Allied and Disciplinary Electives - (20 credits)

Depending on their interests, students will be able to choose electives from a variety of courses in other academic departments, encompassing disciplines such as:

• Criticism and textual analysis (e.g., Comparative Literature, Philosophy)
• Cultural studies (e.g., Anthropology, Sociology, area-specific studies)
• World languages and literatures
• Technical fields (e.g., business or the sciences, for those specializing in non-literary translation)
• Pedagogy (education and language departments)

Dissertation

• TRIP 698: Pre-Dissertation Research - (1+ credits)
• TRIP 699: Dissertation - (1+ credits)

Total Credits

• Total Credits Required (without a previous master's degree in a related field) - (48 credits)
• Total Credits Required (with a previous master's degree in a related field) - (36 credits)
• The total number of credits required should remain the same, even when students are exempted from taking workshop classes (TRIP 572 and TRIP 573).

Note: TRIP does not accept graduate-level transfer credits.

Residency Requirement: Students are expected to be in residence during their formal course work, which will usually take two academic years. It is also advisable that they stay in residence during the parallel requirements described below.

A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 is required for a graduate degree. To maintain satisfactory academic progress, students are required to earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all courses that the Graduate School counts toward a degree. Further, doctoral students in TRIP maintain satisfactory academic progress by meeting program requirements to secure a committee chair by the end of their second semester in the program and to have taken at least one written comprehensive exam by the end of their fifth semester. Students who do not pass a comprehensive exam have one chance to retake and pass the exam. 

When students have not achieved satisfactory academic progress, as outlined by the Graduate School and TRIP, they may be placed on Jeopardy status. In this case, students receive a warning and typically are expected to meet requirements for degree progress by the end of the next semester. These requirements are shared with the student in writing. Failing this, the program may recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that the student be severed. In this case, the student will be informed that they are being severed. Exceptions will be considered only in cases of extraordinary circumstances and students are responsible for having discussions with the program director in advance. 

The Graduate School may sever a student when, in the estimation of the Dean of the Graduate School (or the Dean's designee), the student is not maintaining a satisfactory GPA, as required for graduation. Refer to the Graduate School Manual for additional information regarding academic standing, probation/jeopardy status, and severance. Students receiving a probation or jeopardy academic status should work closely with their advisor and/or the Director of TRIP to develop a plan to return to good academic standing.

If a student’s academic progress does not meet expectations of the TRIP guidelines as documented publicly on TRIP’s webpages, the program will not register the student and will recommend to the Graduate School Dean the student be severed. If they are severed, students are encouraged to reapply if they decide to pursue their degree again. This must be done within five years, before credits expire. 

Once doctoral students have secured a committee chair, students are encouraged to develop a learning contract with their chair. The purpose of the learning contract is to define the knowledge and skills required in order to pass the comprehensive examination. Toward that, the learning contract will identify likely courses, texts, and/or concepts, which must be mastered in order to provide breadth of background, as well as specialized concepts that are germane to the proposed area of research. The learning contract may be modified later if additional knowledge is required, or if the field of research is changed.

The comprehensive examination consists of four parts, detailed below: a dissertation prospectus, two written take-home exams, and an oral examination. Students need to form an exam committee consisting of an academic advisor (who will usually serve as their dissertation director (chair of the committee) and who supervises the dissertation prospectus) and two additional faculty members from Binghamton University, whose work is relevant to their project, each of whom will be responsible for one of the written take-home exams.

• Dissertation Prospectus. This is a longer paper (approximately 30-50 pages) devoted to a theoretical issue, or sub-area explicitly related to translation studies, which will help students establish the direction of their dissertations. It should involve substantial scholarship and show that students are familiar with the current bibliography on the topic selected and are able to articulate their arguments in an academically acceptable format. The paper serves as a dissertation proposal in that it defines the areas that the student will be focusing on for their research.
• Main Area of Concentration. Students are required to define an area and build a reading list with one of their committee members that reflects students' main interests in the field. Suitable topics might be, for example, translation pedagogy, political aspects of translation theory, translation and ethics, linguistic approaches to translation, translation criticism, or a focus on the literary works of a particular period/language. (This is a 72-hour take-home examination scheduled by the student.)
• Minor Field. This section of the exam focuses on a field that either complements or expands the student's main area of concentration. Thus, if a student's main area of concentration is, for example, translation pedagogy, the minor field might be contemporary approaches to education or the training of translators in medieval Spain. Students will build a reading list for this field with one of their committee members that reflect students' main interests in the field. (This is a 72-hour take-home examination scheduled by the student.)
• Oral Examination. This final component of the comprehensive exam involves all committee examiners and requires the student to explain choices made in each written exam, including the prospectus.

To pass their PhD comprehensive examination, students must achieve a grade of B+ or better on each part. At the discretion of the examiners and in consultation with the graduate advisor, a student who has failed to achieve this standard may retake the part (or those parts) in which the grade was below B+. All exam procedures and evaluations follow the Graduate School Manual. 

The dissertation is an original research project, which may consist of a case study, an annotated translation, a speculative essay, a literature survey or some other form approved by the student's committee, presented and defended in a public forum. The dissertation should be at least 200 pages, not including bibliography and appendices. If students choose to include a translation as part of the dissertation, their theory-guided analysis of the translation must comprise at least one-quarter, or 50 pages, of the total dissertation. 

• TRIP 572: Translation Workshop, Literary
• TRIP 573: Translation Workshop, Non-Literary
• TRIP 560: Intro to Translation Studies
• TRIP 562: Scholarly Methods in Translation
• TRIP 580D: Postcolonial Theory & Arabic Literature
• TRIP 580E: Translation and Creativity
• TRIP 580H: Translators in History/Fiction
• TRIP 580P: Taboos in Translation

36 credits of coursework are required for the doctoral degree. TRIP students take an average of 4.5 years to complete the degree. For more information download the document below. phD Student Coursework & Degree Flow Chart

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PhD in Translation Studies

Gain an intellectual and philosophical perspective on the activity of translation.

How to apply for a PhD in Translation Studies

Before you formally apply for a Translation Studies through the University of Edinburgh’s online system, you will likely find it beneficial to get to know us first so that you are confident we’re the best place for you to undertake your research.

We ask candidates to take the following two steps before applying for a PhD: 

Have a look at the research interests and expertise of our staff. Please do take some time to read over staff members’ profiles, research interests, and publications, to ensure that your project is something we can effectively supervise. We are much more likely to supervise a project if it closely relates to our own expertise and research interests. Together with colleagues across our School, the following Translation Studies staff are available to supervise PhD research:

Browse a directory of all academic staff in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Find out more about our research in Translation Studies

Languages offered

At PhD level, we  typically offer the following languages, but not necessarily on a year-on-year basis due to staff commitment and leave .

This list was last updated on 15 September 2023

Following our guidelines, write a draft PhD proposal detailing your research project. This will enable us to evaluate the general and specific areas of your research interests, the originality and importance of your topic, and the feasibility of the proposed project within the given timescale. 

Please note that this document is not assessed. We request it so that we can offer useful comments on your proposed topic and research outline, and we strongly encourage you to incorporate our feedback into your final application, which you submit to the University via its online system.

We value your privacy and will hold your information in line with the University of Edinburgh’s  Privacy Policy for Applicants . 

Guidelines for writing a PhD proposal for Translation Studies

Below you will find certain headings under which it's useful to present your research proposal. The headings are listed in chronological order.

1. Territory/ Introduction

The first stage of your proposal establishes the territory in which the proposed research will place itself. This territory can be either

• a research territory (i.e. the academic field that is going to be addressed by the research), or
• a ‘real world’ territory (i.e. what kind of applications or implications the proposed project can have in the world outside the immediate academic field).

In some research proposals both territories can be usefully addressed.

2. Gap/ Rationale

Here you indicate the gap in the knowledge or the problem in the territory. With your research, you want to fill in this gap or to solve this problem. If the gap is in the research territory, it means you aim at contributing to the general understanding and knowledge within the discipline. If it is in the ‘real world’ (e.g. environmental, social, commercial problems), it means your objective is to offer a solution to particular problems.

3. Goal/Objective

Here you state the aim or general objective of your study. You explain what the project intends to do, what its chief contribution will be. It is in this stage that you can suggest how to fill in the gap presented in the previous stage.

4. Reporting Previous Research/ Literature Review

Here you can report or refer to the earlier research in the field, either by yourself or by others.

5. Theoretical framework

This is the section where you elaborate on the theoretical approach(es) you will adopt while examining your data or those approaches which you will be challenging, enhancing or refuting. This section is crucial in giving the evaluators an idea about how prepared you are to do research at doctoral level.

6.  Data and accessibility

The material you will be looking at in your research will be presented here. This section should also mention any particular difficulties envisaged in accessing your data and how you are planning to overcome them.

7. Means/Methodology

Here you specify how the goal will be achieved, describing the methods, procedures, plans of actions and tasks that lead to the goal. At the initial stage of your research, you do not need to put a lot of details here. Yet there should still be an obvious link between the gap, the goal, the theoretical framework, the data and the means.

8. Achievements

You might wish to conjecture about the anticipated results, findings or outcomes of the study, if you already have a general idea about them. Of course, the actual results, findings or outcomes may differ drastically in the end.

9. Benefits

You can then briefly explain the usefulness and value of these achievements for the domain of research itself, for the world outside or for both.

10. Competence Claim

It is here that you might wish to boast about yourself! You can make a statement to the effect that you are well qualified to undertake this research and to carry out the tasks involved.

11. Importance Claim

You may wish to conclude your proposal by emphasising the urgency or importance of your proposal’s territory, its objectives, or its anticipated outcomes with respect to either the ‘real world’ or the research field.

12. References

Here list only those texts you referred to within your proposal. We do not ask for a bibliography, but a references list.

Prepared by:

Dr Şebnem Susam-Sarajeva

Connor, Ulla and Anna Mauranen. 1999. “Linguistic Analysis of Grant Proposals: European Union Research Grants”. English for Specific Purposes 18:1. 47-62.

We also suggest that you read the University’s general guide to applying for Postgraduate Study, which includes advice on entrance requirements, writing a personal statement, choosing your referees, writing a research proposal and more.

Take me to the guide to applying for Postgraduate Study on the University of Edinburgh website

Formal application

You can find out more about language requirements, facilities, fees, funding opportunities and application deadlines for this PhD programme, and formally apply to study on it, on the University of Edinburgh’s online Degree Finder.

Take me to the University of Edinburgh's Degree Finder entry for the PhD in Translation Studies

Get in touch

If you have any queries about the process, or any other aspect of the PhD in Translation Studies, please contact us by email in the first instance.

Email us about the PhD in Translation Studies 

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Requirements

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Admissions Procedures

Applicants for the Ph.D. in Interpretation must complete the application procedures and meet the requirements for graduate study at Gallaudet University. Visit the Graduate Admissions website for more information and a checklist of application requirements .  

Program Specific Requirements

• MA in interpretation, translation or related field
• A 15-20 page academic writing sample, or a 15-20 page essay, including references and citations (APA style) on the following: Please describe and assess three peer-reviewed articles or books in the field of Interpretation Studies that have shaped your thinking about the interpreting process and/or the role of the interpreter.
• Three letters of reference – at least one letter documenting your experience in the field and your potential for doctoral-level graduate study
• Evidence of professional certification as interpreter  (RID NIC, CI/CT, CDI, or equivalent)
• Minimum 3 years interpreting experience (five years strongly encouraged)
• ASLPI score of 4 for ASL users and an ASLPI score of 3 or the passing of a Department Screening for international students

Program of Study

The doctoral curriculum consists of a minimum of 46 credits of coursework plus dissertation research.

All students must complete the following courses: INT 810 Interpreting Studies: Linguistic and Translation Dimensions, INT 812 Research Internship, INT 813 Research Internship, INT 820 Interpreting: Sociocultural Dimensions, INT 821 Interpreting Pedagogy I, INT 830 Interpreting Studies: Cognitive Psychological Dimensions, INT 831 Interpreting Pedagogy II, INT 832 Research Internship, INT 833 Research Internship, INT 841 Doctoral Teaching Internship I, and INT 842 Doctoral Teaching Internship II (INT 841 and INT 842 require residency on campus). INT 845 Guided Research Project, INT 850 Dissertation Proposal Writing, and INT 900 Dissertation Writing.

Doctoral Assistantship

For the doctoral assistantship, students will contribute to the Department of Interpretation and Translation with responsibilities including serving as teaching and/or research assistants for the first 3 semesters of the program.

Research Internship

For the research internship, students will work on all aspects of the research cycle with data-based interpreting research projects run by an experienced scholar or group of scholars. Students will also devote time to discussion of the internship with the instructor related to their research experiences, focusing both on the process and product of their work, in either independent meetings or a regularly scheduled seminar with other interns.

Teaching Internship

The teaching internship site will be in the Department of Interpretation and Translation at Gallaudet University; preparation for the teaching internship occurs in the two preceding courses in which students examine the Gallaudet curricula at the Undergraduate and Graduate levels (our department is the only institution to offer both levels of interpreter education), compare and contrast it with other curriculums, and observe and assist in teaching with department faculty in the BA and perhaps the MA courses. This prepares the student to teach independently within the department for their internship.

Candidacy Examination

After the first two semesters of coursework for full-time students, or 20 credit hours for part-time students, students must successfully complete a written examination designed to evaluate a student’s understanding, knowledge, and application of the approaches that underlie interpretation studies and pedagogical approaches. This examination will be in written English and requires a written response or a written translation of a signed response.

Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive examinations serve to assess that a doctoral student’s knowledge and understanding of Interpreting Studies (IS) is at a sufficiently high level to begin dissertation research. Upon completion of 37 credit hours, students must successfully present a demonstration in ASL of their theoretical and methodological knowledge of IS and their grasp of the fundamental studies and works in IS. Students will also create a presentation on pedagogy including curriculum and course development, evidence-based teaching practices, assessment practices, and the instruction of specific interpreting skills.

Qualifying Paper

Students are required to conduct a substantial data-based research project related to interpretation or translation, which results in a written qualifying paper. The process will be guided by a faculty advisor and will include conducting a review of relevant literature, writing a proposal (including IRB approval and/or small grants applications), collecting data, coding and analyzing data and creating drafts, which culminate in the completion of the final paper ready for submission to a journal.

Dissertation Proposal and Defense

Students will prepare a proposal which includes an introduction to the study and the research question(s), a preliminary review of the relevant literature, a detailed research plan including a description of the methodology and plan for analysis, working references, an outline of the dissertation, and a timeline. Once the dissertation advisor deems the proposal ready for review by the committee, the candidate distributes copies to the committee members. When the proposal is ready for a defense, the chair of the dissertation committee will schedule a formal defense, and will notify both the Department Chair and the Ph.D. Coordinator.

Dissertation and Defense

The dissertation is a professional product that not only represents the student’s level of achievement, but also the scholarship generated by the program, the department, and Gallaudet University. The dissertation chair and committee members work to ensure the project demonstrates original research that contributes to new knowledge and/or a reinterpretation of existing knowledge to the area of investigation. Students work closely with their chair, and occasionally with their committee members, throughout the proposal, research, and writing process.

Courses & Requirements

Summary of Requirements

Semester I - Fall

An advanced seminar focusing on linguistic and translation theory and research as it pertains to interpretation. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in the field.

Students serve as an intern working on all aspects of the research cycle with a data-based interpreting research project run by an experienced scholar or group of scholars. Students will participate in this field work for 50 clock hours per credit hour under the supervision of a Department of Interpretation and Translation faculty member. Student will assume increasing responsibilities on research projects approved by their advisor.

Acceptance into the program or permission of the instructor.

Semester II - Spring

An advanced seminar focusing on socio-linguistic and anthropologic theory and research as it pertains to interpretation. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in the field.

This course provides students with an introduction to educational and interpretation philosophies, teaching considerations and techniques, and considerations for faculty responsibilities in academia in the areas of teaching, service, scholarship, and administration. Students will research and analyze program and curriculum design and their interplay with student learning outcomes, teaching Deaf and non-deaf interpreters, and teaching styles. Students will learn procedures for observing classrooms, teachers and students and perform observations. They will learn how learning experiences are planned, the role technology plays in learning experiences, and how to assess reading and course materials. Students will survey teaching techniques for teaching ethics, interpreting skills, assessing student skills, and teaching self-assessment skills.

INT 810 and an elective in curriculum or assessment

Semester III - Fall

An advanced seminar focusing on cognitive and psychological dimensions of the interpreting process. Topics will vary depending upon current developments in the field.

This course builds on INT 821 and provides students with hands-on opportunities to put into practice what they have been learning. Students will address the issues of course design, classroom teaching, and assessment by co-teaching courses with department faculty. Learning experiences will address issues including, but not limited to, student learning outcomes, ethics, skill development, self-assessment, attitude and interpreting skills, use of technology, use and development of materials, grading, academic integrity, and classroom activities. They will conduct evaluation of teaching interpreting through action research in the classroom.

INT 821 and electives in curriculum and assessment or permission of the instructor

Students serve as an intern working on all aspects of the research cycle with a data-based interpreting research project run by an experienced scholar or group of scholars. Students will participate in this field work for 50 clock hours per credit hour under the supervision of a Department of Interpretation and Translation faculty member. Student will assume increasing responsibilities on research projects, at a professional level, as approved by their advisor.

Semester IV - Spring

Students serve as an intern working on all aspects of the research cycle with data-based interpreting research project run by an experienced scholar or group of scholars. Students will participate in this field work for 50 clock hours per credit hour under the supervision of a Department of Interpretation faculty member. Student will assume increasing responsibilities on research projects, at an professional level, as approved by their advisor.

