The Program

The Translation and Interpreting Studies program welcomes undergraduate students who are proficient in English and at least one more language and who have fulfilled certain other prerequisites. To obtain the Translation and Interpreting Studies Undergraduate Certificate, students must successfully complete two Interpreting/Translation Studies required courses. (See below) These two courses in interpreting and translation examine current research in Interpreting and Translation Studies and introduce students to a range of skills relevant to the specific contexts in which interpreter and translator services are required. CompLit 482 is a designated "Service-Learning" course and endorsed by the office of Civic Engagement and Service-Learning (CESL) at UMass Amherst. 

Undergraduate Certificate Course Requirements 

The undergraduate certificate is open to students at UMass Amherst and the Five Colleges with a strong command of English and intermediate-level competence in at least one other language. 

The certificate is invaluable for students who wish to work in local or global communities in which they might be called upon to serve as ad hoc translators or interpreters or where they need to work with translators and interpreters to meet professional aims and purposes.

CL 481 and CL 482 introduce students to relevant theory in the inter-disciplinary area of translation and interpreting studies and to the practical skills required of professional translators and interpreters. 

To fulfill the requirements for the certificate students must complete six courses or their equivalent:

• two required courses in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Comp Lit 481 and 482); 
• two 300 level or above courses in at least one language other than English;
• two 300 level or above courses in any subject where substantial writing in English is required (these electives are normally chosen from students’ primary major). 

Residency abroad or a high level of competency in a language other than English can replace one or both non-English language courses.

Certificate Objectives

Taken together, the required courses for this certificate will equip students with academic and skill-based knowledge and understanding of 

• past and current academic research on theory and practice in the field of Translation and Interpreting Studies;
• translation and interpreting as socio-cultural and ethical interventions as well as linguistic ones;
• the function of translation and interpreting in communicative situations where an imbalance of power is evident;
• the significance of translation and interpreting in the fair distribution of social justice within and across communities, societies, and nations;
• the relevance of translation and interpreting to other academic disciplines and professional work, including literary studies and publishing, legal studies, anthropology and sociology, politics, social work, and educational and health-related settings;
• the significance of translation and interpreting for members of communities for whom English is not their primary language through engagement in a Service Learning project (CL 482) outside the classroom guided by input from a community partner.