Who knows University of Central Lancashire (Uclan)?

I will try to answer your question, as I am the course leader of the MA Interpreting and Translation here at UCLan (University of Central Lancashire) in Preston. My name is Kirsty Heimerl-Moggan and I am a senior lecturer in interpreting.

I will outline our course to you and then you can make up your own mind about whether we are “good” or not.

Let me tell you a bit about our Interpreting Course.

This course has a 95% weighting towards interpreting with only 5% covering translation and even the translation has an interpreting focus.

What is unique about the course (for a UK course) are the high number of contact hours during which students are taught in the interpreting suite by their lecturers. All of the lecturers are practising conference, business and public service interpreters as well as being academics with long careers in academia (at a number of UK & overseas Interpreting Universities).

Our interpreting students train on Equipment used in the World of Interpreting

• 2 state-of-the-art Interpreting Suites in the Worldwise Centre
• with Brähler booths and consoles (interpreting equipment)
• USB recording devices for every student

Each group has a maximum of 12 students and interpreting students interpret at all times

Language Specific Modules (which are all compulsory and year-long)

• Simultaneous Interpreting into English: 2 hours per week
• Simultaneous Interpreting into Other Language: 2 hours per week
• Consecutive Interpreting into English: 2 hours per week
• Consecutive Interpreting into Other Language: 2 hours per week
• Mock Conference (Simultaneous): 2 hours per week
• Technical Business Interpreting both ways: 2 hours per week
• Translation both ways: 2 hours per week

Generic Modules (which are all compulsory and year-long)

• Starting an Interpreting & Consultancy Business: 2 hours per week
• IT for Interpreters: 2 hours per week
• Theory of Interpreting: 2 hours per week
• Dissertation: double module

Jobs that our graduates have gone on to do include:

• Freelance conference interpreters
• Political interpreters for the government
• Heading up an interpreting department at an interpreting agency
• Interpreting for their home country’s military
• Interpreting for the Federal German Language Office (supplying all German Ministries)
• Freelance and in-house translators
• Lecturing in interpreting
• Training public service interpreting

And many more.

Detailed information of all the lecturers involved in teaching on the MA Interpreting can be found on our website including our publications etc.

Non English-native students (with a non-UK degree) must have either TOEFL (minimum 600-pbt or 250 cbt) and TWE 4.5 or IELTS min 6.5 with 6.0 in writing, or equivalent.

I hope this gives you a chance to form on opinion on UCLan

Kirsty