Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2016-2017 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2016-2017 Previous Edition

Languages and Culture Studies: Translating, Graduate Certificate


**Anticipated for Fall 2017**

The Department of Languages and Culture Studies offers a Graduate Certificate in Languages and Culture Studies: Translating with options in the following language pairs: English-French, English-German, English-Japanese, English-Russian, and English-Spanish.  It is designed for Early Entry, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and post-graduate students.  Students typically complete the required 12 graduate credit hours in 2-3 semesters, and may begin the program in either the Fall or Spring semester. 

Students in the certificate program study the history, theory, methodology, and profession of translation; work intensively in the analysis and translation of different types of discourse, including non-literary and literary texts; become familiar with computer-assisted translation; and develop advanced post-editing skills.  Graduate level coursework may also include special topics courses in translation and up to 3 credit hours of professional internship credit in translating.  Translating is done in both directions of a given language pair:

  • English ↔ French
  • English ↔ German
  • English ↔ Japanese
  • English ↔ Russian
  • English ↔ Spanish

Admission Requirements


Students must apply for admission to the Graduate School and must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75.  Applicants will generally have a baccalaureate degree in one of the certificate languages:  French, German, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish, or in a closely related area that requires sufficient upper-division coursework in that language (e.g., for Spanish, Latin American Studies, International Studies, International Business), or an undergraduate degree, certificate, or minor in translation.

Applicants are required to submit:

  • A current GRE or MAT score (international students have an additional requirement of submitting official scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOFEL])
  • A well-developed essay in English that addresses the applicant’s motivation for enrolling in the Graduate Certificate
  • Three letters of reference (from professors, specialists in translation, and/or employers, preferably in the field)
  • An oral interview with the Graduate Program Director
  • A sample of translations into or from the language pair selected (with original text to accompany each translation submitted)

Note:  Students interested in adding this Graduate Certificate to the M.A. in Spanish  must apply separately for the certificate program.  One application does not cover both programs.

Certificate Requirements


Language-Specific Translation Courses (6 credit hours)


Select courses from the language being studied.  With permission of the department, students may substitute one of the Core Courses not previously taken or TRAN 6480  for three credit hours.

Early Entry


Exceptional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte may be accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Languages and Culture Studies: Translating, and begin work toward a graduate certificate or degree before completion of the baccalaureate degree.  An applicant may be accepted at any time after completion of 75 or more credit hours of undergraduate coursework, although it is expected that at least 90 credit hours of undergraduate coursework will have been earned by the time the first graduate course is taken.  These students will have provisional acceptance status in the graduate certificate, pending the award of the baccalaureate degree.  To be accepted to this certificate program, the student must apply specifically to this certificate program and follow the Graduate School procedures and requirements.

Up to 12 credit hours earned at the graduate level may be substituted for required undergraduate hours.  In other words, up to 12 twelve credit hours of graduate coursework may be “double counted” toward both the baccalaureate and graduate certificate.  Students use the Early Entry Program Form to detail which courses they plan to “double count” and which courses will be taken solely for graduate credit.

Transfer Credit


Generally, only graduate courses taken at UNC Charlotte count toward the Graduate Certificate. However, 3 credit hours of coursework may be considered for possible transfer into the certificate program if approved by the Department of Languages and Culture Studies.  9 of the 12 credit hours for the Graduate Certificate must be taken in residency.