Translation Studies PhD / PhD by distance learning / MA by Research (Modern Languages)

This PhD in the Department of Modern Languages offers promising candidates the opportunity to carry out research in the field of Translation Studies. Research strengths include: literary translation and reception; the history of translation; adaptation; and genre and translation.

Research in Translation Studies at Birmingham spans Modern Languages, English and Classics, so it is also possible to undertake doctoral research in translation studies in the Department of English.

Course fact file

Type of Course: Doctoral research, distance learning

Study Options: Distance learning, full time, part time

Duration: PhD – 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time; MA by Research – 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Start date: September 2013

Details

The MA by Research programme requires you to prepare a dissertation of up to 40000 words on a topic of your choice, for which an academic staff member will provide expert supervision.

The PhD – the most advanced research degree – leads to a dissertation of up to 80000 words on a subject of your choice and under the expert supervision of an academic member of staff. You can study for a PhD on campus or by Distance Learning.

Fees and funding

We charge an annual fee. Fees for 2013/14 are currently as follows:

  • Home / EU: full-time - £3,900; part-time - £1,950
  • Overseas: full-time - £12,140

Learn more about fees and funding.

Scholarships and studentships

Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available.
For further information, visit the College of Arts and Law scholarships page or email financialsupport@bham.ac.uk

International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

 

Entry requirements

Learn more about entry requirements

International students

Academic requirements

We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

English language requirements

You can satisfy our English language requirements in two ways:

How to apply

Apply through UCAS at www.ucas.com

Learn more about applying

When clicking on the Apply Now button you will be directed to an application specifically designed for the programme you wish to apply for where you will create an account with the University application system and submit your application and supporting documents online. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages

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Research interests of staff

Dr Hilary Brown: history of translation in Enlightenment Europe; female translators; literary translation, especially the work of ‘author-translators’

Dr Angela Kershaw: reception of literary translation in the contemporary UK book market; translation and reception of contemporary French fiction about the Second World War and the Holocaust.

Dr Pat Odber: a practising translator, teacher and an examiner for Universities in the UK, Ireland and Portugal, as well as the Institute of Linguists, She regularly publishes literary and cultural translations from Portuguese and Spanish.

Dr Natalia Rulyova:  20th Century Russian poetry (Joseph Brodsky's poetry and auto-translations); genre and translation

Dr Andrew Watts: nineteenth-century French literature and film adaptation; contemporary ‘re-imaginings’ of nineteenth-century literature.

Dr Gideon Nisbet:  representation of ancient Greece and Rome to reading and viewing publics, particularly in contemporary popular media; the role of translation and non-fiction in explaining antiquity to non-elite audiences.

Dr Diana Spencer: Rome’s reception of Greece, including language and genre translation issues; the reception of Rome in the post-Classical world.

Dr Elena Theodorakopoulos: translation/adaptation of classical literature by women writers; the reception of classical literature and myth in contemporary writing by women.

Additional supervision is available within the Department of English.

Employability

The University of Birmingham has been ranked 9th in the UK and 55th in the world, for post-qualification employability in a global survey of universities commissioned by the International Herald Tribune.

Many Translation Studies doctoral researchers go on to pursue careers in academia, or in the translation profession.

Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by the employability skills training offered through the College of Arts and Law Graduate School.