This course is a one semester course in which students conduct an intensive research project conducted under the guidance of a faculty member. The research, analysis, and writing require an amount of a student's time equivalent to a normal three-credit course. Students are expected to develop an appropriate research plan, to complete the IRB process, to analyze data, and to write a final report of publishable quality.

This course provides students the opportunity to teach independently with supervision of department instructors following the successful completion of INT 821 and INT 831. The student assumes the role of instructor in one or more course(s) in the Department of Interpretation. The purpose of this practicum is to develop and hone the doctoral student's ability to plan, implement, and evaluate an academic course in interpretation and/or translation.

INT 821 and INT 831

Semester V - Fall

This course builds on INT 841, providing students the opportunity to teach independently with supervision of department instructors. The student assumes the role of instructor in one or more course(s) in the Department of Interpretation. The purpose of this practicum is to further develop and hone the doctoral student's ability to plan, implement, and evaluate an academic course in the interpretation.

INT 841 or permission of instructor

The purpose of this course is to guide students through the process of writing a doctoral dissertation proposal. The proposal will include a problem statement, literature review. It will also incorporate the research design and methodology, a description of how the data will be treated and analyzed, and the significance and limitations of their proposed study.

INT 833, 841, 845, and successful completion of the qualifying paper

Semester VI - Spring

Students register for this course while conducting all aspects of the dissertation research.

Semester VII - Fall

Semester VIII - Spring

Information

Ph.d. in translation and interpreting studies requirements.

Completed application form. See Application Instructions to learn how. A non-refundable application fee of $75. A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a four-point scale) in all previous undergraduate and graduate study. (Occasionally, applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally upon...

DoIT Doctoral Program Contributing Scholars

The Interpretation doctoral program at Gallaudet University includes four research internship courses. In these courses, students are paired with established research scholars to work collaboratively on specific interpreting and translation studies. Working alongside scholars, both within the Interpretation Program and at other universities, provides opportunities...

Interpreter

The employment for Interpreters is set to grow at a 20% rate between 2019 to 2029, with a median annual salary of $51,830. Learn more here.

Media and Communications

The employment of Media and Communications is expected to grow by a 4% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $61,310. Learn more about careers in media and communications.

Interpreter and Translator

The employment of Interpreters and Translators is expected to grow by a 46% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $51,830. Learn more about career opportunities in interpreting.

Postsecondary Education Teacher

The employment of Postsecondary Teachers is expected to grow by a 9% rate from 2019-2029, with an average annual salary of $80,790. earn more about career opportunities as a post-secondary education professor.

Danielle Hunt

Associate Professor

Faculty and Staff

Campbell mcdermid, pamela collins.

Assistant Professor

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Top 10 U.S. Translation Schools

So you’ve decided to take that next big step, to apply to graduate schools for a Translation Studies degree. But the big questions are rolling around in your head — which of the U.S. schools that offer translation degrees are the best, and what sets each program apart?

As we mentioned in the Translation Degree Overview , graduate degrees and certification programs in translation offer a great foundation in the skills you need for a career in translation or interpreting, but each program is different, and not every one is tailored to your specific goals.

While making the best choice is difficult, it’s always made easier by having the right information. Here’s an explanation of how we researched and ranked the best programs, followed by the top rankings:

Ranking Methodology:

The Top 5 Graduate Programs in Translation , and the Top 5 Certificate Programs were determined, first of all, by the mission of each program. Some universities only offer a Master’s or a Doctorate degree, some only offer graduate or professional certificates, and some offer all of the above. We found it necessary to separate the various translation and interpretation programs by degrees or certificates before analyzing any other factors.

Graduate and professional certificate programs vary in length and goal. Some programs offer general translation/interpretation certificates while others focus on medical or court translation. Our rankings attempt to emphasize this diversity of certificate programs.

In order to generally rank the programs, we looked at each program’s enrollment data (as available), the number of languages represented in each program, the varying types of degrees or certificates offered, and the general ability of each program to address a certain field of translation and interpretation (number of courses offered, number of faculty members, department resources, etc.).

It must be emphasized that our rankings are holistic, not reductive. They are not based on statistical analysis and they are not intended to produce a #1 or a #5 program. Instead, the rankings highlight the top translation and interpretation programs in the nation in alphabetical order in an attempt to offer the most unbiased information possible. Here are the Top 10 U.S. Translation Programs :

Top Translation Graduate Schools

Graduates of Translation Studies programs are qualified to work for personal and corporate translation services, as freelance translators, as government agency employees, and as translation software developers.

PhD graduates often stay in academia and teach linguistics or translation studies.

As with any comprehensive humanities degree, a master’s degree or PhD in translation studies allows each student to tailor the program to his or her individual interests.

Gallaudet University

Founded in 1864, Gallaudet University is a private liberal arts university located in Washington, D.C. As the world’s only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students, Gallaudet is a leader in the field of ASL and Deaf Studies. While its undergraduate population is 95% deaf or hard of hearing, the graduate departments are open to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students.

Instead of a degree in Translation Studies, Gallaudet offers a Masters of Arts in Interpretation, specifically American Sign Language interpretation. The M.A. in Interpretation program is designed to prepare and educate deaf, hard of hearing and hearing persons in working as interpreters in deaf and hearing communities. Through intensive study of American Sign Language, interpretation skills, and professional experience, the M.A. program prepares students for work as an ASL interpreter in all professional fields from medical to legal to conference to community work. The M.A. interpreter preparation program mainly is in a two-year format, which consists of four semesters and one summer internship. The program requires the completion of 59 credit hours of course work. The program is available in a three-year format for students who need an additional year of advanced language classes. Part-time study is also available.

Kent State University

Kent State University is a public liberal arts university located in Northeast Ohio. Comprised of eight different campuses, Kent State is able to provide a small, liberal arts education through a large university system.

The Institute for Applied Linguistics offers a two year Master of Arts in Translation and a PhD in Translation Studies. These translation degree programs focus on translation research skills, specialized translation, computer-assisted terminology and translation, software localization and project management for the language industry, but are also designed to provide a comprehensive foundation for skill development in humanistic translation and translation studies. The IAL’s B.S. and M.A. curricula provide a firm foundation in translation studies and translation practice for students in French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish while the Ph.D. program provides advanced training in translation studies and language informatics.

A center for research in translation studies and in several areas of language engineering (computer-assisted translation and terminology, multilingual document management and cross-language information exchange and retrieval), the IAL is one of America’s leading university-based translator training programs and the only comprehensive B.S. to Ph.D. program.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey was founded in 1955 in Monterey, California as a multilingual, globally focused graduate school. Formerly known as the Monterey Institute of International Studies, it has been affiliated with Middlebury College since 2005. With enrollment around 800 students (all in graduate programs), the Middlebury Institute boasts a close-knit, globally focused community.

The Middlebury Institute offers a M.A. in Translation, a M.A. in Translation & Localization Management, a M.A. in Translation & Interpretation, and a M.A. in Conference Interpretation. The M.A. in Translation offers students the opportunity to work in a broad range of areas — medical, legal, conference, etc. — and provides the necessary computer and on-the-job training necessary to function as a translator.

The M.A. in Translation & Localization Management, on the other hand, centers around three axes of training: translation, technology, and business management. This translation track develops students’ translation skills, as well as their language and cultural proficiency, through core courses offered, as well as elective courses from the other schools at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. The technical courses developed at the Middlebury Institute will cover translation technology, software and web site localization, translation automation, processes standardization, IT/workflow strategies, and project management tools. Tools used in class include Alchemy Catalyst, Passolo, SDLX and TRADOS, Star Transit and Workflow. Finally, the business track will cover key business management areas, such as principles of project management, multilingual marketing, managerial economics, product development, and international business strategy in courses offered by the School of International Policy and Management.

The M.A. in Translation & Interpretation program reinforces mastery of the written and oral aspects of the students’ working languages by performing both translation and interpretation of related texts. Recent technological innovations blur the distinction between the two. More than 60 percent of students choose to pursue an MATI degree. Graduates have found that being able to provide both translation and interpretation services gives them a significant edge in today’s competitive job market.

The M.A. in Conference Interpretation prepares students to work as both simultaneous and consecutive interpreters at conferences. In simultaneous interpretation, interpreters sit in soundproof booths (one booth for each language), where they listen to the speech from the meeting room through headsets. As the speaker talks, each interpreter interprets at the same time into his or her native or A language. The interpreter’s words are spoken into a microphone and transmitted via headset to meeting participants. In this manner, the same speech can be interpreted into several languages at once with very little time lag. In each booth, interpreters work as a team, sharing the workload at regular intervals. In consecutive interpretation, the interpreter usually sits with conference delegates while a speech is being made, listens to the speech, and takes notes. When the speaker pauses or finishes, the interpreter renders the speech in the first person in the target language. Speech and interpretation generally occur in segments no longer than 10-15 minutes. Most graduates of the MACI program work as freelance interpreters, although some do work with larger organizations like the United Nations and the U.S. State Department.

SUNY Binghamton

Unlike most of the other translation graduate programs, the Translation Research and Instruction Program at State University New York, Binghamton, focuses on the PhD in Translation Studies (the school also offers a Graduate Certificate in Translation Research and Instruction, and an undergrad Minor in Translation, but no MA). SUNY Binghamton is a campus of the State University of New York university system and is located in south-central New York.

The PhD in Translation Studies is the first of its kind in the United States and prepares students both for the professoriate and for scholarly research-including research-informed translation and offers individualized interdisciplinary tracks to accommodate a variety of backgrounds. Courses focus on the history and traditions of Translation Studies, comparative literature, cultural and postcolonial studies, national literatures and major figures, philosophy, and pedagogy, as well as individualized programs of study. Rather than preparing students for professional work as a translator or interpreter (which students can definitely choose to do at the completion of the degree), the PhD prepares students for academic work — either in research or in teaching.

University of Texas, Dallas

The Center for Translation Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas was established in 1980 to support the scholarly analysis and creation of literary translations, to collaborate with writers, scholars, and publishers around the world, to enhance the visibility of the translator as a mediator between cultures, to develop innovative translation workshop pedagogy, and to publish the international journal Translation Review.

The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities are non-traditional degrees that allow students to concentrate their graduate studies around their individual interests in Translation Studies. At the same time, this approach allows students to explore other scholarly contexts from an interdisciplinary point of view, thus enriching their understanding of Translation Studies and preparing them for a wider variety of jobs than a more specialized degree would. Faculty within The Center for Translation Studies and The School of Arts & Humanities work closely with students to design degree plans with an emphasis on Translation Studies that also supply a broad general background in one or more of three scholarly areas: Literary Studies; History of Ideas; and Aesthetic Studies.

Top Translation Certification Programs

Dozens of translation certification programs exist in the United States and narrowing down the programs can be daunting. Some certificates are general French translation, German translation, Spanish translation, etc., but some are more specific: legal, medical, conference interpreting.

The general certificates function like the graduate degrees in translation studies. They allow for a translator to gain advanced study in the foreign language as well as to take courses specific to the profession. Legal translation and interpreting certificates prepare candidates to work in legal and courtroom settings. In order to become a court interpreter, one must pass a state-specific test (comprised of a written and oral component) for both English and the foreign language. The certificate program helps to prepare candidates for translating or interpreting in a legal setting by focusing on legal vernacular, the professional conduct of a courtroom translator, and state court test preparation. Likewise, medical translation certification focuses on medical vernacular and professional conduct as a translator or interpreter in a hospital or other medical setting. Conference interpreter certificate programs prepare candidates for translating and interpreting at conferences and seminars.

These certificate programs vary in time and cost, but most are designed for the professional student and take place at night or in two week commitments over a period of one to two years.

American University

In Washington D.C., American University offers Graduate Certificates in Translation from either French, Russian , or Spanish to English. The certificate program consists of 15 credit hours, including advanced courses in Translation and Linguistics which can also be applied towards a foreign language MA.

Boston University

Boston University offers professional certificates in community, legal, and medical interpreting with specializations in Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish. The program focuses on the linguistic techniques and ethical considerations of the interpreting profession, and organizes students in Cohort Groups based on their language specialization.

Florida International University

Located in Miami, Florida International offers a Certificate in Translation Studies (English / Spanish) and certificate in Legal Translation and Court Interpreting (English / Spanish). Established in 1980, the program offers classes in the evenings and weekends, and allows students to take up to five courses before making a commitment.

Georgia State University

Located in Atlanta and established in 1980, Georgia State University’s Translation Certificate Program offers specializations in French, German, and Spanish translation, as well as French and Spanish Interpreting for medical, legal, and conference interpretation. The program consists of 15 semester hours which include classes in comparative stylistics, general and advanced translation, and a translation workshop.

NYU offers professional certificates in general translation, medical interpreting, court interpreting (Spanish/English), simultaneous interpreting, and general language studies certificates in Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and language groups such as Slavic, East Asian, Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, and Classical languages.

We hope that this information helps you to get started preparing for graduate studies in translation or interpreting. Translating and interpreting are demanding, competitive, and rewarding professions that require a lot of training, thought, and discipline, so good luck with your preparation and career.

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Comparative Literature is the home Program for the Graduate Emphasis in Translation Studies. The current Advisor for the TS Emphasis is Professor Dominique Jullien (Chair, Comparative Literature).

Courses in Translation Studies engage the theoretical questions that are germane to a philosophy of translation and that inform the practice of translation.

How can you take part in the Emphasis? You need to be an enrolled graduate student in good academic standing and pursuing a PhD in Classics, Comparative Literature, East Asian Studies, English, French, German, Religious Studies or Spanish, and have an interest in literary translation as well as competency in more than one language. Following a successful year of master's and/or doctoral study in one of the participating departments, you will be able to add officially the Translation Studies Emphasis, which, in addition to the PhD requirements of the home department, requires the following:

Course Work Completion of 16 units, to include Comparative Literature 260 : Literary Translation: Theory and Practice, which is offered at least every other year, or an equivalent course covering some aspect of translation theory and practice approved by the Translation Studies faculty advisor in consultation with the advisory committee.

The four courses (16 units) may be fulfilled in a number of ways:

• Students must take at least two courses which cover some aspect of critical, theoretical and/or historical approaches to translation.
• At least one of the four courses should be taken outside the student’s home department.
• At least four of the 16 units can be taken as an independent study/practicum, in the event a course does not have a sister graduate-level course.

Students may take any two 4-unit courses in their department in which a translation component can be integrated into the course material—e.g.. any literature course in the various language and literature departments; any catalogue or approved independent study course in Religious Studies, Classics, etc. involving close textual reading, linguistic analysis, cultural study/ interpretation—and work with the faculty/supervisor on a translation-related final project aside from doing all the course work. These units would be part of the basic 16 unit-requirement.

Final Project Completion of a final capstone project (approximately 30 pages), approved by the Translation Studies advisor in consultation with an advisory committee made up of two additional affiliated faculty (see below), which, based on the translation(s) of a particular text, examines the relationships between textual practice and theoretical perspectives, thus addressing some relevant aspect of translation theory, criticism, or history. Students may include their own translation as part of the project. The final project must be unanimously passed (B or higher) by the three-member project committee, made up of affiliated faculty. The project with comments and grade will then be sent to the advisory committee and the Translation Studies advisor for viewing and filing.

How do you add the Emphasis?

1. Download the "Change of Degree Status Petition" from the Graduate Division's website (first form): http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/academic/forms-petitions . 2. Under "ADD the following Credential, Emphasis, or Certificate," list "Doctoral Emphasis in Translation Studies." Complete all required fields and sign form. 3. Take completed change of status petition to your home department chair or faculty graduate advisor (not the GPA staff advisor) for approval and signature. 4. Email Professor Jullien to setup a time to meet with her. She will then approve/deny and sign the petition as the Interdisciplinary Emphasis Advisor. 5. International Students using a non-immigrant visa also need approval and a signature from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) representative. 6. Scan/copy the original approved, signed, and completed change of status petition, then bring (Phelps 4212) or email a copy to the Comparative Literature Graduate Program Coordinator for filing in Comparative Literature. 7. Take the completed change of status petition to the Cashier's Office (1212 SAASB), pay the $20 petition fee, and save the receipt. 8. Take cashier's receipt and completed change of status petition to the Graduate Division for the final approval and signature, to officially add the Translation Studies Emphasis.

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Mphil/phd translation, course information.

English and Creative Writing

2-4 years full-time or 4-8 years part-time

Course overview

We welcome proposals for research in any area connected with translation and/or interpreting theory and practice, or any research that addresses theoretical or practical issues relating to the interpretation or communication of meaning across borders of language and culture and embraces a wide range of disciplinary and methodological approaches.

• The MPhil/PhD Translation is a rigorous, structured interdisciplinary translation or interpreting researcher training programme, which aims to enable you to acquire a solid understanding of Translation Studies or Interpreting Studies scholarship, history, discourses, trends and debates, and to support you in the production of original work within this context.
• As part of the programme, you will join the  Goldsmiths Translation Research Group and will engage with a programme of taught courses, which bring you into contact with other students within Goldsmiths.
• We particularly encourage cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in emerging fields of study and creative practice and proposals within the research areas of Translation Studies staff Dr Sarah Maitland and Dr Arianna Autieri .
• As well as working with scholars and creative practitioners of international standing, you will have the opportunity to play an active role in a vibrant research environment which includes the Richard Hoggart Lectures in Literature and Culture, the annual Goldsmiths Prize for bold and innovative fiction, and specialist seminars and colloquia offered by the Goldsmiths Writers' Centre, the Goldsmiths Literature Seminars (GLITS), the Goldsmiths Linguistics Seminars (GoldLingS), and the e-journal, GLITS-e.
• We’ll help you build your employability skills and kickstart your continuous professional development through our key industry affiliations. You can benefit from our MA in Translation’s membership of the Institute of Translators and Interpreters (ITI), the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and language service businesses. The programme is also a member of the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) and the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies of the UK and Ireland (APTIS). If you wish to make use of translation memory, machine translation or computer-aided translation as part of your research, software for students is provided by Phrase TMS. As part of your studies, you will also be provided with access to XTRF, a cloud-based end-to-end translation management system and the XTRF Academy, the always-on training and development resource.
• Assessment is by thesis and viva voce and there is no restriction on language pair.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Sarah Maitland .

