Academic Programs at the School of Translation and Interpreting

The School offers a multi-tiered education system.

Bachelor's Degree: We offer two undergraduate programs: Translation and Interpreting Studiesand Linguistic Support for Intercultural Communication (the latter is designed for international students). The standard duration of study is 4.5 years. An additional track is the Sign Language Interpreting program, offered at the college level. From the second year, students can choose a specialization: Specialized Translation, Simultaneous Interpreting, Literary Translation, Audiovisual Translation, or Sign Language Interpreting.
Master's Degree (Research-Oriented): Our postgraduate program offers five academic specializations, with Translation and Translation Studies being the flagship.
Doctoral Studies (Postgraduate): This level is dedicated to training high-caliber researchers to defend candidate dissertations and earn the qualification of Researcher.

Students can choose their first foreign language from 9 options and their second from 12. The curriculum is delivered by 5 specialized departments, which offer a total of 116 courses and are staffed by 97 faculty members, including 5 Doctors of Science and 20 Candidates of Science.

Our Departments

Department of Translation Theory and Practice

This is the core department for our main translation and interpreting programs. It provides comprehensive training across the entire spectrum of translation disciplines, from foundational principles to specialized courses in written, consecutive, and simultaneous interpreting. The curriculum utilizes professional translation memory software such as Memo-Q and SmartCAT. The department organizes professional internships in government bodies (e.g., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Press Center, TV and radio companies) and international organizations. It hosts annual national events, including a translation competition and the "TRANSLATIO IN MERITIS" forum. The department also runs joint educational programs with foreign universities, including a project with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

Department of English Phonetics and Grammar

This department provides core language training for students. It teaches practical cycle disciplines such as Practical Phonetics and Grammar, Oral and Written English Practice (as both first and second foreign languages), Discourse Linguistics, as well as Swedish as a second foreign language. The faculty develop educational and methodological complexes and textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education. To monitor and enhance language skills, the department regularly organizes in-university events: phonetics and grammar contests, the MSLU Dictation Contest, the "My Hometown" video project competition, and the international "LINGUA ANGLICA" Olympiad held jointly with Ural Federal University (Russia).

Since 2024, the department has housed a Research Laboratory for Memory Discourse Studies(headed by Cand. of Phil. Sc., Assoc. Prof. I.V. Metlushko), the first center in the post-Soviet space to study the phenomenon of memory from a linguistic perspective. The lab conducts the International Scientific Conference "Discourse of Memory: Theoretical and Applied Aspects."

Biennially, the department also hosts the International Scientific Conference in memory of Dr. of Phil. Sc., Prof. T.P. Karpilovich, titled "Contrastive Studies of Languages and Cultures."

Department of English Language Theory and Practice

This department is responsible for the in-depth study of English and the development of communicative competence in students of translation and intercultural programs. The learning process includes competitions for media projects, public speaking, and essays, often aligned with national thematic years. The department oversees the teaching of Hungarian, conducted under an agreement with the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and organizes "Days of Hungarian Language and Culture." It maintains academic and methodological ties with universities in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Armenia.

Department of Slavic Languages

This is the degree-awarding department for the Linguistic Support for Intercultural Communication program for international students. It provides language training for international students who study Russian as their first foreign language. The course cycle includes subjects like "Practical Phonetics of the First Foreign Language," "Communicative Grammar of the First Foreign Language," "Oral and Written Practice in the First Foreign Language," "Communication Culture Workshop," "Language of Mass Media," and "Strategies of Communicative Behavior," among others. Faculty supervise the coursework and thesis preparation of international students and oversee their internships. The department participates in implementing joint educational programs with partner universities in China, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia. Specialists also supervise master's theses for both international and Belarusian students. Additionally, the department offers a specialization in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language, covering the phonetics and grammar of Russian in the context of teaching it to non-native speakers, as well as relevant teaching methodologies.

Department of Oriental Languages

This department provides instruction in Eastern languages (Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Japanese) as both first and second foreign languages across three Schools within the university. Teaching is conducted within degree programs related to language education, translation, and intercultural communication. The department is responsible for over 80 courses, representing a significant volume of academic work in these language areas. Faculty members actively develop cooperation with colleagues from near and far abroad (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Russia, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, Turkey, Japan), and students regularly undertake study trips to these countries for immersion programs. Annually, on December 18th, the department hosts a round table titled "Arabic Language and Culture: Traditions and Modernity" and a creative evening dedicated to World Arabic Language Day, with the participation of representatives from foreign diplomatic missions