Access Requirements

1° Hold an undergraduate university degree.

2° As French (or German for German-speaking students) is the A language of the course (i.e., the mother tongue or language of culture into which one translates), all candidates for the Master's degree in translation must provide proof of a perfect command of the French language (or German for German-speaking students).

Candidates who do not hold a higher education diploma from the French Community of Belgium *(or from a country where French is the only official language) must provide proof of sufficient mastery of the French language at level C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. All skills must have been assessed and passed (written and oral comprehension, written and oral production).
The official certificate must be issued by an organization recognized as a full member by ALTE (see https://alte.org/Our-Full-Members).
Examples of tests recognized by the jury for French: DALF or TCF. 
In all cases, the admissions jury reserves the right to request further information and to verify the candidate's A-language skills by means of an admission test and/or interview. 

*If you are a German-speaking student, please contact info-fial@uclouvain.be.

3° In addition, all students applying for the Master 120 in Translation must provide proof of having achieved level C1 (experienced user) receptive communicative competence (listening comprehension and reading comprehension) and level B2 (productive communicative competence (oral and written expression) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) in the two foreign languages included in their program.

Proof of level C1 (receptive communicative competence) and level B2 (productive communicative competence) can be provided by :

proof of having taken language courses at the required level in the student's previous academic career, officially attested (diploma and transcripts) ;
an official attestation or international certificate issued by an organization recognized as a full member by ALTE (see https://alte.org/).

• For English, the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and PTE (Pearson Test of English) tests are also recognized.
• For Russian, the Maison Russe à Bruxelles (https://www.rushouse.be) is authorized to organize exams and issue TORFL certificates.
• For Turkish, the Yunus Emre Institute in Brussels (https://yee.org.tr) is authorized to organize the Tis tests and issue certificates; the University of Ankara organizes the Yadis tests online (https://e-yadis.ankara.edu.tr/Home/Info).
• For sign language, C1 level receptive communicative competence is equivalent to UE12 (experienced user) and B2 level productive communicative competence is equivalent to UE9. Only adult education centers are authorized to issue B2 and C1 level certificates.
  Only the Federal Public Service for Strategy and Support (SPF BOSA) is authorized to issue level C1 certificates.
• For Dutch: CNaVT or equivalent
• For German: TestDaF, GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT
• For Spanish: DELE B2, SIELE B2 (https://siele.org/fr/examen)
• For Italian: CELI 3, CILS 2, DILI B2

Candidates are advised to take the necessary steps as soon as possible, as it can take a long time to organize the tests and obtain the results.

In all cases, the admissions committee reserves the right to request additional information and verify the candidate’s proficiency in their main language through an entrance exam and/or interview.

General note on the choice of languages studied

The language combinations offered in the Master's program are detailed on the following page: https://uclouvain.be/prog-trad2m.

Admission to the Master's program in translation implies the continuation of the study of two foreign languages enrolled in the Bachelor's program.

Students wishing to include in their Master's program the Germanic or Romance language studied as a minor in the Bachelor's program must provide proof of the required level in this language.

Students wishing to change their choice of languages from those studied in their undergraduate program must provide proof of the required level in the language(s) concerned.

It is possible, under certain conditions, to use one's personal and professional experience to enter a university course without having the required qualifications. However, validation of prior experience does not automatically apply to all courses. Find out more about Validation of priori experience.

Candidates who do not fulfil the abovementioned admission requirements, but who have duly attested significant experience relevant to the field of study in question, may apply for admission to the programme on the basis of an individualised admission procedure.

For more information on the procedure for admission by validation of learning from experience (VAE) in the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters: https://uclouvain.be/fr/facultes/fial/valorisation-des-acquis-de-l-experience-vae.html.

French Belgian Sign Language (LSFB)

Any candidate who does not hold a university degree, but who has reached the C1 level of the CEFR (UF12) and who has at least 5 years (full time, or equivalent) of convincing professional experience in the world of the deaf and hard of hearing, as a school interpreter or "communication aid" in the LSFB for example, can also submit an application file for the Master's degree in interpreting by valorising the learning from experience, by means of introduction of a VAE file detailing the training course, the career path and the experience acquired (knowledge, know-how, interpersonal skills).

Access based on application : access may be granted either directly or on the condition of completing additional courses of a maximum of 60 ECTS credits, or refused.

Admissibility criteria 
A candidate's application will be deemed admissible if it meets all of the following criteria:

• Candidate's diploma issued by an institution recognized by WHED (see https://www.whed.net/home.php)
• Previous course of study including at least 3 years of higher education (equivalent to 180 ECTS credits), leading to an undergraduate degree; obtained in a maximum of 5 years.
• For holders of a diploma obtained outside Belgium, an overall average of at least 60% (12/20) for the course of study completed in the home institution and giving access to this program;
• For holders of a diploma obtained outside the French-speaking Community of Belgium, official attestation of proficiency in the language(s) at the required level (see specific admission conditions), to be attached to the application file. The official attestation must be issued by an organization recognized as a full member by ALTE (see https://alte.org/Our-Full-Members).
• A detailed resume outlining your educational background and potential professional experience.
  A personal and original cover letter. An original cover letter is expected, explaining your personal training goals. 

If a document is missing from the online application, it must be justified (see UCLouvain Enrolment Department's frequently asked questions, in particular "What do I do if my online application asks for a document I don't yet have?")

Applications deemed admissible are forwarded to the Faculty by Enrolment Services. Applications that do not meet these criteria are automatically rejected. 

Eligibility criteria 
Applications submitted to the Faculty by UCLouvain's Enrolment Department are examined by the program's jury in accordance with the specific conditions of access detailed above.
The jury decides on the admissibility of candidates on the basis of the information contained in their application file, the quality of the training they have undergone and the results they have obtained.
When examining the application, the jury will pay particular attention to the following points: 

• Consistency between the candidate's previous academic career and the prerequisites for the targeted program. The match between the candidate's academic background and the UCLouvain bachelor's degree giving direct access to the master's program need not be perfect, but the skills acquired (see specific access conditions) must be close. Example: for an application for admission to a master's program in modern languages and literature, the candidate's previous training includes courses in languages and literature in both modern languages.
• Arguments expressed in the cover letter, particularly the consistency between the candidate's personal and professional goals and the program in question. The letter should explain why the candidate wishes to enroll in this program and specify how the master's degree fits into the candidate's personal and professional goals.
• Grades obtained in the program's major disciplines (courses for the access diploma deemed equivalent by the jury to the compulsory courses of the UCLouvain bachelor's program giving direct access to the targeted master's degree) (see specific entry requirements);
• Experience gained. If the qualifying diploma was obtained more than 5 years prior to the submission of the application for admission, it is imperative that the experience acquired since leaving school is directly related to the field of study of the programme applied for.