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally possess at least a first degree (normally of upper second class honours standard or above) or equivalent. Applicants should also normally have (or expect to be awarded) a taught Masters in a relevant subject area.

Where an applicant possesses non-standard qualifications or equivalent experience, these will be considered.

No prior qualification in Translation Studies or Interpreting Studies is required for admission to the programme, but relevant equivalent experience in contexts of translation and/or interpreting theory and practice, or the interpretation or communication of meaning across borders of language and culture must be demonstrated through the personal statement.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification ) of 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study .

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees.

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

• Home - full-time: £TBC
• Home - part-time: £TBC
• International - full-time: £TBC

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office , who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment .

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page .

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities . If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

How to apply

You must apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.

Before submitting your application, you'll need to have:

• Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments (and, where relevant, IELTS or equivalent English language qualification)
• The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
• If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)
• Contact details of a second referee
• A research proposal that meets the requirements published by Goldsmiths · A personal statement that meets the requirements published by Goldsmiths (this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online)

Find out more about applying .

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Faculty of Modern Languages Translation Studies

Students of translation studies study the theory and practice of the written transmission of general and specialist texts into another language. In addition, they learn about the topics and strategies of multi-lingual culture mediation.

Translation studies conveys the firm knowledge required to deal with general and specialist texts in many languages. Students learn the methods and techniques of translation, are confronted with scientific topics and acquire advanced skills in the use of translation tools. Thanks to the range of offered courses and the opportunity to study abroad, the academic programme also strongly fosters intercultural and foreign language skills and competencies.  

Students of translation studies study a forward-looking and interdisciplinary subject that enables them to work in many different professions. 

Special Features and Characteristics

Translation studies at the Institute of Translation and Interpreting provides students with numerous opportunities to autonomously design their academic programme beyond the acquisition of intended core and additional competencies: 

• By consolidating linguistic, translation-relevant and intercultural competencies during relevant study abroad periods. These can be completed as internships or as a component of the academic programme in one of more than 20 countries that cooperate with the department. 
• The department’s own internship centre facilitates and promotes contact between students and partners in industry, institutions or other foreign universities from the outset of the programme. Therefore, students can access high-quality internships in Germany or abroad and receive individual support by the department.  
• A continuous range of practical seminars, the successful cooperation with the professional association of interpreters and translators in Germany and an annual seminar on setting up a business specifically tailored to the needs of future translators contribute to the excellent education and training at the department for translation studies.  
• BA Plus Translation Studies Spanish: High-performing and internationally-oriented students can enrol in the international four-year option BA Plus Translation Studies Spanish at the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. Students participate in an integrated year abroad in Spain, consisting of two semesters at a university or one semester at a university and a semester of practical work. A total of 240 credits can be gained in the academic programme, which qualifies students for a professional career or the consecutive MA programme.
• Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IÜD)

The strong research structure of the department is characterised by interdisciplinarity and internationality. The close link between all research areas, beyond the individual languages, provides students with the opportunity to set their own research focus as part of their scientific education.  

Along with translation studies as an area of disciplinary intersection, the department pursues research in the following areas: 

• Discourse and cognition  
• Contrastive linguistics 
• Cultural studies  
• World languages, translation and literature 
• Lexicology and terminology research 

The projects are run by academics with many years of experience, junior researchers and doctoral students who are organised in research groups or research training groups as well as students in the BA and predominantly in the MA programmes and focus on the scientific dimensions of translation studies, cultural studies and linguistics. 

The research groups’ methodological approaches are numerous and often apply empirical methods such as corpus work, experimental linguistics and academic surveys.  

There are cooperation projects with research institutions and universities in Germany and abroad. The scientific exchange with Latin America and the Iberian peninsula is promoted by, e.g. the Heidelberg Center for Ibero-American Studies (HCIAS). These cooperations create networks that strengthen the Ibero-American dialogue in research and teaching thanks to international, internal and external projects as well as scholarship programmes. 

The lecture series “Translation in Theory and Practic” provides students with the opportunity to engage in research-oriented discussion and exchange with both German and international representatives of the above-mentioned disciplines. 

Occupational Areas

Translators can find work in both the private as well as the public sectors:  

• in translation agencies 
• in translation departments of internationally-oriented businesses 
• in translation departments of national and international institutions 
• as language and culture mediators in national and international businesses and in the media 
• terminology management and software localisation 
• cultural consulting 
• freelance translation industry 
• employment or freelancing in technical documentation/editing departments 
• intercultural communication 
• organisation and management in industry as well as national and international institutions 
• Graduates of the Master’s programme in translation studies: research, science and university teaching 
• Graduates of the Bachelor’s programme in translation studies: consecutive Master’s programme in translation or interpreting studies (in Germany or abroad) or another subject in the humanities 

Degree variants

Bachelor 100%

Master, consecutive

I chose Translation studies because I wanted to deal with written language under consideration of all nuances. Also, the degree programme is very practical and prepares you for an actual career.

David Geng, 26, Translation Studies, 1st semester Bachelor

Further Interesting Subjects

Computational Linguistics

Conference Interpreting

German as a foreign language / german as a second language.

English Studies

Slavic Studies

Translation Studies for Information Technologies

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Research degrees (mphil/phd) in translation studies.

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Key information

Home student fees (full-time) : £4,860 per year Home student fees (part-time) : £2,430 per year Overseas student fees (full-time) : £22,490 per year Overseas student fees (part-time) : £11,245 per year

Please note that fees go up each year.   See  research fees  for further details.

We normally require a 2.1 bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) plus a Masters degree in appropriate subject area plus one reference. In exceptional cases we may accept applicants who do not meet these criteria if they show evidence of a strong Masters degree and/or appropriate level of relevant work experience. International applicants should also see  Doctoral School English language requirements

Course overview

The MPhil/PhD in Translation Studies is a research training programme which combines foundational and advanced training in the core areas of translation studies, research methods and research work leading to a thesis. The Department is strongly research-oriented, and through a combination of courses, advanced seminars and individual supervision, aims to provide the intellectual discipline, knowledge and skills required of a well-rounded researcher.

Supervision is offered in theoretical, descriptive and comparative, historical translation studies, as well as a wide range of interdisciplinary areas cutting across linguistics, cultural studies, sociological and political field of studies. Depending on the research topic, it may be possible to arrange joint supervision with specialists in other departments.

Research at the Centre for Translation Studies and in the Department of Linguistics

Research interests of the faculty are wide-ranging, spanning the languages across the world, from Chinese to Arabic, Swahili to Korean, Mongolian to Japanese. This focus on Asian and African languages, combined with the unparalleled access to the considerable language and regional expertise of other SOAS researchers constitutes a unique resource for the study of translation studies benefitting from expertise of many leading researchers in the areas of other languages, theoretical, comparative and descriptive linguistics, and area studies, which greatly enrich the field of translation studies.

Modern Languages and Linguistics at SOAS has been ranked 10th in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. We've also been ranked 4th for research environment - with 100% of our research ranked as 'internationally excellent' and 85% as 'world-leading' - and 8th for research outputs in the REF 2021.

The PhD programme in Translation Studies is a rigorous, structured interdisciplinary training programme with different activities and requirements taking place throughout the period of the programme.

All students register in year 1 of the programme as MPhil students. The upgrade from MPhil to PhD registration takes place at the end of the first academic session for full time students (or at the end of the second academic session for part time students).

All new MPhil/PhD students are provided with a supervisory committee of three members, comprising a main or primary supervisor, and a second and third supervisor. The split in time commitment across the supervisory committee is 60:25:15. In the first year students are expected to meet their main supervisor on a bi-weekly basis for a period of at least one hour.

The student’s primary supervisor is either a member of the Linguistic Department, or a member from the department of area studies if they are registered at the Centre for Translation Studies. The second and third supervisors, who act in a supplementary advisory capacity, may be from the same Department, or other Departments/Centres in the Faculty of Languages and Cultures or in Departments/Centres in the other Faculties of the School.

Depending on the nature of the research, joint supervision is sometimes recommended, under the direction of two primary supervisors. In such cases the student has only one further supervisor on their committee.

The student’s progress is further overseen by the Centre's Research Tutor.

In the first year, students prepare for research by following the research training seminar (RTS) offer by the Centre for Translation Studies, Department of Linguistics convened by the Research Tutors, as well as training offered by the Faculty's research programme and supported by the generic training on offer in the Academic Development Directorate (ADD) .

Students may also be encouraged by supervisors to attend additional taught courses relevant to their research and to their training needs. These may include specialist disciplinary, language or regional culture courses or research training in other Departments outside the Faculty.

All MPhil/PhD students are encouraged to attend the talks of the departmental seminar series, or those organised by the Department of Linguistic or the Centre for Translation Studies. In addition, there are special PhD seminars in which advanced PhD students present their work and which are open to staff and students.

Year 1 full-time students (year 2 for part-time students) are required to submit a core chapter and research proposal (of about 10,000 words) by first Friday in May, typically including the following elements:

• Research rationale and context of proposed research
• Main research questions
• Literature review
• Theoretical and methodological framework and considerations
• Proposed research methods
• Ethical issues (where applicable)
• Samples of initial data and their analysis
• Outline structure of PhD dissertation
• Schedule of research and writing
• Bibliography

Adjustments to one or more of these sections, including additions or deletions where appropriate, are possible by prior arrangement between the students and lead supervisors.

The upgrade process from MPhil to PhD status is based upon an assessment of the core chapter and research proposal by the student’s research committee, and upon on a 20-30 minute oral presentation, followed by discussion. The oral presentation is given to, supervisory committee members and other Departmental staff and research students. This is followed by an interview of 10-15 minutes between the student and the committee. On successful completion of the upgrade process, students are formally upgraded to PhD and proceed to the second year. (If the assessors consider there to be shortcomings in the core chapter or research proposal, students will be asked to revise it to their satisfaction before the upgrade to PhD status can be confirmed.) Students are not normally permitted to proceed to the second year until the upgrade process has been completed.

The second year (or part-time equivalent) is normally spent engaged in research. This may be by any combination of fieldwork and research in libraries and material collection as agreed between the student and the supervisor(s).

The third year (or part-time equivalent) is devoted to writing up research for the PhD thesis. During this time, students will normally give a presentation in the PhD seminar series organised by the Research Tutor, which is open to staff members and other research students. During the third year (or part time equivalent) students will present draft chapters to their main supervisor for comment, before completing a final draft of the thesis. Once a full draft is complete, the work is assessed by all members of the supervisory committee and the student can either submit the thesis or move on to Continuation Status to be given a further 12 months to complete the thesis and submit for examination.

The thesis must be completed within 48 months from the time of registration (or part time equivalent).

The thesis – not to exceed 100,000 words in length – is examined by two leading authorities in the field.

PhD Degrees are awarded by SOAS from registration in 2013 and are subject to SOAS regulations.

Important notice

The information on the website reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. The modules are indicative options of the content students can expect and are/have been previously taught as part of these programmes. However, this information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Teaching and learning

Some recent completed theses.

• The Influence of Translation on the Arabic Language: A Study on the Translation of English Idioms in Arabic Satellite TV Stations
• Translators and Habitus: An Integrative Approach to Investigating Film Dubbing in China from 1949 to the Present
• An Analysis of Translation Shifts in Thai Translations of English Novels
• A study into the ideological manipulation of translation and translation’s role in affecting the political and social fields: Translation’s function in advancing the war on terror
• An Influential Approach to Translating the Korean Implicit: from a relevance-theoretic perspective
• Contemporary Iranian Theatre in Translation: An Analysis of the Issues at Stake in the
• Translation of Foreign Plays from Conception to Performance

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Scholarships

Fees and funding, fees for 2023/24 entrants per academic year.

Please note that fees go up each year.

See  research fees  for further details.

Graduates of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with skills in written and oral communication, analysis and problem solving.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

• Africa Matters
• Amnesty International
• Arab British Chamber of Commerce
• BBC World Service
• British High Commission
• Council for British Research in the Levant
• Department for International Development
• Embassy of Jordan
• Ernst & Young
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
• Middle East Eye
• Saïd Foundation
• TalkAbout Speech Therapy
• The Black Curriculum
• The Telegraph
• United Nations Development Programme
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
• Wall Street Journal

Find out about our  Careers Service

Dr Yair Wallach

Social and cultural history of modern Palestine/Israel; material, visual and urban culture; history of textuality; race and antisemitism; migration and settler colonialism in Jewish history

SOAS Voices

Decolonising Bloomsbury: A guided walking tour through London’s colonial legacy

Dr Alia Amir, Research Associate at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, takes us on a 'decolonising walk' through Bloomsbury, London and reflects on some of the historical landmarks while challenging us to confront colonial histories and envision a more just future.

I’m a full-time SOAS student in my fifties. Here’s why I came back to university

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How to learn a language effectively: Advice from SOAS teachers

Teachers from the SOAS Language Centre share their favourite tips for learning a language and sticking to it, from building confidence and setting goals to getting creative in your everyday practice.

Why Studio Ghibli is so popular and how it exports Japanese culture

Masami, a BA East Asian Studies student, delves into factors contributing to Studio Ghibli's international success and how the films may influence global perceptions of Japan.

World Kiswahili Day: Here is how we celebrate Swahili every day at SOAS

For World Kiswahili Day, Dr Ida Hadjivayanis shares some of the Swahili activities at SOAS in the past year.

Why I chose to study a language while working full-time

Language Centre student Bianca Belli discusses how she balances learning Japanese while working full-time, her plans for her newfound skills and shares the Japanese word she would teach a friend.

Leverhulme Research Leadership Award: Mapping Sumatra’s manuscript cultures

This project’s interdisciplinary team investigates manuscript libraries from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the first landing point, geographically and historically, of Islam in South East Asia, to better understand the intellectual and writing traditions of the region.

British Academy writing workshop: Amplifying women's voices in Hausa cultural studies

This 4-day British Academy Writing Workshop and 6-months of mentorship sought to amplify the voices of academic women writing about Hausa cultural studies in Northern Nigeria by providing support in revising research in preparation for publication.

British Academy Writing Workshop ‘De-centering knowledge and training opportunities: Supporting the development of the next generation of researchers in African linguistics’

As part of this project we will run two writing workshops in Kenya for Early Career Researchers in linguistics to work with experienced editors, improve writing skills and strengthen scholarly networks.

Variation in Swahili: contact, change and identity

Variation in Swahili: contact, change and identity investigates different ways in which Swahili is spoken, how its varieties are influenced by other languages, and what this means for speakers and their identities.

RISE UP: Revitalising Languages and Safeguarding Cultural Diversity

Re/presenting islam on campus.

Exploring how Islam and Muslims are represented and perceived on UK university campuses.

Creative Multilingualism in World Literatures

Exploring multilingualism’s revolutionary potential and creative force in language, literature, thought and the visual arts.

Multilingual Locals and Significant Geographies

Countering the identification of world literature with English by highlighting the multilingualism and the many factors that contribute to regional and transnational literary fields.

The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to World Literature

A far-reaching and sustained study of key authors, texts, and topics from around the world and throughout history.

Prominent Possessors

Investigating the phenomenon of "prominent internal possessors" from a theoretical and cross-linguistic perspective.

Morphosyntactic variation in Bantu: Typology, contact and change

Exploring linguistic similarities within a sample of Bantu languages.

Crossroads: Investigating the unexplored side of multilingualism

Investigating multilingualism and language contact between three languages spoken at the “crossroads” – a group of neighbouring villages in the Casamance area of Senegal.

Utafiti: A research workshop for scholars of eastern Africa

Utafiti is an interdisciplinary workshop for early-career researchers working on Eastern Africa.

Related content

Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in Linguistics

Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in Linguistics at SOAS University of London

MA Translation

MA Translation at SOAS University of London

Department of Linguistics

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MA/PhD Program

Ohio State's PhD Program in English trains students in advanced research, writing and teaching skills in a number of areas in English studies. With over 60 faculty members and 90 graduate students, our program hosts one of the largest, most vibrant intellectual communities in English studies in the country. While engaged in their advanced study, our graduate students make significant contributions to the department’s intellectual community: they teach courses, participate in department-sponsored scholarly activities and present their research in publications and at internationally-recognized conferences. Our program has trained noted scholars specializing in a range of areas in English, including rhetoric and composition, narrative theory, folklore, U.S. ethnic and postcolonial literature and all historical periods of English literature — from the Anglo-Saxon era to present day.  We have also trained a number of students who have gone into a variety of non-academic careers, including in nonprofit administration, software development and corporate training and strategy.

The Ohio State University's MA/PhD program in English welcomes applications from students who have earned a bachelors or masters degree and who wish to specialize in any of the many fields in English studies that the Department of English covers.

Click here for application information .

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

All students pursuing their PhD in English must complete the following major components of our MA/PhD program. The accordions below provide information about how students may fulfill each of these components. For an overview of the program, please see the representative timelines below that show roughly when in a graduate student’s career they can expect to pass each milestone. 

