Overview

The School of Modern Languages has particular research strengths in translation studies. Fields of research interest include: audiovisual translation; translation technologies (especially machine translation); media accessibility; translation history; literary translation (including poetry, drama, fiction, practice-oriented research); adaptation studies; and the ways in which translation is used and perceived by institutions and by civil society. Languages include Catalan, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

The School's translation activities benefit from extensive collaborations with outside institutions and networks, including the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies (APTIS). The Penguin Archive and the Theatre Collection, housed at the University, offer important resources for research in translation publishing and performance. The School also owns a Tobii eye tracker and a copy of iMotions software, which we use for data analysis in screen studies and translation process research.

We welcome applications from students wishing to pursue tailor-made research to master's or doctoral level in any of the above areas. Our postgraduates are fully integrated in a professionally and personally supportive departmental community. We encourage you to attend and give papers at School and University research events, as well as national and international conferences. Funding is available to support fieldwork and participation in external events. We support you in developing a full range of academic skills, including teaching.

Our research facilities foster interdisciplinary collaboration between all departments through research seminars and other events and include the Multimedia Centre: a specialist language centre comprising a language laboratory, media suite, a library of foreign films, newspapers and magazines, and an 18-seat screening room.

Programme structure

MPhil: a standalone, one-year (full-time) research degree. Students will undertake their own research project, concluding in the submission of a 25,000-word dissertation. Students may have the option to audit units from our taught master's programmes if they are relevant to their research.

PhD: a research project undertaken across three to four years (full-time), culminating in an 80,000-word thesis. As well as having the option to audit taught units, there may be the potential for PhD students to teach units themselves from their second year of study onwards.

The MPhil and PhD can be studied via distance learning.

Entry requirements

MPhil: An upper second-class degree or international equivalent. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of your readiness to pursue a research degree.

PhD: A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent). Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study.

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

Go to admissions statement

If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.

Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.

Fees and funding

UK: full-time
£4,758 per year
UK: part-time
£2,379 per year
Overseas: full-time
£20,700 per year

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.

More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.

Alumni discount

University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.

Funding for 2024/25

The University of Bristol is part of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (SWW DTP), which will be offering studentships for September 2024. For information on other funding opportunities, including University-funded studentships, please see the Faculty of Arts funding pages.

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.

Career prospects

Graduates from this programme have progressed to careers in higher education or have gone on to work on high-level research projects in the field of translation. Some graduates take up careers in freelance translating and interpreting.

Meet our supervisors

The following list shows potential supervisors for this programme. Visit their profiles for details of their research and expertise.

marianne.ailes@bristol.ac.uk;ruth.bush@bristol.ac.uk;rebecca.kosick@bristol.ac.uk;shuangyi.li@bristol.ac.uk;l.nunesvieira@bristol.ac.uk;carol.osullivan@bristol.ac.uk;bradley.stephens@bristol.ac.uk;

Research groups

Further information about the school's research groups can be found on the School of Modern Languages webpages.

Contact us

Contact

Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Research Admissions

Phone
+44 (0) 117 428 2296
Email
artf-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk