MASTER OF ARTS IN CONFERENCE INTERPRETING (PMCI)

Programme Duration

Two years, i.e. 24 months (or four semesters).

Programme Objectives

The Pan African University Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting is a two-year course, which aims to achieve the following objectives: 

  • Train professional interpreters for the African market and beyond;
  • Promote mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence and regional integration in the face of Africa’s crosslinguistic and cultural diversity; 
  • Promote research and innovation in spoken language translation and conference interpreting within the African context and beyond.

Programme Outcomes

At the end of the degree programmes, graduates shall be able to:

  • Serve as high-level, innovative and enterprising professionals in interpreting content for Africa and beyond;
  • Interpret content in the relevant languages for better spoken language communication among African people throughout the continent;
  • Research and innovate in spoken language translation and conference interpreting for communication throughout the African continent. 

Admission Requirements

In order to be eligible for admission to the programme candidates must

  • hold a recognised university degree or equivalent (in any subject);
  • have an excellent command of their mother tongue (A language) over a wide range of topics and registers;
  • have an in-depth knowledge of their working languages (B and C);
  • offer at least one of the following language combinations2: A-B or A-B-C;
  • have a good overall knowledge of international affairs and be well-informed of the economic, social and cultural background of the countries in which their working languages are used.
  • have a good voice-recording tool, a state-of-the-art multimedia computer with good voice and video recording/recognition devices and reliable internet connection.

In addition, candidates shall be expected to have

  • good powers of concentration, analysis and synthesis;
  • good communication skills;
  • a high degree of motivation;
  • the ability to work under pressure; and
  • a readiness to accept feedback during training both from peers and lecturers.  

Admission into the programme is subject to success in an aptitude test which is designed to assess suitability for training in conference interpreting. The test panel shall

  • include a majority of professional interpreters and interpreter trainers;
  • represent all the languages for which a candidate is to be tested and include at least one assessor with the candidate's A-language; and
  • decide by consensus.

One member of the panel shall normally be present throughout to ensure consistency in decision-making. The complete admission test shall include:

  • a general knowledge test;
  • the oral reproduction (summary or paraphrase) of a short and structured oralised speeches (2-3 minutes) from C and B languages into A and A into B; and
  • an interview with the candidate.

Additionally the test may include

  • sight translation;
  • a brief oral presentation by the candidate on a subject chosen by the panel; and
  • a written language test for academic-level proficiency.

2. In analogy to widely accepted standards, professional working languages in translator training are languages of which the trainee has requisite mastery prior to training. In this respect:

Language A is the translator trainee's native language (or any other language strictly equivalent to a native language), into which the translator works from all her or his other languages. 

Language B is a language other than the translator trainee’s native language, of which s/he has a very good command and into which s/he works from one or more of her or his other languages. 

Language C is a language of which the translator trainee has a complete understanding and from which she or he works.

MASTER OF ARTS IN CONFERENCE INTERPRETING CORE COURSES

PMCI 601

Consecutive Interpreting I (without note-taking) (B-A/A-B)

PMCI 602

Consecutive Interpreting II (inc. with note-taking) (B-A/A-B)

PMCI 603

Theory and History of Interpreting

PMCI 604

Simultaneous Interpreting I: An Introduction (A-B/B-A) 

PMCI 605

Sight Translation I (B-A/A-B) 

PMCI 606

Sight Translation II (B-A/A-B)

PMCI 607

Advanced Spoken Communication Skills and (A&B) Language Enhancement I

PMCI 608

Advanced Spoken Communication Skills  and (A&B) Language Enhancement II

PMCI 609

Professional Advanced Interpreting Practice  and Entrepreneurship

PMCI 610

Practicum

PMCI 611

Introduction to Translation I (B-A/A-B) 

PMCI 612

Introduction to Translation II (B-A/A-B) 

PMCI 613

The African Union and International Organisations I

PMCI 614

The African Union and International Organisations II

PMCI 616

Interpreting Research Methods

PMCI 651

Simultaneous Interpreting  II (B-A)  with Text

PMCI 652

Simultaneous Interpreting III (B-A)

PMCI 653

Simultaneous Interpreting II (A-B) with Text

PMCI 654

Simultaneous Interpreting III (A-B)

PMCI 655

Consecutive Interpreting III (B-A)

PMCI 656

Consecutive Interpreting IV(B-A) 

PMCI 657

Consecutive Interpreting III (A-B)

PMCI 658

Consecutive Interpreting IV(A-B)

PMCI 659

Advanced Spoken Communication Skills and (A&B) Language Enhancement III

PMCI 661

The African Union and International Organisations III

PMCI 663

Research Seminars

PMCI 667

Discovering Alternative Activities in Interpreting Practice

PMCI 675

Sight Translation III

PMCI 692

Final Examination

PMCI 698

Dissertation

PURC 101

Human Rights and Gender

PURC 103

History of Africa

MASTER OF ARTS IN CONFERENCE INTERPRETING ELECTIVES

PMCI 621

Community Interpreting and Translation I

PMCI 622

Community Interpreting and Translation II

PMCI 629

Interpretation C - A/A - C  I

PMCI 630

Interpreting from C - A/A - C  II

PMCI 669

Community Interpreting and Translation III

PMCI 670

Community Interpreting and Translation IV

PMCI 673

Interpretation C - A/A - C  III

PMCI 674

Interpreting from C - A/A - C  IV

PHD IN INTERPRETING (PTRA)

Programme Duration 

Three years, or 36 months.

Programme Objectives

The PhD in Interpreting Studies is a three-year course (one-year course work and two years research work) which aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Enhance research on language interpreting with particular focus on evidence from African local settings;
  • Stimulate greater interest and build capacity in language interpreting teaching and   pedagogy in Africa;
  • Enhance expertise and decision-making in matters of spoken language communication in multilingual and multicultural settings, with specific focus on Africa.

Programme Outcomes

At the end of the programme, graduates should be able to:

  • lead research projects in spoken language translation and interpreting studies in Africa and other parts of the world;
  • contribute significantly to the improvement of the teaching staff situation in the training of interpreters as well as spoken and sign language communication in multilingual and multicultural Africa.
  • carry out innovative research for the improvement of practice and the development of social communication through language interpreting in Africa and beyond;
  • write an original thesis in any the relevant areas.

PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY PHD IN INTERPRETING STUDIES CORE COURSES

PINT 701

History and Theory of Interpreting

PINT 702

The Pedagogy of Interpreting

PINT 703

Cross-Cultural Pragmatics in Interpreting Studies

PINT 704

Psychological and Sociological Aspects of Interpreting

PINT 705

Research Methods in Interpreting Studies

PINT 706

Corpus Interpreting Studies 

PINT 707

Seminars in Interpreting Studies I

PINT 708

Seminars in Interpreting Studies II

PINT 710

Comprehensive Examination

PINT 798

Thesis

PURC 103

The History of Africa

PURC 104

Human Rights and Gender

PHD IN INTERPRETING STUDIES ELECTIVES

PINT 709

Sign Language Interpreting Research I

PINT 710

Sign Language Interpreting Research II

PINT 711

Spoken Language Interpreting Research I

PINT 712

Spoken Language Interpreting Research II

PINT 713

Studies on Interpreting from/into African Languages I

PINT 714

Studies on Interpreting from/into African Languages II

PINT 715

Interpreting and Technology

PINT 715

Interpreting and Technology