Interpretation Development
Interpreter (Master’s Degree)
Joint Application for Finnish-taught degree programmes
From 10.3.2026 at 8:00 to 24.3.2026 at 15.00
Please note that admission to these programmes requires B1 level Finnish proficiency.
The next application round for English-taught degrees is in January 2027.
Bachelor’s Degrees (in Finnish)
Master’s Degrees (in Finnish)
Develop, lead, anticipate – promote equality and accessibility!
The Humak Master’s degree in Interpretation Development is designed for professionals who want to deepen their expertise in developing social inclusion and linguistic accessibility.
The Humak Master’s degree qualifies graduates for leadership and development roles. The degree title is Interpreter (Master of Social Services, Health and Sports).
The degree corresponds to a master’s degree from universities and enables further studies towards a doctoral degree. The programme includes collaborative components with Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak). All Humak Master’s degrees are completed entirely online. Online teaching is scheduled on weekdays between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Who is this programme for?
Sign language interpreters (Bachelor’s)
You have work experience as a sign language interpreter and want to deepen your expertise. The degree provides skills to develop professional practices in your field that promote equality.
Speech-impaired interpreters and communication guidance specialists with a Bachelor’s degree
You have worked as a speech-impaired interpreter or communication guide after completing your degree. The programme provides tools for developing your practice and new perspectives on your work.
Interpreting professionals with a college-level sign language interpreter qualification
You have strong expertise in the interpreting field and want to strengthen the research foundation of your competence.
Programme content
The studies in Interpretation Development consist of advanced professional studies, common studies, elective studies, and a thesis. The degree comprises 90 ECTS credits, typically completed in 1.5 academic years.
Common studies consist of four 5 ECTS courses, two delivered by Diak and two by Humak for students from both institutions. The common studies deepen understanding of key areas of interpreting services.
- Leadership of well-being at work (5 ECTS) Diak
- Business management (5 ECTS) Diak
- YSocietal interaction in the interpreting field (5 ECTS) Humak
- New research knowledge in the interpreting field (5 ECTS) Humak
The advanced studies in Interpretation Development consist of four courses, three of which provide perspectives on the future of the field and the fourth on the foundations of research-based development.
- Diversity (5 ECTS)
- Future foresight (5 ECTS)
- Social innovations (5 ECTS)
- Research-based development (5 ECTS)
From the elective studies, you can choose courses that support your personal development worth 20 ECTS credits. Your personal coach will help you with course selection if needed.
The thesis at Humak is a research-based development project, primarily completed in pairs. The thesis work begins at the start of the studies. Supervision takes place in Humak Master’s small groups.
RPL process, also known as Recognition of Prior Leaning at Humak means you can substitute part of your studies with previously acquired work experience or education (RPL procedure). For Master’s degree courses, it is possible to apply RPL for competence acquired through work or leisure activities up to 10 years old or through level 7 education.
What skills will you have upon graduation?
We offer students an inspiring and motivating learning environment, so that you can develop as an expert through the Humak Master programme. The goal is that after your studies you will be able to….
Lead
You will be able to lead companies and organizations based on humanistic values.
Develop
You will learn to utilize diverse development methods in developing your own field.
Anticipate
You will be able to prepare for different futures in your profession.
Engage
You will be capable of taking into account diverse people in developing interpreting services.
Career opportunities
The Interpreter (Master’s) programme graduates experts for development and leadership roles in the interpreting field. Graduates can work in interpreting companies as entrepreneurs or employees. Additionally, many work in educational roles or as experts in projects and organizations.
100 %
100% of interpreters (Master’s) who graduated from Humak Master were employed
4675 €
The average salary of interpreters (Master’s) who graduated from Humak Master in 2020 was €4,675 and the median salary was €4,850
Our alumni work as sign language interpreters and interpreters in various organizations and operating environments. Some graduates advance to leadership positions such as CEO, team leader, or development manager. An Interpreter (Master’s) can also specialize in development and expert roles in the field of interpreting and sign language services and work as an entrepreneur or independent professional.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the entire degree is delivered online. Webinars are scheduled between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM to make studying alongside work possible. There are typically 2–4 webinars per course. Some courses have no webinars at all.
You can soon find course descriptions on the curriculum pages. The implementation details include the name of the responsible teacher. You can contact them for more detailed information about the specific course content.
You can check your eligibility on the StudyInfo pages. If you are unsure, you can contact Humak’s applicant services at hakijapalvelut@humak.fi.
If you have strong work experience in the subject area or equivalent master’s level studies, you can have part of your studies accredited as a degree student through the RPL procedure.
Yes. You can also become a degree student through Path studies.
More information
Degree information on StudyInfo
Read more about admission criteria and upcoming application rounds.
Want to dive deeper?
Download our digital brochure (in Finnish) and read more about the degrees!
Have questions?
Contact our Admissions services via email: admissions(at)humak.fi
Or by phone Mon-Thu from 13 to 15:
+358 20 7621 234
Our other Master’s Degrees
Learn more about our other degrees!
Cultural Management Development
Cultural Manager (Master in Culture and Arts), online studies
European Master in Sign Language Interpreting (EUMASLI)
Tulkki (YAMK), verkkototeutus