Main menu
Staff & students
In this section

Course information

Department

English and Creative Writing

Length

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

Course overview

The MPhil/PhD Translation by Practice offers a new approach to studying Translation, incorporating a creative practical project. This can include translating a book or play, subtitling a film, or translating song lyrics or poetry.

  • Whatever your passion, you will be able to incorporate it into this research degree, by engaging with translation as a creative practice. You will be evaluated based on a written thesis of up to 70,000 words, as well as a creative project of a minimum of 30,000 words.
  • If you wish to make use of translation memory as part of your project, computer-aided translation software for the degree is provided by Memsource, with training facilitated by Dr Sarah Maitland, who is a Memsource Certified Trainer and Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies. All students are given the opportunity to apply for Student Certification and become part of an active community. Through the Memsource Talent Endorsement Program, the top-scoring certified students will be able to compete for paid translation work experience.
  • We offer a stimulating environment for undertaking postgraduate research in English Literature (including American Literature and literary theory), World Literature, Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Translation, and Creative Writing. We particularly encourage cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in emerging fields of study and creative practice.
  • As well as working with scholars and writers 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 offered by the Goldsmiths Writers' Centre, the Goldsmiths Literature Seminars (GLITS), the Goldsmiths Linguistics Seminars (GoldLingS), and the e-journal, GLITS-e.
  • Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.

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 is required for admission to the programme, but relevant equivalent experience in contexts of translation, interculturality and language transfer 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 2023/2024 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £4712
  • Home - part-time: £2356
  • International - full-time: £17430

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

Apply now

If you are interested in applying to the PhD English programme, please send your academic CV, along with a preliminary research proposal, to 
graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk). These will then be seen by the programme convenor, who will be able to advise on supervisor availability in the department, and whether you should submit a formal application via the 'Apply Now' link at the top of this page.

Find out more about applying.

Similar programmes

MA Black British Literature

Launched in 2015 through the joint vision of Dr Deirdre Osborne and Professor Joan Anim-Addo, this ground-breaking MA is timely and necessary. We take Black British literature seriously as a discipline.

MA Computational Linguistics

Have you ever wondered how personal assistants like Siri and Alexa work, or how humans interact with chatbots and apps using natural language? Are you interested in how language is structured, what its social functions are, or how to build formal models of it? If so, then this programme is for you.

MA Creative & Life Writing

Have you got a story to tell? Or poems that you want to shape into a collection? This Masters degree will help you develop your creative writing practice. You’ll experiment with a wide variety of forms to help you discover your preferred mode of writing.

MA Literary Studies

This unique and intellectually rigorous Masters programme gives you the opportunity to develop the study of literature from a variety of perspectives through a number of flexible pathways.

View more programmes

Related content links