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Course type
Diploma
Credits
120

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
16 months part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

Postgraduate Diploma in Translation

Course code: E92

This qualification is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills as a professional translator, equipping you to work in the fast-growing translation services industry. You will experiment with different genres through practical, inspiring translation activities and hone your practice through peer review. You will gain hands-on experience in using tools necessary to operate in this rapidly evolving area (e.g. audio-visual translation or cloud-based translation tools). Your work will be underpinned by an understanding of translation theories and debates. The languages offered on this qualification are French, German, Italian, Spanish, Modern Standard Arabic, or Mandarin Chinese, in combination with English.

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Choose first module
  • Engage in authentic translation tasks to develop useful employability skills.
  • Choose to translate using either French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Modern Standard Arabic.
  • Participate in online open translation projects, with a certain degree of freedom to choose what you translate and the opportunity to connect with established translation communities.
  • Develop your professional skills with a combination of collaborative activities and peer reviews.

The Open University is recognised as a Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) UK HE registered provider (CIOL) and is a Corporate Member of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI). We are also institutional members of the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies of the UK and Ireland (APTIS).

Course type
Diploma
Credits
120

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
16 months part-time study
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

Modules

To gain this qualification, you need 120 credits as follows:

120 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Introduction to translation theory and practice (L801)

This module explores different approaches to translation and you will develop an understanding of the wider cultural, ethical and professional contexts of translation.

See full description

Register
 60 01 Feb 2025
Translation in practice (L802)

In this module, you’ll engage in authentic translation tasks and use the latest online translation technologies to translate texts in a range of fields.

See full description

Register
 60 04 Oct 2025

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Postgraduate Diploma in Translation. You’ll be entitled to use the letters PG Dip Trans (Open) after your name.

You can progress from this Postgraduate Diploma in Translation to our MA in Translation (F79).

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

1If you don’t have an honours degree, talk to an advisor.

2If your first language is English, and you’ve passed an OU level 3 module in your second language, your language proficiency should be suitable, as the exit level of our OU level 3 language courses is CEFR C1.

How long it takes

Most students study the Postgraduate Diploma in Translation part-time, over sixteen months. Typically, this means 20 study hours each week.

You must complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Translation within four years.

Career relevance

There is an increasing global demand for translators and language specialists, and this qualification will provide you with the knowledge and skills to embark on a career as a translator. This is an immensely rewarding profession for those with an interest in languages and communication and encompasses a wide and growing range of areas, including audio-visual translation, advertising or website localisation, as well as semi-specialised and specialised translation.

If you wish to pursue a career as a translator, be it as an in-house or freelance translator, this postgraduate diploma will equip you with the necessary professional skills and familiarity with the professional tools you will need in this fast-moving field. You will also acquire a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills, such as peer reviewing and teamwork, which are useful in a range of occupations in the communications sector.

If you already have a career in the translation field and are seeking a further qualification as a way to develop your career or as a means to update your skills, then this postgraduate diploma could prove invaluable, and you may also consider progressing to the MA in Translation.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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