Each student must take a minimum total of 36 credit hours to earn an MA in English on the way to the PhD. Students who enter the program with a BA typically earn the MA at the end of their second year. Specific course requirements include the following:

• English 6700.01: Introduction to Graduate Study in English (three credits)
• A course in critical theory (three credits)
• Two courses to fulfill the breadth requirement (six credits)
• English 6781: Introduction to the Teaching of First-Year English (three credits)
• English 8903: Teaching College English (three credits, repeatable)
• English 6998: Research in English: Portfolio Preparation (variable credit hours)

A note about letter grade and S/U class numbers

When you register for courses on  Buckeye Link , you will find that each course has been decimalized and has a ".01" and ".02" number.  The ".01" number is to be used to register for the graded section of the course, and the ".02" number is to be used for the S/U section of the course. The decimalized versions are available so that students can choose whether to take the course for a grade or S/U designation. For example, there are two listings for English 6746: Introduction to Graduate Study in British Literature of the Romantic Period. English 6746.01 is the graded section and English 6746.02 is the S/U section, but the course meets on the same day(s) and at the same time(s).

Critical theory requirement

Students must take at least one course in critical theory (three credits); this course must be taken for a letter grade. The critical theory requirement can be fulfilled through the following courses:  English 6760.01: Introduction to Postcolonial Literature and Theory English 6761.01: Introduction to Narrative and Narrative Theory English 7861.01: Studies in Narrative and Narrative Theory English 7891.01: Seminar in Disability Studies Theory Additional courses in English or other departments can be petitioned to count.

Breadth requirement

Each student must complete two courses to add breadth to the student’s program (six credits total). These courses must be taken for a letter grade and conform to the following guidelines:

• Students concentrating on literature or theory after 1800: Two courses in pre-1800 literature, rhetoric, folklore, etc.
• Students concentrating on literature or theory before 1800: Two courses in post-1800 literature, rhetoric, folklore, film, etc.
• Students concentrating in non-literary fields: Two courses to add breadth as determined in consultation with the faculty advisor and the director of Graduate Studies

Graduate workshop requirement

In addition to their regular coursework, MA/PhD students must complete two graduate workshops by the end of their fourth year in the program (preferably before candidacy).

The graduate workshops provide opportunities to enrich the department's formal graduate curriculum by regularly bringing in scholars from other institutions to discuss their recently-published and current work with students and faculty. Typically, the department is able to offer three to five workshops per academic year, which rotate among fields. Each workshop is organized by a faculty coordinator, and students enroll by signing up with the Graduate Studies office.  

The visiting speaker participates in two events: a public lecture or other kind of formal presentation, open to all members of the department and university community; and a closed session with graduate students who have enrolled in the workshop. For the smaller workshop, the visiting speaker assigns a text or group of texts for discussion (their own work or some other work relevant to the speaker's current interests). Students read the assigned texts on their own and submit short position papers to the faculty coordinator. The completion of these short essays, in combination with student participation, determine whether a student receives a grade of "S" (satisfactory) or "U" (unsatisfactory) for the workshop.

S/U grading guidelines

Individual faculty set the specific guidelines for S/U versions of graduate courses. The typical expectation for a grade of "S" (satisfactory), however, is that students complete readings, contribute meaningfully to class discussion and satisfactorily complete readings-related assignments that enrich discussion (e.g., writing brief reading responses, posting comments to Carmen discussions and/or leading in-class discussions on readings). Students taking a graduate course for S/U credit will typically not be expected to write longer papers or to complete and present on independent research projects.

Independent study

Graduate Independent Study courses require the approval of the director of Graduate Studies. Students interested in pursuing an independent study should consult with the appropriate faculty member at least a semester in advance. The faculty member should then prepare a one-page request that briefly outlines 1) the rationale for the independent study (e.g., why the student is unable to pursue similar work in regularly-scheduled courses) and 2) the syllabus for the independent study (e.g., list of readings, schedule of meetings, specific assignments or projects to be completed).

Students who enter with an MA from another program or another institution will typically transfer 30 hours, which means they will typically need to earn a minimum of an additional 56 credit hours for the PhD. Specific course requirements include the following:

• English 6700: Introduction to Graduate Study in English (three credits)     
• Critical theory requirement (three credits)
• Breadth requirement #1 (three credits)
• Breadth requirement #2 (three credits)
• English 8996: Research in English: Candidacy Exam (variable credit hours)
• English 8999: Research in English: Dissertation (variable credit hours)

Each student must complete two courses to add breadth to the student’s program (six credits total). These courses must be taken for a letter grade and conform to the following guidelines:

• Students concentrating on literature or theory after 1800: Two courses in pre-1800 literature, rhetoric, folklore, etc.

Students may fulfill this requirement through coursework completed at their MA institution.

The graduate workshops provide opportunities to enrich the department's formal graduate curriculum by regularly bringing in scholars from other institutions to discuss their recently-published and current work with students and faculty. Typically, the department is able to offer three to five workshops per academic year, which rotate among fields. Each workshop is organized by a faculty coordinator, and students enroll by signing up with the graduate studies office.  

Graduate Independent Study courses require the approval of the director of Graduate Studies. Students interested in pursuing an independent study should consult with the appropriate faculty member at least a semester in advance. The faculty member should then prepare a one-page request that briefly outlines 1) the rationale for the independent study (e.g., why the student is unable to pursue similar work in regularly scheduled courses) and 2) the syllabus for the independent study (e.g., list of readings, schedule of meetings, specific assignments or projects to be completed).

English 8903 is a teaching internship with a faculty member, which students must complete before they can be assigned to teach any of the 2000-level literature, language or folklore courses. English 7881.02: Teaching Basic Writing, 7881.03: Teaching of College Composition in English as a Second Language and 7881.04: Teaching Business and Professional Communication may be substituted for English 8903 by students whose teaching interests include basic writing, English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or business and professional writing. However, English 8903 will be a prerequisite for teaching the relevant 2000-level courses (just as the English 7881 series is now a prerequisite for teaching the specialized writing courses).

English 8903 carries one to three credit hours. The course may be repeated. In order to coordinate their teaching interests with scheduled courses, students planning on taking English 8903 should also consult the undergraduate course offerings and faculty teaching them.

Faculty and students will have considerable flexibility in constructing the day-to-day details of the apprenticeship, but a typical pattern would look something like this:

• Student and professor agree to do English 8903 in an upcoming semester.
• When the book order requests are distributed, the professor and student meet to discuss which books they will use and why. 
• At some point before the course starts, the professor and student meet to discuss the course syllabus. They consider such matters as the objectives of the course and how best to design the schedule of readings, the students' writing assignments and the classroom atmosphere so that those objectives can be met.
• Before each class, the professor and student meet to talk about the session's goals and the pedagogical means they will use to meet them. In addition, they consider how the goals of the upcoming session fit in with the overall goals of the course. (For all class sessions but the first, this meeting might occur an hour or so before walking into the session.)
• Before each writing assignment (including exams), professor and student discuss what they want to achieve and how they might design the assignment to reach those goals.
• The professor must take responsibility for all grades assigned in the course, but the student may assist in grading by reading, commenting and assigning possible grades to a subset of the papers or exams. Since the student is an apprentice and not a TA, however, the point of this work is not to lighten the faculty member's load but rather to provide the occasion for discussion of criteria for different grades, how to address students in commentary and so on. In all cases, the professor must read the papers marked by the apprentice and assign the final grades.
• The student takes primary responsibility for some teaching, in the range of four to six hours of instruction over the course of the semester.
• After the course is over, the professor and student read the student evaluations and discuss them as well as their own assessments of what worked and what didn't.
• The course is graded S/U. The faculty member should also be prepared to write a letter of recommendation for the student's dossier.
• The student writes a report on the apprentice experience, reflecting on how their thinking about pedagogy has been influenced by English 8903.

In general, the idea of the internship is to give the student the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on everything from the design of a course to its day-to-day operations, from its goals and purposes to its grading and evaluation.

Students may work with a professor in any undergraduate course. No more than two students may sign up for English 8903 with the same professor and the same course in any one semester. Students must take English 8903 before they are assigned their own sections of 2000-level courses, but they need to take English 8903 only once as a general preparation for that teaching. In other words, students do not have to take a new English 8903 for every new 2000-level course they teach.

Of course, students will generally gravitate toward courses in their areas and in the areas where they would most like to teach. Below are the usual links between English 8903 experiences and the assignment of undergraduate courses, but graduate students should have considerable leeway in choosing their apprenticeships and those assigning graduate students to 2000-level courses should have some flexibility in making those assignments. For example, English 4520.01 will count for 2200 and 2201; English 4560 for 2260; English 4561 for 2261; English 4550 and English 4551 for 2290.

When students are assigned their own 2000-level class, they will consult with a faculty mentor (ideally the person whose class they observed, but possibly the course director or their advisor) on the preparation of the syllabus and other issues relating to the class. The faculty member will observe the class at least once and write a report for the course director.

Language Proficiency Requirements

Language Proficiency Coordinator: Galey Modan ( [email protected] )

The graduate program in the Department of English requires that students demonstrate current proficiency in a natural language other than English. (Natural languages are all languages, including American Sign Language [ASL], that have evolved naturally among humans through use and repetition; natural languages do not include constructed languages such as Klingon or computer programming languages.) There are multiple reasons that language proficiency is required. These include the following: 


• Extensive and technical familiarity with a language other than English constitutes a powerful way for graduate students to gain an understanding of the distinctive characteristics of English language structure. 
• Proficiency in a language other than English allows students access to primary and secondary texts composed in that language. Graduate students in all areas of English studies with even a modest level of proficiency benefit from this access.
• To fulfill our department’s commitment to diversity, it is vital for students to gain proficiency in languages other than English. To gain a basic understanding of multilingual and non-English-speaking communities requires a familiarity with the languages of those communities.
• As English itself is an increasingly culturally- and geographically-differentiated language, deep familiarity with the languages that English comes into contact with is vital to an understanding of English’s global manifestations.

Doctoral research in some specialties (such as Medieval, Renaissance or U.S. ethnic literatures) may require proficiency in additional languages beyond the one that satisfies the departmental requirement. Students therefore must discuss the language requirement with faculty in their chosen area of specialization as soon as possible.

There is no set list of languages approved for PhD candidates in English. The expectation is that students will choose a language pertinent to their research interests.

Native speakers of languages other than English may use their native languages to fulfill the departmental requirement, unless their area of study requires knowledge of other particular language(s).

For doctoral students, the language requirement(s) should be met by the end of the first year of enrollment beyond the MA and must be met before any part of the candidacy examination may be scheduled.


Students can fulfill the language proficiency requirement in any of the six ways listed below.

Method #1: Multimedia computer-adaptive placement test

Students wishing to fulfill the requirement with Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Hebrew, Italian or Swahili may take a multimedia computer-adaptive placement test administered by the  Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures  (CLLC). These exams test both comprehension and production. To fulfill the language requirement through a placement test, students must do one of the following:

• If the student and their advisor decide that both comprehension and production are necessary for their further research, the student must achieve a score sufficient for placement into a 2000-level language class on both sections.

• If the student and their advisor decide that comprehension alone is suitable, the student must achieve a score sufficient for placement into a 2000-level language class on the comprehension portion of the exam. Please note: Students will need to be in contact with the language proficiency coordinator prior to taking the exam if just a “comprehension” score is necessary, as the exams do not automatically produce a score solely for comprehension. The coordinator will need to confirm with the Center for Languages, Literature and Cultures that the exam is set up correctly for the student. This option involves more paperwork to set up, so the comprehension and production option above is preferred.

Method #2: Department-administered placement test

If the requirement is to be met with a language other than those listed under method #1, students may take a placement test administered by an Ohio State department that teaches the language in question. As with the CLLC option, students must place into a 2000-level class. This is the method of choice for ASL and other signed languages. If the language in question is not taught at Ohio State, the student will meet with the language proficiency coordinator to set up a testing process. (Note: if the language is one tested through the CLLC, that option must be chosen.)

Method #3: Year of university-level language classes

Students may take a year's worth of university-level language classes at Ohio State and get at least a grade of 'B' in both semesters. Students must consult the appropriate language department for course offerings. Since sequences often begin only in the autumn semester, students should be sure to check well ahead of time when the courses will be offered. 

Method #4: Graduate reading course

Students may complete a graduate reading course offered by an Ohio State language program with a grade of 'A' (see below for more information on departments offering reading courses).

Method #5: Translation test

In consultation with the student’s advisor and the language proficiency coordinator, students may take a translation test (typically a translation with the aid of a dictionary) administered by an Ohio State language program, qualified faculty member of the English department or qualified faculty member at another university, as approved by the language proficiency coordinator. Students intending to take a translation exam administered by another department should note that each language department has its own set of deadlines that must be met in order to enroll for the exam. Students should contact the relevant language department during the semester before they intend to take the exam in order to ensure that they do not miss the exam registration date. 


Method #6: Oral proficiency test

Students may take an   oral proficiency test. Students can show proficiency based on the following the criteria:

• Comprehension: The examinee understands the content of an oral text such as a radio or broadcast news story. The content may be on current events or on a topic relevant to a student’s research. The examinee must show ability to 1) summarize a given text in a cohesive and coherent manner without prompting, 2) produce a statement summarizing their own view, and 3) answer follow-up questions in a cohesive and coherent manner. 

• Production: The examinee shows ability to describe the text in a comprehensible way, producing extended, connected discourse in all major time frames (past, present and future). The reference point for ‘comprehension’ is a speaker who does not speak other languages that the examinee is proficient in. Vocabulary may be primarily generic in nature. However, if the examinee must use the language under examination for their scholarly work, they must also show command of relevant vocabulary when dealing with topics of interest. This will be decided in consultation with the student's advisor. Circumlocution and rephrasing are to be expected. Speech must be clear and not lead to confusion. Pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and discourse structure should not be so faulty as to prevent comprehension by a speaker not proficient in the other languages in which the examinee is proficient. Discourse may reflect the information structure of the examinee’s own language/s, rather than that of the target language.

In cases where an examiner cannot be located, students can take the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), as administered by Ohio State Testing Center and described  here . The department may pay the fees associated with the OPI upon approval. 

Below you will find information about German, French, Spanish and Italian reading proficiency classes and testing procedures. In the past, these have been the most common choices made by students, and these departments have the most structured systems for assessing proficiency. If another language is more appropriate for your research, see above for assessment procedures. 

Graduate reading courses must be completed with a grade of 'A' in order to satisfy the requirement. 

• German:  The course that satisfies graduate reading proficiency is German 6101. Contact Natascha Miller ( [email protected] ) with questions about coursework prerequisites. If you choose to take the reading exam to demonstrate proficiency, you must schedule it in cooperation with your advisor and the English department’s language proficiency coordinator. Your advisor should select a passage for you to translate and submit it, along with a completed exam scheduling form, as directed on the  exam website . Information about testing dates is usually updated the third or fourth week of the semester; visit the  exam website  to view testing dates and download the exam scheduling form.
• French:  Courses that satisfy graduate reading proficiency include French 6571 and French 6572. Contact Joan Obert ( [email protected] ) with questions about coursework prerequisites. If you choose to take the reading exam to demonstrate proficiency, you must schedule it in cooperation with your advisor and the English department’s language proficiency coordinator. The Department of French and Italian provides a detailed overview of the test, as well as information on exam preparation, evaluation, dates and registration on their  website .
• Spanish:  The Department of Spanish and Portuguese does not offer courses to demonstrate reading proficiency in Spanish. If you would like to take a translation test, you must schedule the reading exam in cooperation with your advisor and the English department’s language proficiency coordinator. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese provides a detailed overview of the test, as well as information on exam preparation, dates and registration on their  website . 
• Italian : The Department of French and Italian does not offer courses to demonstrate reading proficiency in Italian. If you choose to take the reading exam to demonstrate proficiency, you must schedule the reading exam in cooperation with your advisor. The Department of French and Italian provides an overview of the test on their  website . Contact Joan Obert ( [email protected] ) to schedule the exam and to request more detailed information on testing dates and procedures.

Preparing for the Advising Meeting

The advising meeting is a critical step in the process toward the PhD and, for students who enter the program with a BA, it is the formal mechanism for awarding the MA. Typically, the advising meeting will take place at the end of the spring semester of the second year for all students who enter with a BA and at the end of the autumn   semester of the second year for all students who enter with an MA.

The advising meeting will include a faculty committee composed of the student's selected advisor, who serves as chair; a second faculty member chosen from a list of three submitted by the student; and a third member selected by the director of Graduate Studies or their designee. The advising meeting will last for at least one hour but for no longer than two hours. During the meeting, the student and faculty committee will consider the student's plans for completing the PhD as reflected in the Preliminary Program of Study. Students will also answer and ask questions about items included in the portfolio project.

After the advising meeting, the chair of the faculty committee will write a brief report of the meeting for the student's file. In addition to a short summary of the conversation, for students who enter with a BA, this report will include the committee's recommendation to award the MA degree based on satisfactory completion of all MA requirements. For all students, the report should also include recommendations about the composition of the student's committee for the candidacy exam and dissertation.

By week seven of semester of the advising meeting, the student will prepare a portfolio that includes:

• A Preliminary Program of Study.
• A short statement about the student’s pursuit of interests outside the regular curriculum and the major field (e.g., attendance at workshops, lectures, readings and other such activities).
• A research project, which can be a traditional academic essay, a new media composition and so forth, as determined in consultation with the student's faculty advisor.

Typically, the research project will have begun in a course and been subsequently revised with a broader academic audience in mind and with a clear articulation of how its argument and methodologies fit within ongoing conversations in the relevant field or fields. The student should be working toward potential publication of the project, and/or toward its integration into her or his dissertation.

Students who enter the program with an MA may use a project begun in a course in their MA program.

