MA academic requirements for our graduate program can be found at Faculty of Graduate Studies—Program Requirements.
MA
Students are required to take two mandatory courses:
- TRAS 5100 Translation Studies
- TRAS 5000 Research Methods in Translation Studies
Candidates for the MA degree by thesis must complete four half-courses and write a thesis based on original research. The thesis must be successfully defended at an oral examination.
Candidates for the MA Degree by major research paper must complete six half-courses and submit a major research paper on a well-defined topic. The major research paper is assessed and marked by the student’s research supervisor and by another member of the program.
Candidates for the MA degree by coursework must successfully complete eight half-courses, or equivalent, chosen from those offered by the program.
The MA program offers two types of courses:
- Research-oriented courses taught in English or French
- Practical non-language-specific courses taught in English
Although most courses are taught in English, in any given year a course may be offered in either English or French. The language of instruction is clearly indicated and the posting of the description of the course is in that language Written assignments, including the thesis and research paper, may be submitted in either English or French.
The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is two years. For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 3 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 3 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.
What's the difference between a Thesis and a Major Research Paper?
The thesis is expected to be approximately 120 pages long (+ the bibliography)
The thesis must:
- be the result of an in-depth, original research project conducted within the period of graduate study at York.
- demonstrate a clearly stated problem, framework, literature review, and methodology.
- include an extensive bibliography.
Candidates conducting research involving human participants must fill out the ethics review protocol for approval and submit it along with their MA thesis proposal—research with human participants cannot begin until the university Ethics Review Committee has approved the protocol submission.
Students interested in this option should first identify a Research Supervisor who will help them develop a thesis proposal (see template). Once approved by the supervisor, the proposal is submitted to the Graduate Program Director and approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Once completed, the thesis must be defended before a committee comprised by the supervisor, two members of the graduate program and an outside reader.
The Major Research Paper is expected to be approximately 50 pages (+ the bibliography)–longer than a final research paper for a graduate course.
The MPR must be based on the student’s original work conducted within the period of graduate study at York. It can be on a new topic or it may be an extension of a paper written for a course.
Students interested in this option should first identify a Research Supervisor, then submit a topic and a proposal to the Graduate Program Director for approval.
Candidates conducting research involving human participants must submit the ethics review protocol along with the MRP proposal—research with human participants cannot begin the graduate program must approve the ethics review protocol.
Once completed, the MRP is assessed on the final submission and an oral presentation conducted with the Research Supervisor and the second member of faculty.
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Translation Studies at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.