Taught by linguistics experts from the fields of interpreting practice, research and education, this masters degree in Interpreting is designed for those who have native / near-native command of English and one other language from French, German or Spanish.
Giving you access to our newly-refurbished interpreting booths which are modelled on those used by the United Nations and European Union, this programme is designed for those who want to work as professional interpreters and will give you expertise to use in a range of contexts including, conference interpreting, health-care interpreting, legal interpreting and educational interpreting.
This practical interpreting course includes around 15 hours of academic contact per week in our language labs and weekly mini-conferences where up to 5 languages are spoken by around 20 - 30 students and teachers.
Language Labs
Our Language Labs have been recently refurbished and are the biggest owned by any Higher Education Institute in Europe. With the MSc Interpreting course, you'll also be able to take advantage of our excellent translation and interpreting facilities - including state-of-the-art laboratories, digital resources, and a range of software packages.
Language combinations
In the practical translating and interpreting courses students opt for one of two 'strands', corresponding to their chosen languages:
Strand A
Study of English + one other language from French, German or Spanish. Students work in both directions between the two languages chosen.
Strand B
Study of English + two foreign languages from French, German, Spanish, Arabic or Chinese. Students on this strand work from the two chosen languages into English.
Programme duration
- Full-time: 12 months/9 months (MSc/PG Diploma)
Part-time: 24 months/21 months (MSc/PG Diploma)
Professional recognition
Heriot-Watt University is a member of Conférence Internationale permanente d'Instituts Universitaires de Traducteurs et Interprètes (CIUTI) which is an international association of university institutes with translation and interpretation programmes. CIUTI is dedicated to excellence in the training and research of both translation and interpretation. Membership of CIUTI requires fulfilment of strict quality criteria and is a distinct seal of quality.