MA in Interpreting and Translation Studies

This is a professionally oriented and research-based track that prepares interpreters and translators to work in the growing language industry in a variety of fields – foreign affairs, media, business, law and healthcare delivery. Along with legal language specialists and ASL interpreters, medical interpreters are currently in the highest demand among public service linguists in the US. Underscoring this trend, medical institutions that receive federal funds are required as of January 1, 2011 to provide interpreting and translation services to patients with limited English proficiency.

This track provides solid preparation for those who intend to pursue a doctorate in this new field.

Language requirements
This language-specific track requires strong foreign language competency. Applicants without a college or high school degree from another country have to take a language proficiency assessment in their non-native language. Please see our admissions page for instructions.

Languages:
Language combinations currently being offered: Spanish-English and Chinese-English
Please write to ITS@wfu.edu to inquire about other languages that may be offered at a future date.

Spanish-English Language Track

Duration and course requirements
For the Spanish-English language track, this is a full-time (36 credit hour), intensive two-semester course of studies that runs from the end of August until mid-May. In addition to the coursework, an internship and an applied research project will allow students to make a rigorous connection between the practical experience in the workplace and their more theoretical experience in the classroom.

Core Courses (33 hrs):

Applied Interpreting Studies (TIS 731, 3 hrs)
Applied Translation Studies (TIS 733, 3 hrs)
Discourse Organization and Interpreting (TIS 735, 3 hrs)*
Editing and Revising for Translators (TIS 738, 3hrs)*
Contrastive Spanish/English Grammar and Stylistics (SPA 624, 3 hrs)
Spanish Translation (SPA 681, 3 hrs)
Spanish-English Interpreting (SPA 682, 3 hrs)
Internship (TIS 684, 3 hrs)
Applied Research Project (TIS 785, 6 hrs)
Sociolinguistics and Dialectology (LIN 610, 3 hrs)
Localization and Terminology (LIN 683, 3 hrs)

Elective Courses – one from the following (3 hrs)**

U.S. Heritage Speakers and Bilingualism (TIS 734, 3 hrs)
Organizational Behavior and Interpreting (TIS 736, 3 hrs)
Remote Interpreting (TIS 737, 3 hrs)
Spanish Specialized Translation: Business-Financial (TIS 742, 3 hrs)
Spanish-English Dialogue Interpreting (TIS 743, 3 hrs)
U.S. Landscape: Systems, Cultures and Norms (TIS 760, 3 hrs)
Multimedia Translation (TIS 770, 3hrs)
Independent Study (TIS 789, 1-3 hrs)
Language Use and Technology (LIN 680, 3 hrs)
Medical-Scientific Translation (SPA 683, 3 hrs)

*Note: Not offered every year
**Note: Not all elective courses are offered every semester