The Preliminary Program of Study consists of three components:

• A description and short rationale for the student’s intended major field and minor field or fields for the candidacy exam. (See description of Final Program of Study for explanation of field areas.)
• A summer reading list of about 15 works related to one or both of these areas.
• A brief discussion of teaching and other GA work, completed and planned.

The Preliminary Program of Study should be designed in consultation with the student's faculty advisor and must be signed by the advisor in preparation for the advising meeting.

Final Program of Study

A copy of the Final Program of Study (POS) and letter of endorsement from the advisor need to be  be submitted electronically to the graduate program coordinator for the Graduate Program Committee's review process. Due dates for the coming year are listed below. AUTUMN 2023 September 11 October 9 November 6 SPRING 2024

January 22 February 12 March 18 April 8

The Final Program of Study has two main purposes: to establish parameters for the candidacy examination and to present a detailed map of the student's path toward earning the PhD. The Final Program of Study must be completed, approved by the student's candidacy examination committee and then approved by the Graduate Studies Program and Policy Committee before the student may schedule their exam. It is important to keep in mind that the POS has multiple audiences: the student's exam chair and exam committee, but also the Graduate Studies Program and Policy Committee, which is made up of faculty who represent the various areas of specialization in the department as a whole. The POS needs to be written so that it is accessible to non-specialists in the student's specific area.  

Components of the POS are listed below.

• The Chair must hold “P” status (this usually means a tenured Associate or Full Professor). This committee will not necessarily be identical to the Dissertation Committee, which typically comprises only three members. 

A brief (500-700 word) description and rationale for the Major Field of study and reading list. This description is for non-experts and should be easily understood by English faculty outside your area. Your goal is not simply to identify a field but to demonstrate your ability to articulate your understanding of the field, its boundaries, and its internal dynamics to non-experts. In preparing your POS, you may find it useful to consult a number of sources to learn more about the main issues, scholarly trends, and important texts that define your major and minor fields.  These sources can include the following:

• Anthologies of primary and secondary works in your field.
• Scholarly companions and handbooks, such as the Cambridge Companions to various areas of literature, the Oxford Handbook series, or the Oxford Bibliographies series.
• Syllabi from graduate or undergraduate courses you have taken or from courses in your field at other institutions that may be accessible online.
• Special issues of major journals in your field that are focused on important or emerging trends.
• Conference calls for papers, which often identify major topics in your field.

Your most important guides for putting together your POS, of course, will be members of your committee; you should work with each committee member as you determine the texts on your lists and your explanation of your fields in your rationales.

The description of the Major Field should aim to accomplish most of the following goals: 

• Your Major Field should be broadly rather than narrowly conceived. Typically, the Major Field will be an academic job category.   
• You should describe what you see as the important scholarly and/or critical questions in the field. What have been the issues, debates, questions, topics around which scholarship (books, essays, conferences) have been organized? How are these questions different or similar than earlier scholarly concerns?   
• It can be very useful to provide a brief history or overview of the field of study. In doing so, you can mention the defining works that have shaped scholarship in the field. If you have not included such work on your own reading list, you should explain why you have not done so. You should also describe shifts in methods, theoretical approaches, and canon that are crucial to the history of the field--again by making explicit reference to important scholarly work.   
• You should define the parameters of your field--whether these parameters are chronological, generic or conceptual. For more established major fields (eg. Victorian Literature or Classical Rhetoric), you may have less to explain but you should still articulate the rationale that guides your understanding of the field and your own choices of reading. For fields that are less established and/or do not follow more conventional assignations, it will be more important for you to articulate your rationale for defining the field and its parameters, methods and canon. Recognizing that your reading lists cannot be comprehensive, explain the primary basis on which you made the selections you did.   
• You may briefly mention how your reading list prepares you to teach courses in the major field of study and potentially other adjacent fields.  
• Separately and secondarily to your field descriptions (items B, C and D), you should write a few sentences suggesting where you think your own focus within the broader field will lie and point to particular choices in your reading lists that are relevant to this possible scholarly focus. 

The reading list should consist of between 75 and 85 works (primary and secondary) and should provide both coverage of the broad field as well as work that is crucial to your own specific interests within the larger field. 

The Graduate Studies Committee recommends that you include the entirety of the works you choose. Whenever possible, avoid fragments or edited selections, particularly from primary texts.

The reading list cannot include works of criticism authored by any member of your examination committee. 

A brief (500-700 word) description and rationale for the Minor Field or Fields of study and reading list. The Minor Field can be a supplement to the Major Field (eg. another academic job category); or it can partially overlap with the Major Field; or it can be a body of theory that is broader than the Major Field.  If you choose, you can select two Minor Fields. 

The description of the Minor Field(s) should accomplish the following goals:

• You should provide a description of what you see as the important scholarly and/or critical questions in the Minor Field(s). What have been the issues, debates, questions, topics around which scholarship (books, essays, conferences) have been organized? How are these questions different or similar than earlier scholarly concerns?   
• You should define the parameters of your Minor Field(s), whether these parameters are chronological, generic or conceptual. You should still articulate the rationale that guided your own choices of reading. Recognizing that your reading list cannot be comprehensive, explain the basis on which you made the selections you did.   
• Explain the relationship between your Major and Minor Fields. Have you selected your Minor Field because it complements your Major Field, and if so how? Have you chosen your Minor Field because it will provide training in a specialty relevant to your dissertation work, and if so how? Have you chosen it because it gives you pedagogical breadth? 

The reading list should consist of between 40 and 45 works (primary and secondary). For two Minor Fields, the lists should consist of between 22 and 25 works for each. 

The reading list cannot include works of criticism authored by any member of your examination committee.

• A draft of the Dissertation Prospectus must be submitted one week before the student begins the written portion of the Candidacy Exam. 
• A concise list of completed coursework for the MA/PhD organized by date of completion, including grades received. Please provide a one-sentence description of Independent Study projects. 
• A concise statement of teaching experience , including previous courses taught, plans for taking English 8903, and plans for future teaching in the department. 
• A concise timeline for your progress towards graduation. The timeline should be organized by year and semester, and it should indicate the projected dates for the completion of all PhD requirements, including coursework, language requirement, English 8903(s), Graduate Workshops, Candidacy Exam, Dissertation Prospectus, dissertation research and writing, submission of potential publications and/or fellowship applications, and the academic or nonacademic job-application process. 

The Final Program of Study must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee with a letter of endorsement from the student’s Chair for the Candidacy Exam Committee. The letter of endorsement should confirm that the student has worked with the entire committee to establish their Major and Minor Fields and the associated reading lists, as well as to confirm that the entire Committee has approved the POS. The letter should supplement the student’s own justification for the selections for their Major and Minor Fields as well as the choices they have made for their reading lists.

Candidacy Exam Information

Candidacy exam.

The candidacy examination must be taken no later than two semesters after the completion of required coursework. Students must register for English 8996 with the chair of the exam committee while preparing for the candidacy exam.

The candidacy exam consists of a take-home written portion and a two-hour oral portion. The Application for Candidacy must be filed with the Graduate School at least two weeks before the oral examination. The application can be filled out on the Graduate School's  forms webpage . The written portion is a three-day take-home exam, with an upper limit of no more than 5,000 words total. Failure to adhere to the word limit constitutes failure of the entire candidacy examination. No notes of any kind are permitted (i.e., no footnotes or endnotes), but in their answers to the exam questions, students should cite relevant primary and secondary works from their reading lists and use parenthetical citations.

• Written exam:  The written portion of the candidacy exam should address two questions, one of which is dedicated to the student's major field and one of which is dedicated to the student's minor field or fields. The questions are written by the student's exam chair in consultation with the other members of their committee. The questions are given to the student only at the time the written exam is administered. The written exam must be taken over a seventy-two hour period; it can be sent via email or picked up by 4 p.m. on the first day and turned in to the committee and the English Graduate Studies office via email by 4 p.m. on the last day of that period. Students may opt to start the exam on a Monday, Tuesday or Friday so that it is due in the English Graduate Studies office, respectively, the following Thursday, Friday or Monday. The student's answers should be prefaced by a copy of the questions set by the committee. 
• Oral exam:  The oral portion of the exam must follow no sooner than one week but within two weeks (i.e., 7-14 days) after the written portion is completed and turned in. The written exam should be regarded as the beginning of a discussion that will be continued during the oral exam. Prior to the oral, the student should meet with the candidacy exam chair to clarify expectations for the oral exam; at this meeting, it is expected that the chair will ask a few sample questions to assist the student with their preparations. The oral exam lasts two hours, and it covers both the candidate's major field and minor field or fields. The chair of the committee should ensure that at least 60 minutes are devoted to the major field. The final 30 minutes of the exam can include a discussion of the draft dissertation prospectus.

Candidacy Exam Format

Candidacy exams can be held  on-campus ,  remotely  or  in a hybrid form . Students and faculty can choose the format that works best for the examinee and their committee.  There is no need to file a petition for remote or hybrid exams.

The Candidacy Examination Committee consists of four faculty members, chaired by a member of the graduate faculty who holds "P" status (typically, a tenured associate or full professor). The student selects the members of her or his committee in consultation with the chair. The committee must include faculty representation for both the major field and the minor field or fields. Typically, this will mean two faculty members representing the major field and two faculty members representing the minor field, or two faculty members representing the major field and one faculty member representing the first minor field and one faculty member representing the second minor field. Only in unusual circumstances should a faculty member represent both the major and a minor field for the purposes of the candidacy exam. The committee meets with the student prior to the exam to discuss the reading lists for the major and minor fields.

Students are responsible for distributing the following materials to all members of the Committee at least one week before the written exam:

• The draft Dissertation Prospectus.

Students are responsible for distributing the following materials to all members of the Committee at least one week before the oral exam :

• The Final Program of Study
• The written exam; the student's answers should be prefaced by a copy of the questions set by the committee. 
• The student's Major Field and Minor Field or Fields reading lists (if updated from the POS)
• The official description of the Candidacy Exam; please refer faculty to the information on this page (optional).

Failure of the candidacy examination occurs if the committee considers either of the following to be the case:

• The written and/or oral portions of the exam indicated that the candidate is not ready to proceed to a dissertation, owing to insufficient knowledge of the field, 
• The candidate is insufficiently focused on a dissertation project, which makes it unlikely that they will be able to submit an approved prospectus within two months. In case of failure, the committee can specify the nature of a repeat examination, but it, too, must contain a written and an oral portion. A second failure means dismissal from the PhD program (see Graduate School Handbook).

A successful pass must be a unanimous decision of the committee. The chair of the committee is required to submit a written report on the candidacy examination to the director of Graduate Studies. Failure, in whole or in part, may occur if any one member of the committee is not satisfied with the results. In the case of failure, each individual faculty member of the committee may specify areas or material on which a re-examination must take place and so instruct the student. The chair of the committee will then submit a written account of what will be required of the student to repeat the exam. The Graduate School will assign an outside representative for all second examinations.

If a candidate fails to complete the dissertation and final oral examination within five years after the candidacy examination, admission to candidacy is canceled. To be re-admitted to candidacy, the student must take a supplemental candidacy examination. The examination committee is comprised of the advisor and at least three other authorized graduate faculty members, and the examination must include a written and an oral portion that last approximately two hours. A graduate faculty representative is appointed if a prior unsatisfactory examination result is on record. All other rules pertaining to candidacy examination must be followed.  The supplemental examination will typically be tied to the student's dissertation and may consist of the presentation and oral defense of a chapter or a substantial part of a chapter. In short, the purpose of requiring the supplemental examination is not to punish the student but to help move them along to completion of the PhD and to ensure that they have kept up with the current scholarship in the field. On passing the supplemental examination, the student is readmitted to candidacy and must complete the dissertation and final oral examination within two years.

Dissertation

Dissertation prospectus process.

There are three steps in the dissertation prospectus process:

• The student presents a draft of the dissertation prospectus to their candidacy exam committee at least one week prior to the written portion of the exam.
• The student then presents a revised dissertation prospectus to their dissertation committee in a prospectus conference, typically no more than six weeks after the completion of the candidacy exam.
• The final step is for the following to be sent to the director of Graduate Studies and graduate program coordinator, typically no more than two weeks after the prospectus conference:  student : please send a copy of the final version of the dissertation prospectus, and dissertation chair : please send a confirmation that the prospectus has been approved by the dissertation committee. 

Dissertation prospectus content

The Dissertation Prospectus should:

• State the problem that the candidate proposes to solve;
• Explain the significance of the project and its relation to current scholarship in the field;
• Describe the candidate's current knowledge of the subject;
• Indicate the direction the candidate's investigation will take;
• Reflect the candidate's familiarity with relevant bibliographical materials and critical methods.

Students and faculty should keep in mind that the prospectus is a preliminary project, not a mini-dissertation. It is meant to help students move on to the dissertation writing stage of their programs. Typically, the prospectus should be no longer than eight to twelve double-spaced pages, plus a working bibliography.

Dissertation committee

The dissertation committee consists of three faculty members, chaired by a faculty member who holds "P" status (typically, a tenured associate or full professor). This committee is constituted separately from the candidacy exam committee and can include faculty members who did not serve on the examination committee.

Prospectus conference

The prospectus conference is a meeting of the student and all members of their dissertation committee to discuss the revised prospectus and the student's plans for researching and writing the dissertation. The prospectus conference also provides an opportunity for the student and the committee to set guidelines for their working relationship.

Because graduate students pursue a wide range of research and writing projects in the Department of English, there are no department-wide guidelines for the dissertation. Students should work with their advisors and committees to determine the relevant parameters for projects in their specific fields and areas of interest.

Finalizing the dissertation manuscript

All doctoral candidates must submit the final draft of the dissertation electronically; students are no longer required to submit a final paper copy to the Graduate School. However, hard copies of the dissertation are still required for distribution to the student's committee and to the outside representative. For more details about the electronic submission process, including how to delay internet dissemination of the dissertation (strongly recommended) and how to format the dissertation, visit the Graduate School website.

Final approval

Final approval of the dissertation cannot occur until the final oral examination has been passed. Each dissertation committee member must sign the Final Approval Form. This form must be submitted no later than one week before commencement.

Students should be aware that the deadlines imposed by the Graduate School do not always allow enough time for their committees to evaluate their work.  Most committees will need to have a complete draft of the dissertation at least two or more months before all formal requirements are met, so that sufficient time for revision will be assured. A student who does not present a draft of the dissertation until the semester of anticipated graduation may encounter obstacles and delays. No faculty member is obliged to sign the Draft Approval Form until they are satisfied that the work is ready for scrutiny at the final oral examination.

General Information

This two-hour examination is held after the dissertation committee has approved the dissertation by signing the Draft Approval Form, available from the Graduate School. The Draft Approval Form must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than two weeks before the date of the final oral examination. At the time the student submits the Draft Approval Form, they must also present a hard copy of the approved dissertation draft to both the Graduate School (for the purposes of format check) and the dissertation committee members.

The oral examination deals intensively with the candidate's field of specialization and need not be confined exclusively to the dissertation defense. A successful examination is one that is awarded a "pass" by the entire examining committee, including the outside representative, who is appointed by the Graduate School. This representative must receive a hard copy of the approved dissertation draft at least one week in advance of the examination.

Final Oral Exam Format

Final oral exams can be held  on-campus ,  remotely  or  in a hybrid form . Students and faculty can choose the format that works best for the examinee and their committee.  There is no need to file a petition for remote or hybrid exams.

Time limits for candidacy

If a candidate fails to complete the dissertation and final oral examination within five years after the candidacy examination, admission to candidacy is canceled. To be re-admitted to candidacy the student must take a supplementary candidacy examination. This supplementary examination will typically be tied to the student's dissertation and may consist of the presentation and oral defense of a chapter or a substantial part of a chapter. In short, the purpose of requiring the supplemental candidacy examination is not to punish the student but to help move them along to completion of the PhD and to ensure that they have kept up with the current scholarship in the field. On passing the supplementary candidacy examination, the student is re-admitted to candidacy and must complete the dissertation and final oral examination within two years.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

The Department of English makes every attempt possible to provide funding to students who are admitted to the MA/PhD program. The number of years of funding is based on whether the student is admitted with a bachelor’s or master’s degree.  Funding is renewed on a yearly basis as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress.

• Graduate Teaching Associateships : Departmental funding is most often in the form of a Graduate Teaching Associateship, for which the student receives a stipend of at least $21,000 for the nine-month academic year. The Department of English also subsidizes 85% of the student health insurance premiums and provides a tuition waiver for all GTAs. Students are responsible for the COTA bus, student activity, Student Union and Recreation Center fees. Students on GTA appointments teach one course per term during the regular academic year.
• Graduate School Fellowships : In addition to the funding provided by the Department of English, the Graduate School awards  University and Enrichment Fellowships  on a competitive basis to students who are new to graduate education at Ohio State. The Department of English's admissions committee submits nominations to the Graduate School’s competition, and a selection committee reviewing nominations from across all graduate programs in the university awards the fellowships. Students may not apply directly for fellowship support. Each graduate program has a limited number of students who may be nominated for fellowship consideration. All Graduate School fellowships provide a monthly stipend, academic tuition and fees and a subsidy of 85% of the student health insurance premiums. These fellowships are nonrenewable and may not be deferred.

