3580 Department of World Languages and Cultures
Translation and Interpretation
P.O. Box 3970
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3970
404-413-5980
Email: wclgraduate@gsu.edu
Annette G. Cash, Director, acash@gsu.edu
Translation
This program provides professional training in written translation for students who wish to acquire proficiency in a specific language combination. The student’s progress will be monitored closely, and the student’s potential for completing the program will be evaluated at the end of each individual course.
The program includes one class in comparative stylistics, one class in general translation, two classes in specialized translation, and a final translation workshop. Students must complete each one of these courses with a grade of B or higher and must receive a score of at least a grade of B on the exit examination in order to receive a certificate.
Interpretation
This program provides professional training in both medical and legal interpretation for those who wish to become interpreters. At the present time, the program is only offered in Spanish. Admission to the program in interpretation presupposes completion of the course of study in translation, or demonstration of proficiency in written translation at a comparable level, in addition to oral proficiency in the student’s source and target languages.
The program is comprised of classes in medical and legal (state court) interpretation. The interpretation program involves a class in the introduction to the field of interpretation, a class in consecutive, simultaneous and sight interpretation, a class in medical interpretation, and a class in legal interpretation (state court system). Each student’s progress and potential for successful completion of the program will be evaluated each semester. Students must complete these courses with a grade of B or higher, and must receive a score of at least a B on the exit examination in order to receive a certificate.
Although individual courses in both areas are assigned graduate credit, none of the 7000-level courses listed below may be used to fulfill requirements in regular degree programs of the World Languages and Cultures.
Admission
Qualification for entrance into either program is based on achievements on an appropriate proficiency examination. Candidates for the program in translation must pass a written examination in English and in the language of specialization. Candidates for the program in interpretation must pass written and oral examinations in both the source and target languages. Candidates who are not considered admissible because of insufficient knowledge of the proposed working language or deficiencies in their general backgrounds will be advised to consider preparatory courses in the Department of World Languages and Cultures or in another department. The entrance examination is offered on demand by contacting acash@gsu.edu to set up an appointment. However, the course sequence in Translation or Interpretation cannot be initiated unless there is a sufficient enrollment. Thus, there is no guarantee that the Translation and Interpretation programs in French, German, and Spanish can be offered routinely every year. In some cases there will be a delay in initiating a sequence until a critical mass of qualified students is available.
In addition to demonstrating proficiency by means of the admission examination(s), candidates must demonstrate an appropriate educational background. Normally, applicants will be expected to have an American undergraduate degree or the equivalent. Candidates without a baccalaureate degree must provide evidence of educational and professional activities and accomplishments indicating that they have the prior experience needed to be successful in translation or interpretation. Students accepted into the program will not be permitted to enroll in graduate courses taught outside the Program in Translation and Interpretation unless they have applied and been admitted to the M. A. program in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. Students with a baccalaureate degree (or the equivalent) from an accredited institution are eligible to take undergraduate courses.
Applicants may obtain additional information about the Program in Translation and Interpretation by contacting the Director at acash@gsu.edu.
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