International Master's Programme in Translation Science and Technology Saarland University

The Master of Arts in Translation Science and Technology offers a highly integrated programme in translation and language technology that is unique in Germany. The programme focuses particularly on new methodologies in language technology and on empirical research. Graduates are well qualified for modern work processes involving multilingual communication. In addition, students on the programme receive intensive training in the research methods currently used in empirical language and translation science, enabling them to pursue an academic career upon completion of the programme.

Students choose and combine different languages within the degree programme: 

• A basic language: German
• B language(s): English and optionally a Romance language (French, Italian, Spanish). Students can choose whether to take one or two B languages. If they opt for one, it is automatically English.

The study programme comprises two stages: a more theoretical-methodological stage (stage 1) and a stage that focuses on developing translational competence (stage 2). In addition to acquiring specialist knowledge in the relevant academic disciplines (translatology, linguistics), students also acquire knowledge and skills related to technologies currently used in both of these fields.

Stage 1
In the theoretical-methodological stage, students address questions in the following areas:

• Fundamental questions and methods of language science and translation studies
• Applications of language technology
• Annotation and programming
• Empirical methods of language science and translation studies
• Translation technologies
• Translation and content management
• Advanced corpus-based and experimental methods, including relevant statistical methods

Stage 2
The part of the programme designed to develop translation skills covers areas such as:

• Text production, translation and evaluation in situational and cultural contexts
• Technical and professional communication, knowledge management, terminology science and terminology management
• Required electives: Multilingual oral communication or, alternatively, one other module taught by the department
• Translation and mediality

The MA Translation Science and Technology is part of the prestigious European Master’s in Translation (EMT) network. Membership of the EMT network is a mark of quality for Master’s programmes in the field of translation and confirms that this programme reflects the latest technological developments in the field of translation.

Teaching on the Master’s programme in Translation Science and Technology takes place predominantly in practice-oriented seminars. Working groups are small, with individual supervision. Two other key aspects of the programme are its interdisciplinarity and its strong emphasis on practical applications. General linguistics, corpus linguistics and computer linguistics are part of the course, as are compulsory modules covering career-related topics and the option of writing the Master’s thesis at an external company, institution or organisation.

Universidad de Alicante (Spain)

Université de Lorraine in Metz (France)

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Brescia (Italy) 

It is possible to combine the Master's thesis with an internship at an external company, institution or organisation.

Students seeking admission to the Master's programme must have a relevant Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification and proficiency in the chosen languages (either a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject or a certificate of proficiency at C1 level). 

Important note regarding language requirements:
Prospective students should ideally demonstrate a C2 level in German. For international applicants without a German university entrance qualification and with a degree in a non-German-language programme who can demonstrate a C2 level in English or in the chosen Romance language (French, Spanish, Italian), a C1 level in German may also be sufficient. In short, applicants must have a C2 level in at least one language.

The semester fee is currently 394.30 EUR per semester. This fee includes a "Semester-Deutschlandticket", which allows you to use public transport throughout Saarland and Germany.

More information: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/study/organisation/fees/semester-fee.html

The cost of living for students in Saarbrücken in 2026 is moderate compared to many other major German cities. Students planning to study in Saarbrücken should budget for monthly expenses of around 950 to 1,050 EUR, including accommodation costs.

The Welcome Center at Saarland University provides information on working and living in Saarbrücken. For more information, please visit their website: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/living-working.html.

There are opportunities to find part-time work both on campus and in the city of Saarbrücken while you are studying. Positions as research assistants in academic departments are particularly popular. The university’s Career Centre can help you find a suitable job while you are studying.

The Career Centre at Saarland University offers advice (including tailored support for international students), workshops and career fairs. Internships, jobs and recruitment events are regularly advertised on the university’s career portal. Students interested in starting their own business will find the right ecosystem with Triathlon.

The University of Saarland operates several student halls of residence right on campus. Furthermore, Saarbrücken has a relatively affordable housing market. The university’s Welcome Centre offers assistance with finding accommodation.

Saarland University was founded in 1948 as a bilingual university under the auspices of the French government. The university has earned an international reputation for its research in computer science and informatics and for work in the life sciences and nanosciences. The university is distinguished by its close ties to France and its strong European focus. With its pronounced international focus and its strong ties to universities in Europe and around the world, Saarland University is more international than almost any other medium-sized German university. A distinctive feature of Saarland University is the broad range of cross-border academic programmes that lead to a double-degree qualification or even to a triple-degree qualification if a third foreign partner institution is involved.

Saarbrücken is one of the world's leading centres for language science and technology. With a total of 10 professorships, four degree programmes and more than 100 staff members in research and teaching, the Department of Language Science and Technology brings together a broad spectrum of linguistic disciplines (computational linguistics, language technology, psycholinguistics, phonetics, corpus linguistics and translation studies) with international expertise. This outstanding research environment, attracting lecturers and students from all over the world, is further enhanced by close ties with the neighbouring departments of computer science, psychology and the humanities, as well as with non-university research institutions such as the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the two Max Planck Institutes for Computer Science and Software Systems, which are interconnected within the Saarland Informatics Campus.

Small but mighty:
In the Saarland and its capital, Saarbrücken, French charm and a close-to-nature environment go hand in hand with a comparatively low cost of living. You will find warm and welcoming people and a vibrant cultural and leisure scene. The strategically favourable location in the France-Luxembourg-Germany border triangle is another plus point: distances within and outside the city are short, and in less than two hours you can reach Paris by ICE.