Application materials

The application form for Autumn 2023 will open on September 1, 2022. Submit all of the following items electronically through the  Graduate Admissions Office :

• Application form  and  fee.
• Three letters of recommendation  (preferably from faculty members): Please have your recommenders submit letters electronically using the link that will be provided when you select this option in the online application.  Please note that your recommenders will receive an email from the university 1-3 days after you submit your application and they should follow the instructions in that email for uploading their letters. Letters that arrive within a week of the application deadline will be accepted.
• Transcripts or record of marks  for each university-level school attended (transfer credit from another institution appearing on the same transcript is not sufficient): please visit the transcript information available on the Office of Graduate and Professional  Admissions website for more information. Send transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions; do not send transcripts to the Department of English. Include English translation of each of any foreign documents. Please do not send transcripts of course work taken at Ohio State as the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions will obtain them directly from the Office of the University Registrar (at no cost to you).
• Personal statement  (one to two single-spaced pages) that describes your background in English studies and your purpose in pursuing graduate work; this statement should address both your scholarly interests and your interest and/or experience in teaching.
• Writing sample:  A short essay or portion of a longer work is appropriate. This essay should demonstrate your abilities as a critical reader of a literary or related text, as well as your ability to use current scholarly sources; it is the most important part of the application. Applicants should submit a clean copy of the sample (i.e., not a copy that includes an instructor's comments).
• Curriculum vitae /resume  of no more than two pages with a clearly stated sentence at the beginning of the CV that declares your scholarly area of interest(s), for example: American literature and queer theory, 18th-century poetry or postcolonial theory and women writers.

Please note : As of autumn 2018, the Department of English at Ohio State  no longer requires GRE scores  for applications to its PhD or MFA programs. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

All admissions to the integrated MA/PhD and PhD programs are made for autumn semester only; the application deadline for students who wish to start the program in Autumn 2024 is December 4, 2023. The Graduate and Professional Admissions office has a slightly earlier deadline for international applications: November 27, 2023. The application for 2024 will open on September 1, 2023.

Students must apply online and submit all materials (Graduate Admissions and Department requirements) electronically through the  Office of Graduate Admissions .  Please note that your recommenders will receive an email from the university 1-3 days after you submit your application and they should follow the instructions in that email for uploading their letters. Letters that arrive within a week of the application deadline will be accepted.

The Graduate Admissions Committee for the Department of English will accept applications to the integrated MA/PhD program from students with a bachelor's degree in English or a minimum of 40 quarter hours (27 semester hours) of English coursework from an accredited college or university. They will also accept applications from students with an MA degree in English from an accredited college or university. Course work in a second language is preferred (20 quarter hours or 15 semester hours) but not required. Students with an MA degree in another field will ordinarily be considered in the same group of students who apply to the program with a bachelor's degree in English. 

International applicants who have completed an English MA in a language other than English will also ordinarily be considered in the same group of students who apply to the program with a bachelor's degree in English. For more information, please visit  International Applicants: Additional Information .

The Graduate School requires that those admitted have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4 (where 4.0=A) and at least a 3.0 on all previous graduate work. Our departmental criteria are higher. Normally, applicants should have a GPA of at least 3.4 overall and 3.6 in English courses (undergraduate or graduate).

PhD program applicants should also understand that the Graduate Admissions Committee decides to admit or reject by looking carefully at each student's record as a whole — at the profile that emerges from the transcripts, the letters of recommendation, the writing sample and the personal statement — rather than by applying a pre-established formula of admissible grades.

By Amanpal Garcha, associate professor and director of Graduate Studies

English admissions process

After receiving applicants’ admission materials, we almost immediately categorize each applicant according their primary areas of research interest. We then send all the applications to the appropriate teaching area groups to allow faculty in those area groups to determine which applicants are best qualified and best suited to study here.

Here’s how that process works. I look at each application; if an applicant declares that they are interested in feminist criticism as well as Renaissance literature, that applicant’s materials goes to our gender studies faculty and our Renaissance faculty. Similarly, if an applicant expresses their intention to study rhetoric, that applicant’s materials go to our rhetoric faculty; and if an applicant wishes to study postcolonial literature, that application goes to our US ethnic and postcolonial group.

By some time in February, the area groups make their final decisions as to their top applicants, and in March, we notify applicants of their admission status and any offers of financial aid.

There are two points I’d like to emphasize that follow from our process: 

• It’s very much to an applicant’s benefit if they can articulate a clear intention to focus in a particular era of literature or on a particular area of English studies.  As the above suggests, we are not really set up to evaluate students who are interested in English generally – our process works to find students who wish to focus their energies on a particular set of literary texts or on a particular approach to literary or cultural study.
• Each area group will be able to admit only a few students – possibly as few as one or two.

Writing the personal statement

The name 'personal statement' is unfortunately a misleading one for the kind of document that applicants should prepare, but as it is term that English departments commonly use, we’ve chosen to keep it. Really, the document is less a 'personal statement' and more a statement of an applicant’s academic and intellectual background and of their academic goals for graduate study. Given what I outlined above about our particular admissions process, it is a document that is often most effective when it lays out an applicant’s intention to study a particular area – and the reasons why the applicant wishes to study that area.

Still, this statement might not be solely focused on the applicant’s research intentions. Our faculty will want to know some of the courses applicants took as undergraduate or graduate students and how those courses helped the applicant develop a good background for study in English. They may also wish to know what non-academic experiences helped develop applicants’ intentions to do research. Finally, they will be interested in any major research work applicants have already completed, whether that work took the form of a thesis, a presentation or a substantial essay for a course.

Often, personal statements end with applicants’ articulation of what they would like to study in graduate school, some of the research methods they might use and the reasons why Ohio State is an appropriate place for them to do their work.

Selecting a writing sample

As our guidelines state, we require a 10-20 page paper as a writing sample. There are several reasons why we require a writing sample. The most important reason has to do with the degree requirements for our graduate program: because almost all of our graduate classes ask students to complete long research papers and because the ultimate requirement for the PhD — the dissertation — is a long-term writing project, we need to be sure that our students already possess the ability to write an academic paper that is clear, rigorous, well researched and original. There are other reasons, too: almost all of our students will be teaching academic writing, so we wish to ensure they have a good writing skills, for instance.

Again, because applications are assessed by the area groups, it’s to an applicant’s advantage that they submit a writing sample that is fairly closely associated with the area of study on which they wish to focus. The topic of the writing sample does not have to be an exact match: an applicant in rhetoric, for instance, might gain admittance if they submit an essay about a film — but almost certainly, the essay would have to use rhetorical analysis in interpreting the film. A Renaissance applicant who submits an essay on medieval literature might be successful — but a Renaissance applicant who submits an essay on twentieth-century American literature might have a harder time.

Because each area group can only select a few applicants for admission, they are usually very rigorous in their assessments of writing samples. Generally, a successful writing sample shows that the applicant can use recent (or fairly recent) critical essays in the field to support and refine their argument and shows that the applicant can persuasively advance an original thesis.

For questions that can't be answered by the information above, the English Graduate Studies Office can be reached by email ([email protected]) or phone (614-292-7919).

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What is a master's degree in translation and interpreting.

A master's degree in translation and interpreting is a graduate-level academic program designed to provide students and working professionals with advanced training in the fields of translation and interpreting. The New York University SPS MS in Translation and Interpreting online program is intended for students with proficiency in at least one language in addition to English and who seek to develop specialized skill sets in translating written texts and interpreting spoken communication.

What can you do with a Master’s (MS) in Translation and Interpreting?

Once you've completed your MS in Translation & Interpreting, available jobs range from translation and localization to publishing and project management. Whether in law, finance, advertising, or intergovernmental agencies, the great need for translators is creating rewarding freelance and employment opportunities.

What languages are in high demand for translators?

Translators are in high demand across many languages given the global market for these professionals. The MS in Translation & Interpreting is open to applicants who wish to study translation from any language into English. The curriculum features terminology, research, revision, technology, and professionalization skills along with language-specific guidance.

Do translators need a Master’s degree?

Having a Master’s degree sets you apart and shortens the path to success in this rewarding career. Almost half of translators and interpreters surveyed by the American Translators Association hold master’s degrees. The MS in Translation & Interpreting program prepares its students for dynamic careers as highly skilled translators and language specialists.

How can I prepare for the ATA Certification Exam through this program?

Many of our students take the American Translators Association (ATA) Certification Exam , which is a 3-hour test-based credential and an advantageous addition to your resume. By the end of the MS in Translation & Interpreting program, graduates translate at a level that meets the ILR skill descriptions for professional performance.

What is the difference between translation and interpreting?

Translators work with written texts, while interpreters work with the spoken word. Students benefit from exposure to both practices, even though most professionals specialize in either translation or interpreting. In this program, students will master advanced strategies for translating complex documents and gain a foundation in the principles of interpreting.

How can I finance my degree? Are financial aid or scholarships available?

Options for financing the MS in Translation & Interpreting degree include Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), scholarships, private loan options, employer or veterans’ benefits, and New York University payment plans. We encourage students to explore the NYU SPS resources page on Graduate Financial Aid to find more information on financial aid and scholarships.

How does the MS in Translation and Interpreting at NYU differ from other programs?

The Master of Science in Translation and Interpreting at New York University was the first program to offer students a fully online degree in this discipline and has done so since 2012. We are also the only program to offer translation from any source language into English. Students will receive language-specific guidance in independent studies and the thesis project. We also designed the curriculum with the understanding that many translators and interpreters work in multiple language pairs. Our focus is on core skills in research, terminology, revision, technology, and professionalization to support translation from any language, along with the widest range of electives available.

What are the admission requirements for this online MS in Translation and Interpreting?

The NYU SPS Admissions team carefully weighs each component of your application during the admissions review process to evaluate your ability to benefit from and contribute to the dynamic learning environment and the challenging curriculum that the NYU School of Professional Studies offers. Visit the NYU SPS Graduate Application Requirements and Deadlines page for additional information about our admission requirements. Applicants to the MS in Translation and Interpreting should also take the ACTFL Proficiency Test . 

How long does it take to complete the online MS in Translation and Interpreting?

The NYU SPS MS in Translation and Interpreting program usually takes three semesters to complete as a full-time student and two to four years to complete as a part-time student.

Is it worth doing a Master of Science in Translation and Interpreting?

A Master’s degree is the gold standard credential in the language professions. The decision to pursue a Master of Science in Translation and Interpreting depends on your career goals and interests. Meet with professionals in the field and current students to gather insights and learn how completing an online graduate program in translation and interpreting can help you fulfill your aspirations.

Can translators make a lot of money?

Translators' wages vary depending on several factors such as the specialization in which they work and their experience, work structure (freelance vs. salaried), and clientele. For example, salaried professionals working in advertising or computer systems design make $91,390 to $106,540 per year on average, while those working in elementary schools or local government make $56,490 to $63,680 per year on average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Freelance language professionals can make into the six figures, according to the American Translators Association .

What language is most in demand for translation?

The demand for translation services can vary depending on factors such as geographic location, industries, and global economic trends. However, certain languages are consistently in high demand due to their widespread use in international business, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic are examples of in-demand languages for translation services. Translators in other languages can specialize and succeed as well. The NYU SPS program has trained students in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and many others, including languages of lesser diffusion.

Will artificial intelligence replace translators?

While AI technologies have made significant advancements in the digital age, they are not likely to replace human translators any time soon. This is because, unlike a professional human translator, AI struggles with nuance, cultural understanding, humor, and creative expression. The future of translation and the language services industry is likely a collaborative one, with human translators and AI working together to provide accurately translated content. The NYU MS in Translation & Interpreting program has integrated AI throughout the curriculum, including in particular the Core courses in Translation Technologies and The Language Professions and electives from Transcreation and Marketing Translation to Patent Translation to Post-Editing Machine Translation. The teaching of up-to-date technologies, including AI, is a key component of our program’s learning outcomes. We also hold events about AI in the Professions .

Is being a translator a stressful job?

Our faculty and students report that translation careers are joyful, creative, and rewarding. Being a translator can be challenging, and the level of stress varies like any job, but translation is ultimately a fulfilling career that leverages your multilingual skills. Since many translators and interpreters are self-employed, you will also have options to take control of your career. The NYU Master’s program in Translation & Interpreting helps students track toward freelance or full-time employment based on your personal situation and preferences. 

How do I start a career in translation?

To start a career in translation, it's crucial to be fluent in at least two languages. From there, you can obtain a formal education to build your foundation and establish yourself as a professional in the field.

How many years does it take to become a translator?

The time it takes to become a translator can vary. Many translators start their profession by earning a bachelor's degree in any field and then pursue a Master’s degree in Translation & Interpreting to dive into a specialization of their interest.

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Your request has been submitted, department highlights, translating 'the beast within: humans as animals': interview with alison duncan, international product development manager & french to english translator, finding a place to rest: fostering brave spaces to find and utilize our voices, embracing every hue: liberating imposter syndrome, intersectionality, & borders through storytelling, press start to video game localization with marina ilari, translation and interpreting faculty member alejandra oliva publishes rivermouth: a chronicle of language, faith, and migration, pala academic director of continuing education jenny mcphee’s translation of elsa morante’s novel ‘lies and sorcery’ wins accolades, scribe at spirit week: the translated and queer/banned book expo, pala student bethany fisher pursues nyu sps master’s degree to help give a voice to marshallese people, ms in translation & interpreting student justin sergi publishes translation in asymptote, translators in the digital age: interview with faculty member elizabeth lowe, pala alum spotlight: mariam moustafa, ms in translation & interpreting, elizabeth hsu, ms in translation and interpreting graduate, selected as 2023 flag bearer, navigating peacekeeping and climate change through translation, ai in the professions: professional writing, translation, and the new face of content creation, pala faculty spotlight: barbara inge karsch, ms in translation & interpreting, ms in translation & interpreting student judith santos awarded the malkemes scholarship for fall 2022, take the next step.

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Doctorate in Philosophy Translation Studies and Specialization Canadian Studies

The School of Translation and Interpretation (STI) offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts in Translation Studies (MA), Master in Conference Interpreting (MCI) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Translation Studies.

Doctoral Program

The primary objective of the doctoral program in translation studies is to produce qualified scholars in the field for academic teaching and research.

The doctoral program will focus on:

• Theories, history and pedagogy of translation as inter-lingual and intercultural communication.
• Lexicology, terminology, and technologies as applied to translation.

Since translation is interdisciplinary, the doctoral program may collaborate with disciplines in other units such as Law, English, Canadian Studies, French, Modern Languages and Literatures, Linguistics, Philosophy, as well as the School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE). However, the administration of the program is the sole responsibility of the School of Translation and Interpretation.

This full-time program consists of four courses, a comprehensive exam, and a thesis.

The department participates in a collaborative program in Canadian Studies at the PhD level. For more information on this program, see “Admission Requirements.”

Because of its strength in relevant areas, its bilingual character and its location in the national capital, the University of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to offer a collaborative program leading to a specialization in Canadian Studies at the doctoral level. The program is especially designed for doctoral students in selected programs in the humanities and the social sciences who wish to enrich their training in a particular discipline by including an interdisciplinary component. 

Most seminars are bilingual, that is, they may be conducted in French or English. The student's research may be conducted not only on French and English, but also on a third language, subject to the conditions stipulated under "Additional Requirements".

The programs are governed by the  general regulations  in effect for graduate studies.

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the  specific requirements  webpage.

MA in Translation Studies or equivalent, with a minimum average of B+ (75%). Applicants are required to submit a one- or two-page summary of their proposed research project. Applicants are also required to respond to a questionnaire concerning their background preparation.

Students with a master's containing a translation component but which is not equivalent to a master's in translation studies may be considered for admission at the master's level, with the possibility of transferring into the doctoral program after four courses, if they obtain an average of A- (80%).

Students enrolled in the master's program in Translation Studies at the University of Ottawa who have obtained excellent results may exceptionally be admitted into the doctoral program without a master's thesis. Please note that the minimal admission average requirements for the doctoral program must also be met. To take advantage of this option, they must: a) obtain A- average in six master's courses, and b) submit a major research paper of about 30 pages ( TRA 7998 ). A committee will evaluate the research potential of the paper. Admission will be dependent on the availability of a thesis supervisor in the applicant's area of research interest.

Transfer from Master's to PhD

In exceptional circumstances, it is possible to transfer from the MA program at the School of Translation and Interpretation (STI) directly into the PhD program under the following conditions:

• Completion of the 3 mandatory MA courses, plus one more MA course, with a grade of A (85%) in each course;
• Completion of a 40-page research paper ( TRA 7998 ) under the supervision of a professor who is the potential PhD thesis supervisor;
• Written recommendation for transfer from the supervisor of the paper and from the Graduate Studies Committee.

The transfer must take place within sixteen months of initial enrollment in the master’s. Students permitted to transfer will complete a total of 8 courses (24 units), 6 courses while enrolled in the master’s and 2 while enrolled in the PhD. Following transfer, the following requirements must be met: 2 courses (6 units), the comprehensive exam, the thesis proposal and the thesis.

Language Requirements

Students must meet one of the following requirements:

• Proficiency in English and French. Knowledge of a third language will be an asset. or
• Proficiency in English and another language. In this case, a good passive knowledge of French is required. or
• Proficiency in French and another language. In this case, a good passive knowledge of English is required.

The School of Translation and Interpretation (STI) reserves the right to test the linguistic knowledge of applicants.

Admission Procedure

Applications for admission are reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Translation and Interpretation, and must also meet the general requirements in effect for graduate studies. In addition to completing our on-line application and paying the application fee to the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, students must also assemble all relevant documentation and forward the complete application package to the director of the School of Translation and Interpretation. Applications will not be processed without the application fee and the complete file.

To find the application deadline, please check the “program-specific requirements” under  Application Procedures and Information  at the following address:  www.grad.uottawa.ca/apply .

Collaborative Program

The School of Translation and Interpretation is a participating unit in the collaborative program in Canadian Studies (PhD level only). This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in Translation by including an interdisciplinary component in Canadian Studies. The seminar ( CDN 6520 or  CDN 6910 ) fits into the departmental course requirements and does not add to the number of courses required for the PhD in Translation Studies.

