Want to turn your language skills into a translation or interpreting career? Whether you are interested in business translation, medical translation, conference interpreting, legal translation, literary translation, transcreation, or localization, the MS in Translation & Interpreting offered by the NYU SPS Center for Publishing & Applied Liberal Arts prepares you for a wide range of translation and interpretation jobs. This 36-credit, fully online master’s in translation and interpreting degree provides the best of both worlds—the convenience and flexibility of learning on your own terms and at your own pace, while benefiting from a rigorous curriculum, a broad range of elective courses tailored to your interests, and the prestige of earning your degree at NYU, one of the world’s most respected universities.
Master’s (MS) in Translation & Interpreting
Degree Advantages
- Offered fully online with opportunities to engage with faculty members and students at regular intervals
- Curriculum that allows you to study translation from any language into English
- Covers both written translation and the best practices of oral interpreting
- Elective courses that customize your learning experience
- Prepares students for the ATA Certification Exam
- Taught by faculty members who are professional experts in their fields
- Full-and part-time study options
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Who Should Consider Earning the MS in Translation & Interpreting?
Whether you are interested in a full-time position with a language service provider or prefer the flexibility of a freelance translation and interpreting career, the MS in Translation & Interpreting will prepare you for a professional path in the translation industry, which is growing faster than many other fields. It will provide you with skill sets to work anywhere in the world. In a 2020 survey, 100% of recent MS in Translation & Interpreting graduates reported being employed within six months of graduation.
Become a Language Professional
Faculty members who teach in the MS in Translation & Interpreting share their deep expertise with students from around the world. The degree program focuses on the generalized skill required for translation and interpreting, while thesis advisers provide guidance on the subtle nuances of Spanish to English translation, Chinese to English translation, Arabic to English translation, and so many other language pairs.
Choose From a Wide Range of Electives Courses in Emerging Fields
While the MS in Translation & Interpreting affords a solid core in theory and practice, terminology, and techniques, the degree’s elective courses provide the knowledge to succeed in fields such as legal translation, transcreation, website localization, machine translation, and financial translation that will set you apart and will provide tremendous flexibility in your translating and interpreting career.
Build a Portfolio of Translation Projects That Demonstrates Your Skills
The MS in Translation & Interpreting is designed to ensure that you walk away with a comprehensive portfolio of translation projects that truly demonstrate your translation skills to prospective employers and clients. Your portfolio can be tailored to the area of specialization you choose—from medical translation to legal translation, transcreation to localization of software and websites.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What types of translation jobs are available?
Available jobs range from translation and localization to publishing and project management. Whether in law or finance to advertising or intergovernmental agencies, the need for translators is creating rewarding freelance and employment opportunities.
What languages are in high demand for translators?
Translators are in high demand across many languages given the global market for these professionals. The MS in Translation & Interpreting is open to applicants who wish to study translation from any language into English. The curriculum features terminology, research, revision, technology, and professionalization skills along with language-specific support.
Why do I need a master’s degree to be a translator or interpreter?
Having a master’s degree sets you apart and shortens the path to this rewarding career. Almost half of translators and interpreters surveyed by the American Translators Association hold master’s degrees. The MS in Translation & Interpreting program prepares its students for dynamic careers as highly-skilled translators and language specialists.
How can I prepare for the ATA Certification Exam through this program?
Many of our students take the American Translators Association (ATA) Certification Exam, which is a 3-hour test-based credential and an advantageous addition to your resume. By the end of the MS in Translation & Interpreting program, graduates translate at a level that meets the ILR skill descriptions for professional performance.
What is the difference between translation and interpretation?
Translators work with written texts, interpreters with the spoken word. Students benefit from exposure to both practices, even though most professionals specialize in either translation or interpreting. In this program, you will master strategies for translating complex documents and gain a foundation in the principles of interpreting.
How can I finance my degree? Are financial aid or scholarships available?
Options for financing the MS in Translation & Interpreting degree include Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), scholarships, private loan options, employer or veterans’ benefits, and NYU payment plans. We encourage you to explore the NYU SPS resources page on Graduate Financial Aid.
How does the MS in Translation and Interpreting at NYU differ from other programs?
The MS in Translation and Interpreting at NYU was the first program to offer a fully online degree in this discipline, and has done so since 2012. We are also the only program to offer translation from any language into English. Students will receive language-specific support in independent studies and the thesis project. We also designed the curriculum with the understanding that many translators and interpreters work in multiple language pairs. Our focus is on core skills in research, terminology, revision, technology, and professionalization to support translation from any language, along with the widest range of electives available.
Program Affiliations
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