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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.

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About 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 Kent 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.

 

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 Kent State University 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.

Kent 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, 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 Kent State that includes undergraduate and graduate translation majors, doctoral students in Translation Studies, and a translation graduate student association, KentLingua
  • 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
  • Kent 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

Program Description

Full Description

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

The Translation major comprises the following concentrations:

  • Arabic
  • French
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Russian
  • Spanish

Admissions for Translation - M.A.

Admissions

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
  • A CD or MP3/wav file with a five-minute oral sample in the applicant's first and second languages (conversational, not read from a script)
  • Writing sample(s) in applicant's second language,1 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 - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants should also submit a writing sample in English.

2

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

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Priority deadline: January 1
      Applications submitted by this deadline will receive the strongest consideration for admission.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Translate authentic, industry-relevant content, both general and domain-specific, using appropriate tools and approaches.
  2. 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.
  3. Engage in effective research and information retrieval for a variety of language industry-relevant tasks.
  4. 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.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical considerations in various project scenarios.
  6. Successfully communicate and mediate communication across languages and cultures in multilingual, multicultural contexts.
  7. Apply theory to inform and justify their decision making.
  8. Critically reflect on their work and that of others.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
TRST 60001GRADUATE RESEARCH AND WRITING IN TRANSLATION STUDIES 3
TRST 60009DOCUMENTS IN MULTILINGUAL CONTEXTS 2
TRST 60010THEORY OF TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING 2
TRST 60011TERMINOLOGY AND COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN TRANSLATION 3
TRST 60012SOFTWARE LOCALIZATION 3
Major Electives or Second Concentration 16-11
Culminating Experience
Choose from the following:3-6
TRST 60092
TRANSLATION INTERNSHIP
TRST 60099
CAPSTONE PROJECT IN TRANSLATION
TRST 60199
THESIS I 2
Concentrations
Choose from the following:11
Arabic
French
German
Japanese
Russian
Spanish
Minimum Total Credit Hours:36
1

Students may declare a second concentration or choose any graduate-level translation-related course in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies or other departments as appropriate and with prior approval from the graduate coordinator or from an advisor.

2

Students who select thesis for their culminating requirement must register for TRST 60199 for a total of 6 credit hours. Students who select either the capstone project or internship must take an additional major elective to meet the required 36 credit hours for the degree.

Arabic Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
ARAB 67010PRACTICE OF ARABIC TRANSLATION 2
ARAB 67240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
ARAB 67250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
ARAB 67251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

French Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
FR 63010THE PRACTICE OF FRENCH TRANSLATION 2
FR 63240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
FR 63250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
FR 63251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

German Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
GER 61010THE PRACTICE OF GERMAN TRANSLATION 2
GER 61240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
GER 61250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
GER 61251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

Japanese Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
JAPN 65010THE PRACTICE OF JAPANESE TRANSLATION 2
JAPN 65240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
JAPN 65250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
JAPN 65251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

Russian Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
RUSS 62010THE PRACTICE OF RUSSIAN TRANSLATION 2
RUSS 62240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
RUSS 62250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
RUSS 62251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

Spanish Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements
SPAN 68010THE PRACTICE OF SPANISH TRANSLATION 2
SPAN 68240LITERARY AND CULTURAL TRANSLATION 3
SPAN 68250COMMERCIAL, LEGAL AND DIPLOMATIC TRANSLATION 3
SPAN 68251SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL TRANSLATION 3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:11

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

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent 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 Kent 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' Occupational Outlook Handbook. 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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