To be admitted to the program, students must be enrolled in or have successfully completed at least one graduate course in history with Canadian content. The mention "Specialization in Canadian Studies" will be added to the diploma of students who pass the seminar ( CDN 6520 or CDN 6910 ) and successfully defend a thesis on a Canadian topic in Translation.

Requirements for this program have been modified. Please consult the  2017-2018 calendars  for the previous requirements.

Doctoral Program in Translation Studies

These courses, chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor, may be taken in Translation and/or in other related fields.

Upon admission, one or two additional or substitute courses at the 5000 or 6000 level may, at the discretion of the STI, be added to complete the student's background.

Collaborative Program in Canadian Studies

Students enrolled in the collaborative program will be asked to meet both the requirements of their primary program and those of the collaborative program. The requirements of the collaborative program will serve as partial fulfillment of the requirements of their primary program.

Submission and successful defence of a thesis on a Canadian topic in the participating unit.

The proposed topic must be approved by both the participating unit and the Canadian Studies Graduate Committee. At least one of the examiners of the thesis must be a person chosen in consultation with the executive committee of the Institute of Canadian and Aboriginal Studies.

Before enrolling in  CDN 6520 , students must check to see whether this course can replace a 3-unit course in their primary program.  CDN 6520  is offered only in French.

The transfer must take place within 16 months of initial enrollment in the master’s. Students permitted to transfer will complete a total of 8 courses (24 units): 6 courses while enrolled in the master’s and 2 while enrolled in the PhD. Following transfer, the following requirements must be met: 2 courses (6 units), the comprehensive exam, the thesis proposal and the thesis.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 units), the thesis proposal, or whose research progress is deemed unsatisfactory are required to withdraw.

Duration of the Program

Students are expected to complete all requirements within four years. The maximum time permitted is six years from the date of initial enrollment in the program.

Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

During the first term of the program, a thesis advisory committee (TAC) is formed for the candidate. The Committee’s membership will be determined by the specific interests of the candidate. It will be composed of the supervisor and 2-3 additional professors. At least one member of the thesis committee, in addition to the supervisor, must be form the Faculty of Arts. The TAC is responsible for guiding the student throughout the program, including course selection, the comprehensive examination, thesis proposal, and thesis defense.

A meeting between the student and the Thesis Advisory Committee will take place at least once per term. The thesis examining board may include members who are not part of the TAC.

Research Fields & Facilities

Located in the heart of Canada’s capital, a few steps away from Parliament Hill, the University of Ottawa is among Canada’s top 10 research universities.

uOttawa focuses research strengths and efforts in four Strategic Areas of Development in Research (SADRs):

• Canada and the World
• Molecular and Environmental Sciences

With cutting-edge research, our graduate students, researchers and educators strongly influence national and international priorities.

Research at the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is proud of the state of the art research conducted by its professors. In the spirit of showcasing its research to the university community as well as to the general public, the Faculty has created three activities: Dean's Lecture Series, Treasures of the Library, and Excellence Lectures.

Facilities, Research Centres and Institutes at the Faculty of Arts

• Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française
• Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies
• Institute for Science, Society and Policy
• Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI)
• Morisset Library

For more information, refer to the list of faculty members and their research fields on Uniweb . 

IMPORTANT: Candidates and students looking for professors to supervise their thesis or research project can also consult the website of the faculty or department of their program of choice. Uniweb does not list all professors authorized to supervise research projects at the University of Ottawa.

TRA 5102 Translation Theory (3 units)

A critical and comparative survey of the many theoretical approaches to understanding translation. Structuralist, descriptive, functionalist models, cultural, postcolonial, feminist and sociological approaches, and an overview of systems theory perspectives.

Course Component: Seminar

TRA 5103 Computers and Translation (3 units)

Overview of advanced computational aids for human translation, with some hands-on practice (e.g. terminology management, desk-top publishing, grammar checking). Survey of machine and machine-aided translation. Analysis of machine translation output.

TRA 5106 Language and Translation (3 units)

A historical and more contemporary survey of the linguistic concepts that are of use in translation studies and related fields.

TRA 5116 Translation Workshop (Chinese-English) (3 units)

An intensive advanced course in the translation of pragmatic texts from Chinese to English. Focus is on producing excellent English, the student second language.

TRA 5514 Terminologie transsystémique et documentation - bijuridisme et bilinguisme (3 crédits)

Volet : Séminaire

TRA 5515 Traduction législative et réglementaire de l'anglais vers le français I (3 crédits)

TRA 5524 Traduction judiciaire de l'anglais vers le français I - cours fédérales (3 crédits)

TRA 5534 Traduction juridique spécialisée de l'anglais vers le français I - valeurs mobilières (3 crédits)

TRA 5901 Histoire de la traduction / History of Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

Volet / Course Component: Séminaire / Seminar

TRA 5902 Théorie de la traduction / Translation Theory (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5903 Informatique et traduction / Computers and Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5904 Interprétation practice I / Interpretation Pactice I

Volet / Course Component: Théorie et laboratoire / Theory and Laboratory

TRA 5905 Lexicologie et terminologie et documentation / Lexicology, Terminology and Documentation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5906 Langue et traduction / Language and Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5908 Interpretation Practice II / Interprétation Practice II

TRA 5908S Formation pratique en interprétation II / Interpretation Practice II (2 crédits / 2 units)

TRA 5909 Pédagogie de la traduction / Didacting of Translator training (3 crédits / 3 units)

Volet / Course Component: Cours magistral / Lecture

TRA 5911 Interprétation judiciaire / Court Interpretation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5912 Traduction littéraire / Literary Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5913 Adaptation / Adaptation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5914 Terminologie juridique bilingue / Bilingual Legal Terminology (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5916 Atelier de traduction I / Translation Workshop I (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5917 Atelier de traduction II / Translation Workshop II (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5918 Atelier de traduction III / Translation Workshop III (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5919 Atelier de traduction IV / Translation Workshop IV (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5920 Études dirigées I / Guided Research I (3 crédits / 3 units)

Volet / Course Component: Recherche / Research

TRA 5921 Documentation de conférence I / Conference Documentation I (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5930 Études dirigées II / Guided Research (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5941 Advanced translation from Spanish into English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5942 Traduction avancée de l'espagnol vers le français (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5951 Interprétation consécutive de l'anglais vers le français / Consecutive Interpretation from English to French (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5952 Interprétation consécutive du français vers l'anglais / Consecutive Interpretation from French to English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5955 Documentation and Terminology for Spanish translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5970 Atelier d'interprétation consécutive de l'anglais vers le français / Consecutive Interpretation Workshop from English to French (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5971 Atelier d'interprétation consécutive de français vers l'anglais / Consecutive Interpretation Workshop from French to English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5972 L'interprétation en français / Interpretation Into French (3 crédits / 3 units)

36 heures de formation pratique en laboratoire d'interprétation. Les candidats interprètent des discours prononcés au Parlement canadien ou à l'occasion de congrès ou réunions de l'administration fédérale et d'autres instances. L'enseignant fournit une rétroaction et des conseils sur les prestations des étudiants en prévision de l'examen final. Les discours choisis portent sur de nombreux thèmes, car une fois sur le marché du travail, les candidats seront appelés à interpréter dans une diversité de domaines. / 36 hours of practical training in a laboratory setting. Candidates interpret actual speeches delivered in Parliament and during federal government and other conferences/meetings, with the instructor providing feedback and advice individually and to the group in preparation for the final (diploma) examination. Many subject areas are covered, since candidates will be expected to interpret in a variety of fields once they are in the labour market.

TRA 5973 L'interprétation en anglais / Interpretation Into English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 5998 Promotion examination / Promotion Examination

TRA 6102 Discourse and Translation (3 units)

A survey of conceptual models for the production, interpretation and reception of discourse as applied to translation. Enunciation, narration, argumentation. Pragmatics and sociocultural aspects of discourse.

TRA 6106 Technical and Other Specialized Translation (3 units)

This is an advanced course in technical and specialized translation into students' first language - from English to Chinese. It hones skills in translation, terminology, information-mining. (English-Chinese)

TRA 6111 Research Methods in Translation Studies (3 units)

Course covers research methods in translation studies

TRA 61111 Research Methods in Translation Studies (Part 1 of 2)

Course covers research methods in translation studies (Part 1 of 2)

TRA 61112 Research Methods in Translation Studies (Part 2 of 2) (3 units)

Course covers research methods in translation studies. (Part 2 of 2)

Prerequisite: TRA 61111

TRA 6515 Traduction législative et réglementaire de l'anglais vers le français II (3 crédits)

TRA 6516 Traduction et révision juridique et parajuridique de l'anglais vers le français (3 crédits)

TRA 6524 Traduction judiciaire de l'anglais vers le français II - cour suprême (3 crédits)

TRA 6534 Traduction juridique spécialisée de l'anglais vers le français II - prospectus (3 crédits)

TRA 6535 Traduction juridique spécialisée de l'anglais vers le français III - fusions et acquisitions (3 crédits)

TRA 6902 Discours et traduction / Discourse and Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

Panorama des notions de linguistique pertinentes pour l'étude de la traduction, ainsi que de concepts et modèles permettant la production, l'interprétation et la réception du discours dans l'optique de la traduction. Énonciation, narration, argumentation. Pragmatique et sociocritique du discours. / A survey of relevant linguistic notions for the study of translation, as well as conceptual models for the production, interpretation and reception of discourse as applied to translation. Enunciation, narration, argumentation. Pragmatics and sociocultural aspects of discourse.

TRA 6903 Traduction automatique / Machine Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

Prerequisite: TRA 5903

TRA 6905 Lexicologie, terminologie appliquée / Applied Lexicology and Terminology (3 crédits / 3 units)

Préalable: TRA 5905 / Prerequisite: TRA 5905 or permission of the professor.

TRA 6906 Traduction technique et spécialisée / Technical and Other Specialized Translation (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6907 Théorie de l'interprétation / Interpretation Theory (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6908 Lectures dirigées I / Guided Readings I (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6910 Stage / Practicum (3 crédits / 3 units)

Volet / Course Component: Stage / Work Term

TRA 6911 Méthodologie de la recherche traductologique / Research Methods in Translation Studies (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 69111 Méthodologie de la recherche traductologique (Partie 1 de 2) / Research Methods in Translation Studies (Part 1 of 2)

TRA 69112 Méthodologie de la recherche traductologique (Partie 2 de 2) / Research Methods in Translation Studies (Part 2 of 2) (3 crédits / 3 units)

Prerequisite: TRA 69111 .

TRA 6912 Stage / Practicum (3 crédits / 3 units)

Intégration et application des acquis théoriques et méthodologiques à une expérience pratique dans un milieu professionnel où l'espagnol est l'une des langues de travail. Le stage, d'une durée de 25 jours ouvrables, se déroule sous la direction d'un professionnel de la traduction et doit être approuvé par l'ÉTI. Pour les modalités du stage, s'adresser à l'ÉTI. / Integration and application of theoretical and methodological knowledge to practical work in a professional environment where Spanish is one of the working languages. The practicum, which consists of 25 working days, is supervised by a translation professional and must be approved by the STI.

Préalable : avoir réussi tous les cours obligatoires du programme. / Prerequisite: successful completion of all the compulsory courses in the program.

TRA 6913 Thèmes choisis / Special Topics (3 crédits / 3 units)

Lectures et analyse critique sur un thème choisi en collaboration avec le professeur responsable. / Readings and critical analysis on a topic chosen in collaboration with the professor.

TRA 6920 Études dirigées III / Guided Research III (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6930 Études dirigées IV / Guided Research IV (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6941 Advanced Translation from English Into Spanish (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6942 Traduction avancée du français vers l'espagnol (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6950 Interprétation simultanée de l'anglais vers le français / Simultaneous Interpretation from English to French (3 crédits / 3 units)

Préalables: TRA 5951 , TRA 5970 / Prerequisites: TRA 5951 , TRA 5970

TRA 6951 Interprétation simultanée du français vers l'anglais / Simultaneous Interpretation from French to English (3 crédits / 3 units)

Préalables: TRA 5952 , TRA 5971 / Prerequisites: TRA 5952 , TRA 5971

TRA 6952 Documentation de conférence II / Conference Documentation II (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6961 Specialized Translation from Spanish to English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6962 Specialized Translation from English to Spanish (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6963 Traduction spécialisée de l'espagnol vers le français (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6964 Traduction spécialisée du français vers l'espagnol (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6970 Atelier d'interprétation simultanée de l'anglais vers le français / Simultaneous Interpretation Workshop from English to French II (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6971 Atelier d'interprétation simultanée de français vers l'anglais / Simultaneous Interpretation Workshop from French to English (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6980 Séminaire de recherche I / Research Seminar I (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6981 Séminaire de recherche II / Research Seminar II (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6982 Séminaire de recherche III / Research Seminar III (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6983 Séminaire de recherche IV / Research Seminar IV (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 6984 Courants actuels en traductologie I / Developments in Translation Studies I (3 crédits / 3 units)

Exploration des plus récents développements en traductologie dans la double optique des sciences humaines et des études interculturelles. / An intercultural and humanities-based perspective on contemporary trends in Translation Studies.

TRA 6985 Courants actuels en traductologie II / Developments in Translation Studies II (3 crédits / 3 units)

Perspectives actuelles en études traductologiques : aspects terminologiques, lexicologiques, technologiques et domaines connexes. / Trends in Translation Studies, with a focus on developments in terminology, lexicology, technology and related fields.

TRA 6998 Examen final / Final Exam

TRA 7011 Stage / Practicum (6 crédits / 6 units)

TRA 7012 Traduction dirigée / Supervised Translation (6 crédits / 6 units)

TRA 7013 Stage / Practicum (6 crédits / 6 units)

Stage supervisé en traduction ou terminologie espagnole d'une durée équivalente à 40 jours ouvrables dans un service de traduction ou de terminologie approuvé par l'ÉTI. Pour le détail des modalités, voir la feuille d'instructions distribuée par l'ÉTI. N.B. l'étudiant qui choisit ce stage ne pourra pas s'inscrire au stage de 3 cr. prévu parmi les cours au choix. Dans des cas très exceptionnels, l'équivalence pourra être accordée sur présentation d'un dossier de traductions (pour plus de détails, s'adresser à l'ÉTI. / Supervised practicum in Spanish translation or Spanish terminology lasting 40 working days in a translation or terminology service approved by the STI. For more details, please see the instruction sheet provided by the STI. N.B: The student who opts for this practicum cannot register for the 3 credit-practicum from among the optional courses. In highly exceptional cases, advanced standing can be granted upon presentation of a translation portfolio (for more details, please consult the STI).

Préalable : Réussir tous les cours ou obtenir la permission de l'ÉTI.

TRA 7195 Commented Translation (6 units)

A commented translation of not less than 5000 words, the exact length to be stipulated by the STI depending on the nature and difficulty of the text. The translation must be preceded by an introduction describing the text, the motivation for translating it and the translation approach used. It must be accompanied by a commentary demonstrating that the student has acquired the relevant theoretical and methodological background knowledge.Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory).

Course Component: Research

TRA 7196 Commented Terminology or Lexicography File (6 units)

Compilation of a term, lexeme or phrase file in two or more languages. The file must cover at least 15 concepts or 20 vocabulary items. It must be preceded by an introduction describing the motivation for the work, the methodology used and the subject field of the concepts or the vocabulary. It must be accompanied by a commentary demonstrating that the student has acquired the relevant theoretical and methodological background knowledge. Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory).

TRA 7197 Research Paper (6 units)

Research paper approximately 40 pages in length, focusing on a Translation Studies question chosen in consultation with the supervisor. Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory) by the supervisor and another professor in the program.

TRA 7911 Stage traduc. et termino. juri. / Stage traduc. et termino. juri. (6 crédits / 6 units)

TRA 7991 Traduction / Translation (9 crédits / 9 units)

TRA 7995 Traduction commentée / Commented Translation (6 crédits / 6 units)

Une traduction d'au moins 5 000 mots, dont la longueur exacte sera établie par l'ÉTI en fonction de la nature et du degré de difficulté du texte choisi. La traduction est précédée d'une introduction dans laquelle le candidat présente le texte ainsi que ses objectifs et sa méthode. Elle est accompagnée de commentaires qui doivent manifester des connaissances théoriques et méthodologiques pertinentes. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant). / A commented translation of not less than 5000 words, the exact length to be stipulated by the STI depending on the nature and difficulty of the text. The translation must be preceded by an introduction describing the text, the motivation for translating it and the translation approach used. It must be accompanied by a commentary demonstrating that the student has acquired the relevant theoretical and methodological background knowledge. Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory).

TRA 7996 Fichier terminologique ou lexicographique commenté / Commented Terminology or Lexicography File (6 crédits / 6 units)

Constitution d'un fichier terminologique, lexicographique ou phraséologique bilingue ou multilingue et commenté. Ce fichier, comportant au moins 15 notions ou 20 entrées, est précédé d'une introduction dans laquelle le candidat présente ses objectifs, sa méthode et le domaine d'application. Il est accompagné de commentaires qui doivent s'appuyer sur des connaissances théoriques et méthodologiques pertinentes. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant). / Compilation of a term, lexeme or phrase file in two or more languages. The file must cover at least 15 concepts or 20 vocabulary items. It must be preceded by an introduction describing the motivation for the work, the methodology used and the subject field of the concepts or the vocabulary. It must be accompanied by a commentary demonstrating that the student has acquired the relevant theoretical and methodological background knowledge. Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory).

TRA 7997 Mémoire / Research Paper (6 crédits / 6 units)

Mémoire d'environ 40 pages portant sur une question choisie en consultation avec le directeur. Noté S (satisfaisant) ou NS (non satisfaisant) par le directeur et un autre professeur du programme. / Research paper approximately 40 pages in length, focusing on a Translation Studies question chosen in consultation with the supervisor. Graded S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not satisfactory) by the supervisor and another professor in the program.

