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The Graduate Certificate in Translation offers online-only professional training to students in French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, and often other languages, who wish to pursue careers in the language-services industry broadly speaking, or in other fields requiring advanced professional use of a language other than English.

Being bilingual is not enough to be a successful translator. Professional translators must be experts in both source and target cultures, skilled readers of the source language and superb writers of the target language. In addition, they need expertise in an area of specialization and a solid grasp of the language-services industry.

Our Translation & Interpreting Studies programs are housed in an accredited, Tier 1 Research institution and offer professional translator and interpreter training in a dynamic environment. Students collaborate with faculty and classmates from around the world to develop the skills they need to succeed in a thriving international market. Learn how to translate and/or interpret, and how to be a language professional through using leading industry computer-assisted translation tools and completing internships that often lead to employment. Our program can prepare you to:

  • be an in-house translator
  • be a freelancer
  • be a translation company owner
  • specialize in your area of interest
  • pursue doctoral studies
  • develop your professional skills without pursuing a degree

Please visit this page to request more information. 

Program Type

Graduate Certificate

Program Format

Online

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Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Eligibility and Admission

Applicants to the Certificate Program must hold a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of 2.75 or must provide substantial evidence of ability to succeed in graduate-level work.

A degree in the foreign language of concentration or advanced study in that area is desirable. In addition, admission is based in part on a qualifying examination administered by the program. The two-hour online exam consists of a short translation from the source to the target language (between 200 and 250 words, depending on the source language) and one 300- to 500-word essay in English.

Application

  • Admission to a graduate certificate program requires formal student application through the Graduate School admissions application system, including the required admissions application fee.
  • Certificate programs will inform the Graduate School of their admission recommendation for an applicant. The final admission decision is made by the Graduate School.
  • Early application to the certificate program is recommended; late application is possible, but may incur delays for certificate conferral related to time required for credit tracking.
  • Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.

Credits and Courses

Students must complete 15 credits of required courses, as follows:

Required courses
TRNSLTN 700Introduction to Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 711Ethics in Translation and Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 722Advanced Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 750Community Interpreting and Translation3
Elective
See below regarding elective course3
Total Credits15

Electives

In addition to the four required courses, students must complete one elective course (3 credits). In consultation with the certificate coordinator, students select their elective from among the following courses. Other courses relevant to the student’s plan of study may be used to fulfill the elective requirement with the consent of the coordinator.

One of the following:
TRNSLTN 530GBusiness and Professional Aspects of Translation3
TRNSLTN 706Introduction to Translation: French to English3
TRNSLTN 707Introduction to Translation: Spanish to English3
TRNSLTN 708Introduction to Translation: German to English3
TRNSLTN 709Seminar in Literary and Cultural Translation3
TRNSLTN 710Comparative Systems for Translation3
TRNSLTN 716Seminar in Advanced Translation: French to English3
TRNSLTN 717Seminar in Advanced Translation: Spanish to English3
TRNSLTN 718Seminar in Advanced Translation: German to English3
TRNSLTN 719Introduction to Translation: Russian to English3
TRNSLTN 720Topics in Translation:1-3
TRNSLTN 726Computer-Assisted Translation3
TRNSLTN 727Project Management in Translation3
TRNSLTN 728Editing for Translation3
TRNSLTN 729Seminar in Advanced Translation: Russian to English3
TRNSLTN 730Internship in Translation/Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 820Translation Theory3
Contact

Prospective Undergraduate Students (not yet enrolled at UWM)

Prospective students, contact our admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu or 414-229-7711.

Current Undergraduate Students

General questions such as how to declare, how to change a major, general education requirements, etc. should be directed to the college advising office at ls-advising@uwm.edu or 414-229-4654.

Specific questions about Translation & Interpreting Studies, such as research opportunities, internship opportunities, major requirements, etc., should be directed to Assoc. Prof. Viktorija Bilić.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.