Applications are currently closed. They will open for the 2025-2026 cohort in November 2024. When preparing your application, please follow the instructions below carefully. Please note that places fill up quickly.

Entry Requirements:

A minimum 2.1 honours class degree from an Irish university or its international equivalent.
A demonstrable working knowledge of two or more languages
For candidates who are not native English speakers and have not completed a degree through the medium of English, a minimum IELTS score of at least 7 in each category or its equivalent.

Application and next steps:

You may apply at any point between the applications being opened in the autumn, and the closing date of 30th June. However, the course is popular, and applications are handled on a first-come first-served basis. So, you are strongly advised to apply early in order to avoid disappointment.
We do our best to provide applicants with an answer within 3 weeks of receiving their full applications. Partial applications that are missing any of the materials listed below cannot be considered until they are completed.

Before making your application, please contact us to check that your working languages can be accommodated.

Required materials

For this course, you will need to prepare these materials to apply:

Stage 1 Document	Download the Stage 1 application form. It includes sections on the languages you intend to work with, a personal statement, and a sample translation. Please complete it in full. When we assess your application, we would like to know: that you are able to pick up on and reproduce the idiosyncrasies of a literary text in another language that you have a broad lexical resource that you can create a translation with a high degree of cohesion that you can understand and use a large number of grammatical structures accurately what experience, understanding and skills you can bring to the programme why you would like to study literary translation at the postgraduate level why you would like to study literary translation at Trinity how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme what you would like to do with your degree The personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme delivers.
Sample of academic writing	You will require a sample of no more than 2,500 words of your best academic writing in English. When we assess your application, we would like to know: that you are able to build an academic argument that you are able to create a logical structure to your argument that you can critically analyse others' options and the evidence you see that you have a good understanding of the apparatus of academic writing, including referencing, quoting, signposting, avoiding plagiarism* and other forms of academic misconduct, and using a bibliography that your command of academic English is strong *we make use of Turnitin and other software to check for plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct in the samples submitted. An application may be rejected if samples of work submitted are found to include instances of such misconduct
English language qualifications	Unless you have completed a degree through the medium of English or are a native speaker, you are required to prove your proficiency with the language. Trinity prefers IELTS, but will accept alternative tests run by international organisations, such as TOEFL (please see table below for further details).
Degree certificate(s)	You will require the certificates that prove you have completed all of the degrees you mention in your application. If you haven’t yet completed your degree, you can still apply and supply these when you have them.
Degree transcripts	You will need official transcripts showing all of the components you have completed as part of your degree(s).
Two reference letters	You should ask two people who are not related to you to write letters of reference, recommending you for this course and laying out why you would be a good candidate.
Online application form	Once you have all of these materials, please fill out the online application form in full and upload the materials as attachments.

International degree equivalents

A 2.1 honours class degree from an Irish university or its international equivalent is the minimum qualification required for admittance on this course. This table provides some international equivalents to a 2.1 honours degree. The table is drawn from data provided by Quality Qualifications Ireland. It is provided only as a frame of reference. It is your responsibility to verify that your degree corresponds to at least the minimum required by the course:

Irish Australian Maltese Nigerian South African UK	2.1 honours	GPA 4	3.2	Belgian Portuguese	14	Croatian Hungarian	4
		GPA 5	3.5	Belgian Portuguese	14	Croatian Hungarian	4
		GPA 7	5	Bulgarian	4.5	Cypriote Icelandic Latvian Slovenian	7.5
		GPA 9	5	Canadian	73%
		GPA 10	7	Chinese	80
		Austrian	2.9	Cypriote	3.50
Czech Slovakian	1.5	Estonian	3.5	Italian	94	New Zealander Norwegian	B
Czech Slovakian	1.5	Finnish (1-3)	2	Lichtensteiner	5.5	New Zealander Norwegian	B
Danish Greek Spanish	7	Finnish (1-5)	3.25	Lithuanian Romanian Mexican	8	Polish	4.21
		French	13			Swedish	90/120
		German	2.30			Swiss	5
Dutch	6.5	Indian	60%	Luxembourger	16

English language proficiency

All candidates who are not native English speakers and have not completed a degree through the medium of English are required to prove their proficiency with the language. Trinity prefers IELTS, but will accept alternative tests provided by international organisations, such as TOEFL. This table provides the minimum score for IELTS and some alternatives:

IELTS	Grade 6.5 (No less than 6.5 in any section)	Certificates are valid for up to three years
Duolingo English Test	Overall score of at least 120/160 with no less than 120 in any category	Certificates must be dated since January 2020
TOEFL	iBT = 88	Certificates are valid for up to three years
	Computer based = 230
	Paper based = 570
University of Cambridge	180+ with no less than 175 in each skill	Certificates are valid for up to three years
Proficiency Certificate	Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
Advanced Certificate	Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)
First Certificate	Grade A (CEFR Level C1)
Pearson Test of English (Academic)	A minimum score of 63 (no less than 59 for any section)	Certificates are valid for up to three years