TRA 7998 Travail de recherche / Research Paper (6 crédits / 6 units)

TRA 8901 Séminaire de recherche en traduction / Translation Studies Seminar (3 crédits / 3 units)

TRA 8902 Études dirigées (PhD) / Guided Research (PhD) (3 crédits / 3 units)

Permission du Département est requise. / Permission of the Department is required.

TRA 9996 Examen de synthèse / Comprehensive Examination

Lecture et analyse d'une liste de lectures fondamentales en traductologie et domaines connexes. Examen écrit. / Reading and analysis of a list of fundamental readings in TS and related domains. Written exam.

TRA 9997 Soutenance de projet de thèse / Defence of Thesis Project

Préparation d'un projet de thèse présentant les éléments de base (objectifs, littérature, méthodologie) de la recherche proposée. Examen oral. / Preparation of a thesis proposal outlining the basic elements (objectives, literature, methodology) of the proposed research. Oral exam.

CDN 6520 Séminaire sur la francophonie canadienne (3 crédits)

Séminaire sur des thèmes se rapportant à la francophonie canadienne, particulièrement les francophones vivant en situation minoritaire.

CDN 6910 Séminaire en études canadiennes / Seminar in Canadian Studies (3 crédits / 3 units)

Séminaire interdisciplinaire bilingue sur des sujets se rapportant au Canada. Les thèmes seront choisis en consultation avec les unités participantes, en tenant compte du nombre d'étudiants, de l'orientation de leur recherches et celles des unités participantes. / Bilingual interdisciplinary seminar on issues related to the study of Canada. Tipics to be selected in consultation with participating units, taking into consideration the number of students, their research interests and those of the participating units.

Undergraduate Studies

For more information about undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your faculty .

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

For more information about graduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your academic unit .

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The Graduate Certificate in Languages and Culture Studies: Translation and Interpreting Studies focuses on the following language pair: Spanish-English.  It is designed for Early Entry, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and post-graduate students.  Students typically complete the required 12 graduate credit hours in 2-3 semesters, and may begin the program in either the Fall or Spring semester.

Students in the certificate program study the history, theory, methodology, and profession of translation and interpreting; work intensively in the analysis of different types of written and oral discourse; become familiar with computer-assisted translation, sight translation, simultaneous and consecutive interpreting; and develop advanced post-editing skills.  Graduate level coursework may also include special topics courses in translation and interpreting and up to 3 credit hours of professional internship credit in translating and interpreting.  Translating and interpreting is done in both directions of the language pair: Spanish ↔ English.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply for admission to the Graduate School and must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75.  Applicants will generally have a baccalaureate degree in Spanish, or in a closely related area that requires sufficient upper-division coursework in that language (e.g., for Spanish, Latin American Studies, International Studies, International Business), or an undergraduate degree, certificate, or minor in translation.

Applicants are required to submit:

• A well-developed essay in English that addresses the applicant’s motivation for enrolling in the Graduate Certificate
• Three letters of reference (from professors, specialists in translation, and/or employers, preferably in the field)
• An oral interview with the Graduate Program Director
• A sample of translations into or from the language pair selected (with original text to accompany each translation submitted)
• Official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (International Students only)

Note:  Students interested in adding this Graduate Certificate to the M.A. in Spanish must apply separately for the certificate program.  One application does not cover both programs.  GRE scores are not required.

Early Entry Program

Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may apply for the Early Entry Program and begin work toward the graduate degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree.  See the Undergraduate Catalog for details and requirements.  Also see the Degree Requirements and Academic Policies    section of the Graduate Catalog for more information about Early Entry Programs.

Certificate Requirements

Core courses (6 credit hours).

Select two of the following:

• INTE 6050 - Topics in Interpreting Studies (3)
• INTE 6601 - History, Theory, and Method of Interpreting (3)
• TRAN 6000 - Special Topics in Translation Studies (3)
• TRAN 6601 - History, Theory, and Method of Translation (3)
• TRAN 6602 - Linguistics for Translators (3)
• TRAN 6603 - Computer-Assisted Translating (3)
• TRAN 6604 - Translation Project Management (3)

Spanish-Specific Translation or Interpreting Courses (6 credit hours)

• INTE 6172 - Spanish-English Legal Interpreting (3)
• INTE 6174 - Spanish-English Medical Interpreting (3)
• INTE 6176 - Spanish-English Community Interpreting (3)
• TRAN 6472 - Workshop on Non-Literary Topics I (Business, Legal, Governmental) (3)
• TRAN 6474 - Workshop on Non-Literary Topics II (Medical and Technical) (3)
• TRAN 6476 - Workshop on Literary and Cultural Topics (3)

The group of four courses selected must include a minimum of one INTE course and one TRAN course.

Grade Requirements

A grade of A or B is required for each course.

Transfer Credit

Generally, only graduate courses taken at UNC Charlotte count toward the graduate certificate.  However, 3 credit hours of coursework may be considered for possible transfer into the certificate program if approved by the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Translation; and 9 of the 12 credit hours for the Graduate Certificate must be taken in residency.

Certificate Total = 12 Credit Hours

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The School of English at the University of Hong Kong offers full- and part-time research postgraduate programmes for the degrees of MPhil and PhD.

The School of English at HKU has an international academic staff and postgraduate student body, working in these areas:

• Literatures in English
• Cross-cultural Studies in English
• English Language and Linguistics

For PhDs, we would particularly encourage applications in the following areas:

• Postcolonial Literary Studies
• Cross-cultural Writing
• Law, Language and Literature
• Psycholinguistics, Phonetics, and Phonology
• Sociolinguistics, Discourse Analysis and Pragmatics
• Integrational Linguistics

Literary and cultural research in theoretical and textual studies in the School of English concentrates on work from the 16 th century through to the 21 st century. We have particular strengths in cross-cultural studies; post-colonial theoretical, literary and cultural studies; Hong Kong and other Asian literatures in English; literature and the law; and travel writing.

Most of the linguistic research going on in the School of English can be situated in the interdisciplinary areas of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis. Linguistic research in the School of English focuses on English language data. Specific areas of expertise include World Englishes, linguistic anthropology, the politics and ideology of language, language in workplace and institutional settings, language and the law, language and gender, cognitive sociolinguistics, second language acquisition, applied linguistics, phonetics and psycholinguistics.

Take a look at the staff profiles to learn more about individual scholars in the School. Staff members have indicated they are particularly interested in research proposals related to the following specific areas and topics of ongoing research:

You can click on the staff name to find more details.

Dr Anya Adair : Book History; Digital Humanities; Law And Literature; Legal History; Manuscript Studies; Medieval English Literature; Old English; Old Norse. Dr Ricky Chan : Experimental Phonetics; Forensic phonetics; Prosody; Psycholinguistics; Second language acquisition; Implicit and explicit language learning; English in Hong Kong. Dr Hanwool Choe : Discourse Analysis; Interactional Sociolinguistics; Digital Discourse; Language and Food; Multimodal Interaction; Family Communication, and Narrative. Dr Brandon Chua : 17th and 18th Century British Literature; Literature and Jacobitism; Critical Theory; History of Sexualities; Religion and Literature; History of the Novel; Shakespeare Adaptation Studies. Dr Anjuli Gunaratne : Global Anglophone and World Literature; Postcolonial Literature and Theory; Law and Literature; Literary and Critical Theory; Trauma Theory; Ecocriticism; Psychoanalysis. Dr Elizabeth Ho : Contemporary literature; Postcolonial theory and fiction; Neo-Victorian studies; Comics and graphic novels; Global literatures in English; Geo-humanities. Professor Christopher Hutton : Language and politics; Sociolinguistics; Language and law; History of linguistics. Professor Kendall Johnson : American literature, colonial through early-twentieth centuries; Native American literatures; race studies; Law and literature; Anthropology and literature; Visual aesthetics; Postcolonial theory; History of the novel; Transnational dimensions of the China Trade. Dr Brian King : Discourse analysis; Critical sociolinguistics; Gender; Sexuality; Linguistic landscapes; Health communication (particularly in relation to intersex and differences of sexual development). Professor Don Kulick : Interspecies communication; Disability studies; Language shift and language death; Language socialization; Language and sexuality; Queer studies; Sex work; Trans studies; Language and psychoanalysis; Melanesia. Professor Tong King Lee : Intercultural and nonverbal communication; East Asian Englishes; Translanguaging and translation. Dr Nicholas Luke : Shakespeare; Early modern literature; Drama; Literary theory; Religion and literature; Law and literature; Aesthetics. Dr Page Richards : Poetry; Creative writing; Life writing, drama; Interdisciplinary theatre practice. Dr Daniel Weston : Gatekeeping; Linguistics and education; Dialectology; Historical sociolinguistics; World Englishes. Dr Olga Zayts : Discourse analysis; (Interactional) Pragmatics; Conversation analysis; Intercultural communication; Professional communication (in particular, in healthcare and business contexts); Politeness; Identity; Leadership. Dr Nan Zhang : 19th and early 20th century British Literature; Global modernism; Cosmopolitan studies; History of political thought; Aesthetics and ethics; Economics

The next round of admissions is for the academic year 2024/25, with entry in September 2024. The deadline for submission of applications in the Main Round is 1 December 2023.

How do I apply? There are three application deadlines for MPhil or PhD studies: early December, end April, and end August. Most people apply in the first round, in December, when the majority of places are assigned. The second and third rounds, in April and August, are clearing rounds, and very few places are available at these times.

At present, successful applicants for the PhD programme can commence their studies on the first day of any calendar month. Most, however, prefer to start in September, at the start of the academic year. A September starting date also suits the department best, since studentship holders will be assigned their teaching duties at that time.

You can apply through the Graduate School website at https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospective_students/application/how_to_apply .

What about funding? Composition fees for full-time MPhil and PhD students, which are subject to revision, are currently HK$42,100 per year. Applicants for full-time study normally apply at the same time for a Postgraduate Studentship (HK$18,390 per month w.e.f. 1 September 2023). Studentship holders will be required to do up to 100 hours per year tutoring work, or research assistantship, in the School.

Where can I find out more? Full details about application and admission procedures, awards and financial assistance, and the amenities and services provided by the University, can be found at the Graduate School website .

In addition to the coursework programmes MA in English Studies (MAES) , the MFA in Creative Writing in English , and the MA in Creative Communications (MACC) , the School of English also accepts postgraduate students for research studies leading to the degrees of MPhil and PhD.

The MPhil and PhD are research degrees. Their chief component is the production of a scholarly thesis of original work in some area of English studies. Of the two, the PhD is the senior degree, requiring a more substantial thesis of publishable quality.

If you are thinking of applying to join our MPhil or PhD programme, you should begin by studying the information given here online. We also give important advice below about the application process, the qualifications needed, and the research proposal you must submit. In planning your research proposal, you should bear in mind the research strengths and interests of potential supervisors, shown below. You can also find out about our teaching staff and undergraduate teaching programmes .

All students in these programmes have to attend and pass certain courses offered by the Graduate School . They must also take a number of courses in the School, as well as writing their thesis.

Research students are assigned a supervisor, or sometimes two, to act as their advisor, help them plan their research project, meet for regular discussion of their work, and oversee and comment on their writing. MPhil students taking courses in the School will have regular contact with the teachers of those courses, and often postgraduates find other teachers (and students) in the School with whom they can discuss aspects of their work. Staff from the Graduate School offer instruction in research methods, thesis writing and other matters.

There is a regular School research seminar, at which staff and research students get together to share and discuss their work, and sometimes to hear distinguished visiting scholars. The School also has a Research Postgraduate Advisor who can offer further help and support. However, research degree students have to take responsibility for their own work. In the end, their success in the programme depends on their own resources of hard work, discipline and intellectual creativity.

The period of full-time study for MPhil students is 24 months, and for PhD students it is normally 48 months. In exceptional cases the School will accept students who wish to do research studies on a part-time basis.

Research students are from Hong Kong, but we also have international research students. In recent years they have come from Belgium, Canada, Iran, Japan, Macau, Mainland China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

What qualifications do I need?

Candidates for admission to our research programmes must have a good first degree in a relevant discipline from a reputable university. Normally, candidates are not admitted straight into PhD studies unless they have some research experience in a postgraduate programme. If you have a first degree from a university where the language of teaching and examination is not English, you must have obtained an overall score of 85 or above in the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language - Internet-based test - taken within 2 years) and a score of 25 or above in the Writing section. We also accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS - Academic Module - taken within 2 years) but you must have at least a score of 7 with no subtest lower than 6. You will be expected to have good academic references. Applicants for both MPhil and PhD studies are required to submit a research proposal (see below), and the School may ask for further information from you, in an interview or in writing.

This may not be enough! Entry is competitive and places are limited. Sometimes the School is not able to accept a well-qualified applicant because there are no places, or no appropriate supervision, available at the time.

What is required for the research proposal?

The research proposal for MPhil studies should be 1000-1500 words in length. Your proposal should present your idea for an MPhil research project, including a description of the project, why you think it is important, a literature review, and a bibliography. It should also include a brief account of how your academic background prepares you to complete this project and why you want to undertake your research at HKU. We understand that your proposal at this stage will be provisional, but it should show that you have some knowledge of the field, have started the relevant reading, and have a sense of the project’s methodology and the resources it will require. You should append a preliminary bibliography; the bibliography is not included in the word count.

The research proposal for PhD studies should be 1500-2500 words in length. It should outline a clearly considered and defined research topic, with an account of the research questions and methodology proposed, an explanation of the value and originality of the research, a chapter-by-chapter description, and a bibliography. The bibliography is not included in the word count.

If you have questions about research studies in the School of English that are not covered in the information above, you can direct them to the Postgraduate Advisor, Dr Daniel Weston , by e-mail at [email protected] .

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| 5.23.2024

Shruthi Kumar ’24, Senior English Address: “The Power of Not Knowing”

Amid divisions and uncertainties, finding “space for empathy, solidarity, and a willingness to listen”.

Return to main article:

As prepared for delivery. For Kumar’s additional remarks, please read the accompanying article .

The Power of Not Knowing

Today, we are celebrated for what we know. In fact, for most of our lives, we’ve learned to feel a sense of accomplishment from the awards, accolades, and honors that lined our childhood homes. How much we knew and how we leveraged it got us far. It got us here. But today, I want to convince you of something counterintuitive that I’ve learned from the Class of 2024: the power of not knowing.

I grew up in the Great Plains of Nebraska alongside cattle ranches and cornfields. As the eldest daughter of South Asian immigrants, I was the first in my family to go to college here in the US. There was a lot I didn’t know. When it came time, I asked my parents how to apply to colleges. They too said, “I don’t know.”

The words “I don’t know” used to make me feel powerless. Like there was no answer, and therefore, no way. As if I was admitting defeat.

From Nebraska to Harvard, I found myself redefining this feeling of not knowing. I discovered a newfound power in how much I didn’t know. I didn’t know a field called the “History of Science” even existed. I now find myself a graduate of the Department. In my freshman year of college, for the first time in my life, I was taught by a professor of color. A Historian of Science who made clear to me that history is just as much about the stories we don’t know as the stories we do.

In the History of Science, we often look for what is missing. What documents are not in the archives and whose voices are not captured in history? I’ve learned silence is rarely empty, often loud. What we don’t know can sometimes tell the most powerful story.

I learned this not only in the classroom, but also from the Class of 2024. In reflecting on our collective journey at Harvard, I’ve learned it's often the moments of uncertainty from which something greater than we could have ever imagined grows. Our class has experienced more than our fair share of the unknown.

Our first year, during COVID, we didn’t have Annenberg to meet 100 people in an hour and walk out remembering 5 names. We didn’t know what starting Harvard in the middle of a global pandemic would be like. So what did we do?Jefe’s became the new Annenberg, and we learned, in the midst of uncertainty, to connect differently, building quality over quantity in our friendships. In our sophomore year, Roe v. Wade was overturned and there was and still is, in many parts of the country, an omnipresent uncertainty in accessing reproductive healthcare. In our junior year, Harvard faced the Supreme Court and the decision to reverse affirmative action. Whether we realize it or not, we have been swimming in uncharted waters.

Which brings me to our senior year, a year on campus that has been marked by enormous uncertainty. In the fall, my name and identity alongside other black and brown students at Harvard was publically targeted. For many of us, students of color, doxxing left our jobs uncertain, our safety uncertain, our well-being uncertain.

Now, we are in a moment of intense division and disagreement in our community over the events in Gaza. I see pain, uncertainty, and unrest across campus. It’s now, in a moment like this, that the power of “not knowing” becomes critical.

Maybe we don’t know what it’s like to be ethnically targeted. Maybe we don’t know what it's like to come face to face with violence and death. But, we don’t have to know.

Solidarity is not dependent on what we know, because “not knowing” is an ethical stance. It creates space for empathy, solidarity, and a willingness to listen.

I don’t know – so I ask. I listen. I believe an important type of learning takes place, especially in moments of uncertainty, when we lean into conversations without assuming we have all the answers. Can we see humanity in people we don’t know? Can we feel the pain of people with whom we disagree?

As we graduate, what we know , our material knowledge, may not matter so much anymore. The truth is, it’s what we don’t know and how we navigate it that will set us apart moving forward.

Uncertainty is uncomfortable. But I encourage you to dive into the deep end of discomfort, and as you do, bring with you a Beginner’s mind, an ethic of not knowing.

As Emily Dickinson had said, “Not knowing when the Dawn will come, I open every Door.”

Thank you, and Congratulations Class of 2024!

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