Diploma of Interpreting (LOTE-English)
Student type:
Quick facts
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Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Full-time 6 months, Part-time 1 year
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Location
Melbourne city campus
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Fees
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Next intake
February, July
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Entry score
IELTS 6.0
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Duration
Full-time 6 months
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Location
Melbourne city campus
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Fees
AU$9,750 (2018 annual)
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Next intake
February, July
Program brochure
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Overview
This Diploma is your first step towards professional practice as an interpreter where you will verbally translate conversation between speakers who speak different languages.
Interpreters provide a critical service, helping people to overcome language barriers experienced when accessing community services in areas such as health, education, law, business and travel.
You’ll gain basic transfer skills for interpreting in general conversational settings, learn about professional ethics and improve language proficiency. Students for spoken languages will study courses that cover legal and medical terminology, while Auslan interpreting students will learn about health and education terminology.
The program is suited to people who already have bilingual skills but have not yet reached the required level of specialised language proficiency for the Advanced Diploma.
Languages
RMIT is endorsed by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) to offer the Diploma of Interpreting in the following languages. Language streams will run subject to interest and minimum numbers.
- Amharic
- Arabic
- Assyrian
- Auslan
- Bangla
- Bosnian
- Burmese
- Cantonese
- Chin (Haka)
- Chin (Tedim)
- Dari
- Dinka
- Hakka
- Hazaragi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Karen
- Khmer
- Korean
- Kurdish (Kurmanji)
- Kurdish (Sorani)
- Kurdish Southern (Feyli)
- Malay
- Mandarin
- Nepali
- Nuer
- Oromo
- Punjabi
- Pashto
- Rohingya
- Samoan
- Somali
- Swahili
- Tamil
- Thai
- Tigrinya
- Turkish
- Vietnamese
If a language you wish to study is not on the list, please contact Info Corner to enquire.
You need to have good bilingual skills in the language you select and may be required to demonstrate your knowledge prior to entry into the program.
Please make sure that you indicate the language stream you want to study in your personal statement in your application.
Alternative options
If the language you wish to study doesn't meet minimum student numbers, you will be considered for the S0133 Introduction to Interpreting and Translating Skill Set.
International students, please note, the Skill Set does not provide access to an Australian student visa.
The Skill Set comprises four courses from the Diploma of Interpreting, which will introduce you to interpreting and ethics. You will be entitled to credit exemptions when and if you study the Diploma in future.
Bursaries for in-demand languages
There are a limited number of government bursaries available to assist with tuition fees. The program will award the bursaries with consideration of:
- the number of requests compared to the number of bursaries available
- the language being spoken widely enough in the community, and a recognised need for interpreters in that language
Visit the Victorian Multicultural Commission website for more information
Details
This program is flexible in its delivery and creates a range of opportunities for you to apply your knowledge and skills.
The program has study guides, practice materials and multimedia resources to support your learning.
You will participate in learning activities including:
- scenarios
- case studies
- role plays
- online practice tools
- group discussions and projects
- practical demonstrations
- reflective journals
- simulations of real-life job assignments.
Assessment may include:
- written work such as assessment reports and reflective reports
- quizzes
- presentations
- oral interviews and interpreting demonstrations
- class observation and peer review.
Courses are delivered in English. Some may have bilingual activities and assessment tasks.
You will have access to online resources through the myRMIT student portal.
RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice.
Teaching staff are all NAATI-certified professional interpreters who bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to the classes, ensuring teaching and learning are in line with current industry standards.
You will participate in simulated interpreting activities with students from other discipline areas such as community services, criminal justice, occupational therapy and social work, giving you the opportunity to put your skills into practice.
You’ll complete 7 core courses and 5 elective courses.
This program introduces you to the profession of interpreting and will train you to:
- analyse, recall and reproduce source language messages in the target language in a broad range of settings
- apply effective linguistic transfer skills and discourse management strategies.
Through classes, workshops and guided group and individual learning activities, you will practise your interpreting skills and gain an appreciation of professional ethics and industry knowledge.
Japanese, Mandarin and Korean are only available for full-time study. All other languages are offered as full-time and part-time, subject to minimum numbers.
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma of Interpreting (LOTE-English) | City Campus |
6 months full-time - 12 months part-time
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6 months full-time
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C5364 | 094336J |
Choose a program structure
Program code: C5364
National curriculum code: PSP50916
Career
Demand for qualified interpreters is increasing due to high levels of interaction between people and cultures as a result of globalised economies and movement of people due to immigration and humanitarian reasons. A large number of people also face language barriers due to physical disabilities such as deafness or impaired hearing and require language assistance.
Graduates find employment as freelancers, contractors to language services agencies, or work in public and private sector organisations such as hospitals, courts, businesses, government departments and agencies.
Admissions
You must have successfully completed an Australian Year 12 (or equivalent senior secondary school qualification) with a minimum 50% average (check calculator below).
Equivalent qualifications may also include completion of the RMIT Foundation Studies program or a recognised post-secondary diploma in the relevant discipline with the required grades.
Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee entry. Your application will still need to be assessed and accepted.
Entry requirements
You must demonstrate proficiency in the language other than English (LOTE) that you wish to study in this program.
To meet the LOTE requirement you must:
- have completed a recognised year 12 or senior secondary school qualification (equivalent to an Australian year 12) or tertiary qualification taught in the LOTE you are applying to study in the program.
OR
- complete an RMIT administered LOTE test. The LOTE test includes reading, writing and translating from your second language into your first language (one of them must be English). The program may also make arrangement for an oral test if it deems necessary.
