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Translation - M.A.

Translation - M.A.

The Master of Arts degree in Translation prepares students for careers in translation, language project management, international business and government.

Why Choose Us?

"I chose ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State’s MCLS Department because it is one of the few institutions in the United States that offers a dedicated PhD in Translation Studies. Beyond its unique position, the department has a particularly strong and respected faculty. In my case, Dr. Baer’s research areas align closely with my own interests, and his influential contributions to Translation Studies played an important role in my decision. Knowing that I would have the opportunity to work within such a well-established academic environment made the MCLS Department the ideal choice for me."

- Mertcan Okul, Translation Studies PhD Program / Expected graduation 2030

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ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï Our Master’s Degree in Translation

The Master of Arts in Translation provides students and professionals with access to the nation's most comprehensive master's degree program in translation.

Founded in 1988, the ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State on-site master’s degree program in translation is one of the oldest and largest in the U.S., offering concentrations in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Consistently ranked among the top three programs in the country, the on-site M.A. prepares students for a variety of rewarding careers in the dynamic and rapidly growing language industry. No knowledge of or experience with translation is necessary for admission, only proficiency in a foreign language and a desire to pursue a career as a language mediator.

If you are looking to earn your degree in translation, our comprehensive online program will give you the education and tools needed to take your career to the next level. Our master’s in translation program is designed to provide you with a firm foundation in the principles and practices of translation to help you succeed.

"I became a better translator, interpreter, teacher, researcher, and communicator. The program strengthened my linguistic and cultural competence, deepened my understanding of translation theory and practice, and enhanced my writing and editing skills. I also gained valuable technical skills, such as managing terminology and working with various types of digital documents, which I continue to apply in my professional work. Overall, the MCLS program provided me with a strong academic foundation and practical tools essential for success in a variety of language-related roles."

- Irina Anokhin, M.A. in Russian Translation, 2014

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M.A. in Translation Onsite

The on-site M.A. in Translation program prepares students to be skilled translators and language professionals while also allowing them to experience the ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï campus and surrounding community. The on-site curriculum provides a firm foundation in the principles and practices of translation for students in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

M.A. in Translation Online Program

The Online M.A. in Translation provides students and professionals with access to the nation's most comprehensive graduate program in translation.

ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State's fully web-based curriculum provides a firm foundation in the principles and practices of translation for students in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Conveniently earn your degree from anywhere in the world, with courses that work with your schedule.

The flexibility of pursuing your master’s in translation online enables working professionals and students to incorporate additional training and professional development into their everyday lives.

While attending an M.A. in Translation online program, students can expect the following aspects:

  • In-depth coursework in specialized translation (medical, legal, media, commercial)
  • Diverse project management and localization coursework
  • Opportunities to learn and utilize state-of-the-art CAT tools

The expertise students will develop from their instruction is intended to fully prepare them for varied careers in the language industry upon graduation.

Get your M.A. in translation online

 

Points of Pride

  • Extensive course offerings introduce students to a variety of career paths and widely used translation-related technologies
  • Small class sizes allow for greater student-faculty and student-peer interaction
  • The opportunity to choose whether to complete your Master of Arts in Translation online or in person
  • The faculty consists of internationally known scholars in the field of Translation Studies and award-winning practicing translators
  • Students have opportunities to build language proficiency through elective coursework and extracurricular activities, such as weekly conversation hours
  • Students are part of a vibrant international culture of translation at ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State that includes undergraduate and graduate translation majors, doctoral students in Translation Studies, and a translation graduate student association, ÌìÌì³Ô¹ÏLingua
  • Students have many opportunities to participate in translation-related activities outside the classroom, including lectures, conferences, language coffee hours, film screenings, readings and workshops
  • Upon graduation, KSU students become part of an extensive and supportive alumni network
  • ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State’s translation programs were awarded the Alexander Gode Medal, the American Translators Association’s most prestigious award, in 2019
  • Opportunities to participate in internships for academic credit are available
  • Opportunities to apply for graduate assistantships are available
  • Graduation rates exceed 90%
  • Students receive personalized guidance by faculty when completing their Master of Arts in Translation degree
  • Students have the ability to complete the master’s in translation program in just 4 semesters

Program Information for Translation - M.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Arts degree in Translation prepares students for careers in  translation, language project management, international business, government and any globalizing industry.

The Translation major comprises the following concentrations:

  • The Language concentration provides students with an in-depth focus on one language.
  • The Technology and Multilingual Communication concentration allows students to specialize in such areas as global security, emerging media, international business and user experience.

Admissions for Translation - M.A.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement (one to two pages)
  • MP3/WAV file with a five-minute oral sample in English (conversational, not read from a script)
  • Writing sample (10 pages) in English, which should be accompanied by a signed declaration that the sample is original work and that the applicant received no help in its preparation
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
  • Applicants to the Language concentration only:
    • CD or MP3/WAV file with a five-minute oral sample in the language in which the applicant intends to concentrate (conversational, not read from a script)
    • Writing sample(s) in in the language in which the applicant intends to concentrate, which should be accompanied by a signed declaration that the sample is original work and that the applicant received no help in its preparation
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Priority deadline: January 1

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Define and describe the roles and responsibilities of various language industry stakeholders and various forms of language service provision; and demonstrate an understanding of the basics of entrepreneurship and translation as a business.
  2. Engage in effective research and information retrieval for a variety of language industry-relevant tasks.
  3. Utilize a range of computer-assisted technologies, including machine translation, for language industry-relevant tasks; and demonstrate an understanding of the place, benefits and limitations of those technologies in a given project scenario.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical considerations in various project scenarios.
  5. Successfully communicate and mediate communication across languages and cultures in multilingual, multicultural contexts.
  6. Apply theory to inform and justify their decision making.
  7. Critically reflect on their work and that of others.

