UWM’s Translation and Interpreting Studies program offers programs of study in Research or Professional Translation, in four language pairs (French, German, Russian, and Spanish to English), and/or in Interpreting. TIS offers two coordinated degree programs: a TIS/MLIS degree with the College of Community Engagement & Professions and its School of Information Studies and a TIS/MBA with the Lubar College of Business. TIS also offers coordinated 5-year bachelor’s/master’s programs: BA in French, German, Global Studies, or LACUSL with the MA in Translation & Interpreting Studies.

UWM graduates who earn the MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies in any of the above formats reflect sufficient preparation for gainful post-graduation employment or admission to a Doctor of Philosophy program at a peer or aspirational institutions, and they will:

  1. Be knowledgeable about the linguistic, literary, and cultural productions of their source and target communities in the past and present; be able to situate them within a historical, cultural and discursive (interdisciplinary and/or cross-cultural) context; be familiar with several major tendencies in critical and theoretical analysis, and be able to apply them to the study of these texts.
  2. Provide nuanced and sophisticated discussions (in writing and in conversation) of linguistic, literary, and cultural works in English, and when appropriate, in the target language of their field of study. This includes the ability to analyze and to incorporate critical/theoretical frameworks into their written and oral discussions of literary or cultural works.
  3. Be able to perform professional skills tied to the translation and interpreting field (e.g., translate/interpret accurately in their area of specialization; create and maintain terminology database resources; efficiently and accurately conduct research related to T&I; understand broad aspects of the T&I industry).
  4. Conduct independent research in Translation and Interpreting Studies. This includes the ability to develop and delimit a research question, to conduct a systematic investigation of the question, and to present or evaluate research according to standard models of analysis and argumentation.
  5. Be aware of career and post-graduate opportunities that their degree makes possible, which includes knowing how to search and apply for professional opportunities or advanced study related to the MA, and participating in professional activities such as colloquia, conferences, and meetings.

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.

Admission

Along with the Graduate School admission requirements, all applicants meet the program admission requirements. Admission is based in part on a reason statement, a qualifying examination that consists of a 200-250-word translation from the source to the target language, and one 300-500-word essay in English.

Beyond the English proficiency required by the Graduate School, the following are required: a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 83; TOEFL CBT score of 220; or IELTS score of 6.5.

Credits and Courses

No credits carrying a grade below B- may be counted toward meeting the Translation and Interpreting Studies degree requirement of 30 credits.

Students choose one of three tracks in the Translation and Interpreting, MA - Professional Translation Track, Research Translation Track, and an Interpreting Track.

Professional Translation Track

The Professional track consists of 30 credits at the graduate level.

Required Core Seminars
TRNSLTN 709Seminar in Literary and Cultural Translation3
TRNSLTN 820Translation Theory3
Required Non-Language specific courses
TRNSLTN 710Comparative Systems for Translation3
TRNSLTN 726Computer-Assisted Translation3
TRNSLTN 730Internship in Translation/Interpreting3
Required Language-specific courses (two courses in same language pair)6
Introduction to Translation: French to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: French to English
Introduction to Translation: German to English
and Seminar in Advanced German Translation
Introduction to Translation: Russian to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: Russian to English
Introduction to Translation: Spanish to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: Spanish to English
Electives 9
Business and Professional Aspects of Translation
Introduction to Interpreting
Ethics in Translation and Interpreting
Project Management in Translation
Editing for Translation
Advanced Professional Writing
Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Technology
Organization of Information
Information Access and Retrieval
Or other approved elective
Total Credits30

Research Translation Track

The Research track consists of 30 credits at the graduate level. 