You must demonstrate proficiency in the language other than English (LOTE) you wish to study in this program.
To meet the LOTE proficiency requirement you must:
- Have completed a recognised year 12 or senior secondary school qualification (equivalent to an Australian year 12) or tertiary qualification taught in the LOTE you are applying to study in the program.
OR
- Complete an RMIT administered LOTE test (PDF 253KB). The LOTE test includes reading, writing and translating from your second language into your first language (one of them must be English). The program may also make arrangement for an oral test if it deems necessary.
You must be at least 18 years of age on 1 January of the year of the application.
To study this program you will need to complete one of the following English proficiency tests:
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall band of 6.0 (with no individual band below 5.5)
- TOEFL (Paper Based Test): minimum score of 550 (TWE 4.0)
- TOEFL (Internet Based Test - IBT): minimum overall score of 79 (with minimum of 19 in all sections)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PTE (A)): minimum score of 50 (with no communication band less than 42)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): minimum of 169 with no less than 162 in any component.
For detailed information on English language requirements and other proficiency tests recognised by RMIT, visit English language requirements and equivalency information.
Don't meet the English language test scores? Complete an Advanced Plus Certificate at RMIT English Worldwide.
Non-academic abilities you’ll need to complete this program
To complete this program, you will need to meet its inherent requirements. These are the non-academic abilities you will need to participate in and complete your studies.
Some inherent requirements for this program include:
- reading and writing skills for understanding instructions and producing accurate transcriptions in both English and another language
- vision and hearing to accurately gain and express information in both English and another language
- physical and mental endurance when interpreting for an extended period of time
- managing your behaviour and emotions to provide safe and competent interpreting
- time based problem-solving when working with clients
View the full list of Diploma of Financial Counselling inherent requirements:
Non-academic abilities you’ll need to complete this program
o complete this program, you will need to meet its inherent requirements. These are the non-academic abilities you will need to participate in and complete your studies.
Some inherent requirements for this program include:
- reading and writing skills for understanding instructions and producing accurate transcriptions in both English and another language
- vision and hearing to accurately gain and express information in both English and another language
- physical and mental endurance when interpreting for an extended period of time
- managing your behaviour and emotions to provide safe and competent interpreting
- time based problem-solving when working with clients
View the full list of Diploma of Financial Counselling inherent requirements:
Who are they for?
Inherent requirements apply to every applicant and may be worth considering if you are living with disability, long-term illness and/or a mental health condition.
Why do you need to know?
By understanding the types of activities you’ll participate in, and the non-academic abilities you may need in this program, you can:
- understand more about the program
- determine if you may need support during your studies
- make an informed decision about whether the program is suitable for you.
What support is available?
If there are any activities that may be difficult for you to undertake, please discuss this with RMIT program staff or Equitable Learning Services (ELS).
If you are living with disability, long-term illness and/or a mental health condition, we may be able to support you by making adjustments to activities in your program so that you can participate fully in your studies.
To receive learning adjustments, you need to register with ELS.
Pathways
Graduates may gain entry into the following programs:
- Advanced Diploma of Interpreting
- Advanced Diploma of Translating
- Bachelor of Arts (International Studies)
Diploma of Interpreting graduates with a Bachelor degree may gain entry into one of the following postgraduate programs:
When you successfully complete the Diploma of Interpreting (LOTE-English) you may be eligible for entry into the following programs:
Entry is not guaranteed and you may be required to submit a Bilingual test for assessment.
Alternatively, you may be eligible for entry to an RMIT vocational study or undergraduate programs.
Fees
The tuition fees you will pay for this program will depend on whether you are offered a Victorian Government subsidised place or a full-fee place.
To find out if you are eligible for a government subsidised place, follow the steps at ‘How to check if you are eligible’.
- 2018 government subsidised place: AU$3750* per annum
- 2018 full-fee place: AU$5750* per annum
*Fees shown are indicative only and subject to change given individual circumstances at the time of enrolment.
The student tuition fees as displayed by the fee finder are indicative only and subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide. Learn more about fees for vocational study.
VET Student Loans
The Australian Government provides financial assistance via the VET Student Loans scheme (VSL), which allows eligible students in eligible programs to defer payment of their tuition fees, up to the maximum loan amount for their program.
How does a VET Student Loan work?
If your VSL application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT your tuition fees on your behalf, up to the maximum loan amount for your program.
If your program is eligible for the VSL scheme and has a loan cap that doesn’t cover the total amount of the tuition fees for your program, then you’ll need to pay RMIT the difference once you exceed the cap.
Your VET Student Loan becomes part of your Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt. You will start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is adjusted each year (this also applies if you are still studying).
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information see VET Student Loans or Study Assist.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.
The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2018 is $298.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.
Find out if you qualify for an interpreting scholarship.
Every year the Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion (MASC) Division of the Victorian state government offers interpreting study scholarships to improve Victoria's language services and meet the needs of the growing multicultural population.
For 2018, the Victorian Government is offering scholarships to students who are studying RMIT's Diploma of Interpreting in the languages below.
Diploma of Interpreting:
- Amharic
- Assyrian
- Burmese
- Chin Haka
- Croatian
- Dinka
- Filipino
- Hazaragi
- Hindi
- Karenni
- Khmer
- Macedonian
- Malay
- Maltese
- Nepali
- Punjabi
- Samoan
- Somali
- Tamil
- Thai
- Tibetan
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
To be considered for the scholarship, you must submit your RMIT application by 1 December 2017.
Download the scholarship guidelines (PDF 40 KB) to find out if you are eligible.