Graduates of the Language concentration will be able to:

  1. Translate authentic, industry-relevant content, both general and domain-specific, using appropriate tools and approaches.

Graduates of the Technology and Multilingual Communication concentration will be able to:

  1. Emerging media specialization: Utilize emerging media and technology tools for localization purposes, including machine translation, artificial intelligence-driven localization and virtual reality simulations.
  2. Global security specialization: Utilize translation techniques and security strategies to address real-world challenges in international contexts, effectively bridging language barriers and enhancing global security measures.
  3. International business specialization: Apply localization techniques and international business principles to develop market-specific strategies for global expansion; consider linguistic, cultural and economic factors; and prepare to lead multinational teams and navigate complex global markets with confidence — leveraging localization expertise and international business acumen to drive organizational growth and success.
  4. Multidisciplinary approaches specialization: Synthesize at least two of the other specialization outcomes toward their specific career goals.
  5. Technology specialization: Acquire advanced technical skills in translation technology, including proficiency in computer-assisted translation tools, machine translation systems and localization software.
  6. User experience specialization: Apply localization strategies and user experience design principles to create user-centric products and services tailored to diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
TRST 60009INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY 3
TRST 60010THEORY OF TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING 2
TRST 60011TERMINOLOGY AND COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN TRANSLATION 3
TRST 60100PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION 2
TRST 60630CAREER PATHS IN THE LANGUAGE INDUSTRY 3
Major Electives, choose from the following: 112-15
MCLS 50510
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
2
Concentrations
Choose from the following:9-12
Language
Technology and Multilingual Communication
Minimum Total Credit Hours:37
1

Students admitted to the Language concentration will complete 15 credit hours of electives. Students admitted to the Technology and Multilingual Communication concentration will complete 12 credit hours of electives.

2

Maximum 3 credit hours each of TRST 60092 and TRST 60098 may be applied toward the degree.

Language Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
TRST 60040LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
Language Electives, choose two courses in the same language from the following:6
Arabic Language
ARAB 67091
SEMINAR IN ARABIC TRANSLATION
ARAB 67250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
ARAB 67251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
French Language
FR 63091
SEMINAR IN FRENCH TRANSLATION
FR 63250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
FR 63251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
German Language
GER 61091
SEMINAR IN GERMAN TRANSLATION
GER 61250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
GER 61251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
Japanese Language
JAPN 65250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
JAPN 65251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
Russian Language
RUSS 62091
SEMINAR IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION
RUSS 62250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
RUSS 62251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
Spanish Language
SPAN 68091
SEMINAR IN SPANISH TRANSLATION
SPAN 68250
COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION
SPAN 68251
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION
Minimum Total Credit Hours:9

Technology and Multilingual Communication Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
Concentration Electives, choose from the following: 112
Emerging Media Specialization
EMAT 51000
RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN
EMAT 52210
WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
EMAT 60010
FOUNDATIONS OF EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
EMAT 60310
CREATIVE CODING FUNDAMENTALS
EMAT 62110
INTERACTIVE DATA
EMAT 60999
PROJECTS IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
Global Security Specialization
CRIM 56800
INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY
CRIM 56801
HOMELAND SECURITY
CRIM 56802
TERRORISM AND COUNTERTERRORISM
CRIM 56803
INFORMATION AND CYBER SECURITY
International Business Specialization
CIS 64042
GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
MGMT 64184
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
MGMT 64275
GLOBAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
MKTG 65054
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
Multidisciplinary Approaches Specialization
Courses from any of the specializations
Technology Specialization
BA 64060
FUNDAMENTALS OF MACHINE LEARNING
CS 61002
ALGORITHMS AND PROGRAMMING I
CS 61003
ALGORITHMS AND PROGRAMMING II
MCLS 50510
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
User Experience Specialization
UX 60501
INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE
UX 60502
USER EXPERIENCE PROCESSES AND PRACTICE
UX 60503
FUNDAMENTALS OF INTERACTION DESIGN
UX 60511
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE FUNDAMENTALS
UX 60521
DATA-DRIVEN INTERACTION FUNDAMENTALS
UX 60541
USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION FUNDAMENTALS
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Students will select a specialization with prior approval from the graduate coordinator or from an advisor. Courses listed under the specializations are recommended, not required. Students completing fewer than 12 credit hours for their specialization will complete additional electives to meet the required 37 credit hours for the degree.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
    • In person
  • Location:
    • ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï Campus

Dual M.A. in Translation and MBA

Students can also choose to diversify their professional credentials in any of the offered languages by pursuing a dual degree including an MBA degree along with the M.A. in Translation. This option requires substantial additional coursework and can be taken on-site or online.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Translation - M.A.

Graduates of ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï State’s M.A. in Translation are well-prepared for careers in professional translation, localization, and language services. The program’s comprehensive curriculum emphasizes advanced linguistic proficiency, translation theory, and practical skills in specialized fields such as legal, medical, and technical translation. Graduates often pursue roles as professional translators, localization specialists, project managers, and interpreters, contributing to industries such as global business, international organizations, and cultural exchange.

Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary

5.7%

faster than the average

30,600

number of jobs

$69,920

potential earnings

Interpreters and translators

20.0%

much faster than the average

77,400

number of jobs

$52,330

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

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