Required Core Seminars
TRNSLTN 709Seminar in Literary and Cultural Translation3
TRNSLTN 820Translation Theory3
Required Non-Language specific courses
TRNSLTN 710Comparative Systems for Translation3
TRNSLTN 730Internship in Translation/Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 790Thesis3
An approved course in Critical Theory3
Required Language-specific courses (two courses in same language pair)6
Introduction to Translation: French to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: French to English
Introduction to Translation: German to English
and Seminar in Advanced German Translation
Introduction to Translation: Russian to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: Russian to English
Introduction to Translation: Spanish to English
and Seminar in Advanced Translation: Spanish to English
Electives 6
One Translation course in language other than the pair selected above
One course in the literature of your chosen language pair
One of the following Interpreting courses:
Introduction to Interpreting
Advanced Interpreting
Community Interpreting and Translation
One course in Translation or other Critical Theory, such as one of the following:
Approaches to the Modern II
Seminar in Theories of Composition and Rhetoric:
Seminar in Film Studies:
Or other approved elective
Total Credits30

Interpreting Track

The Interpreting track consists of 30 credits at the graduate level.  

Required Core Seminars
TRNSLTN 709Seminar in Literary and Cultural Translation3
TRNSLTN 820Translation Theory3
Required Interpreting Courses
TRNSLTN 700Introduction to Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 711Ethics in Translation and Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 722Advanced Interpreting3
TRNSLTN 750Community Interpreting and Translation3
Other required courses
TRNSLTN 710Comparative Systems for Translation3
TRNSLTN 730Internship in Translation/Interpreting3
Electives 6
Business and Professional Aspects of Translation
Project Management in Translation
Editing for Translation
Translation course in a relevant language pair
Approved course in your area of specialization
Total Credits30

Additional Requirements

Comprehensive Examinations

Candidates for graduation in all TIS tracks and concentrations must, under the direction of their major professor and the supervision of their exam committee comprised of relevant graduate faculty, complete and defend comprehensive examinations.

Thesis

Students completing the Research track must also complete and defend a thesis. An acceptable thesis is defined as one that represents an original contribution to the field of Translation and Interpreting Studies, of sufficient caliber for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Time Limit

Full-time students generally take two years to complete the program; part-time students within three to five years. The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.

Translation and Interpreting Studies Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from Graduate Certificate and Master’s degree programs in Translation & Interpreting Studies (TIS) will meet objectives in five core areas of professional practice. 

Knowledge – Students graduating from TIS programs will: 

  • Produce accurate entry-level translations and/or interpretations between their source and target languages, demonstrating understanding of the linguistic specificities of their languages. 
  • Integrate significant cultural, ideological, and discursive elements into their translations or interpretations between source and target cultures. 
  • Articulate how various translation & interpreting theories influence work produced in a range of literary and critical contexts and in the student’s own translation and/or interpreting work. 

Critical Thinking – Students graduating from TIS programs will: 

  • Apply translation & interpreting theory to assess translated texts and interpreting encounters. 
  • In Translation tracks: Analyze source texts, identify their most salient features, and discuss potential strategies for rendering those features in translation.  
  • In Interpreting tracks: Analyze cross-cultural communication in interpreted encounters.  

Skills – Students graduating from TIS programs will: 

  • In Translation tracks: Produce literary, specialized, and technical translations that successfully negotiate linguistic, cultural, and technical challenges.  
  • In Interpreting tracks: Produce interpretations in a variety of cross-cultural communication contexts, successfully negotiating linguistic, cultural, technical, and environmental challenges.  
  • In the professional track: Apply industry-standard principles and best practices for language services with respect to quality assurance (ISO), entrepreneurship, and project management.  
  • In the research track: Conduct translation & interpreting studies research, which may include bibliographic research, comparative analyses, literature reviews, literary analyses, scoping reviews, and qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods studies. 
  • Learn and apply ethical standards of professional practice in translation & interpreting and in the student’s area of specialization. 
  • Demonstrate readiness to use technology most relevant to the student’s translation and/or interpreting practice and area of specialization. 

Research – Students graduating from TIS programs will: 

  • Produce publishable academic research papers or articles contributing to knowledge or professional development in the language services industry. 

Professional Development – Students graduating from TIS programs will: 

  • In the professional track: Produce a resume and at least two polished translation samples or model interpretations. 
  • In the professional track: Produce a C.V. and one polished writing sample. 
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the leading professional organizations/associations in the language services field and in their area of specialization. 

Accelerated Program Option

This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.