Master of Arts in Translation

Master of Arts in Translation and Localization Management

The MATLM degree is organized around three axes of training: translation, technology, and business management. The translation track will develop students�translation skills, as well as their language and cultural proficiency, through core courses offered, as well as elective courses from the other schools at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The technical courses developed at the Monterey Institute will cover translation technology, software and web site localization, translation automation, processes standardization, IT/workflow strategies, and project management tools. Tools used in class include Alchemy Catalyst, Passolo, SDLX and TRADOS, Star Transit and Workflow. Finally, the business track will cover key business management areas, such as principles of project management, multilingual marketing, managerial economics, product development, and international business strategy in courses offered by the School of International Policy and Management.

To complement the coursework, students will also have the opportunity to work on localization projects through internships and other career events offered through the Career Management Office. Companies offering internships and participating in training events at the Institute include CISCO, Hewlett-Packard, Lionbridge Technologies, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and Seagate Technology.

Although interpretation and translation have much in common, the practice of each profession differs in the same way that written language differs from spoken. Thus, both translation and interpretation involve careful analysis of meaning in context and attention to extra-linguistic aspects of communication. Interpreters must be good public speakers who are adept at grasping meaning and solving complex linguistic problems quickly, whereas translators must be able to conduct thorough and meticulous research and produce accurate, camera-ready documents while adhering to tight deadlines.

Translation and interpretation are indeed complementary pursuits: The research conducted for a translation project can enhance in-depth knowledge of a given subject and ease preparation for a subsequent interpreting assignment, while the spontaneity necessary for interpretation can increase the speed with which translation assignments can be completed. By the same token, the training received in the MATI program is complementary in that students reinforce their mastery of the written and oral aspects of their working languages by performing both translation and interpretation of related texts. Recent technological innovations blur the distinction between the two.

Many clients, unaware of the distinction between the two aspects of the profession, expect the same person to be able to perform both tasks. As a result, more than 60 percent of students choose to pursue an MATI degree. Graduates have found that being able to provide both translation and interpretation services gives them a significant edge in today’s competitive job market.

Translation involves transferring a written message from one language to another. The text to be translated may be a treaty, a law, or a press release; a user manual, bidding specifications, or engineering plans; a novel, a poem, or a play; a handwritten letter, a medical textbook, or a historical document: in short, anything that is written is a potential translation assignment.

The United States, unlike many other countries, does not require any licensing or certification of translators and interpreters. In the absence of licensing and certification, the Monterey Institute degree attests to the high quality of graduates.

As with other professions, computers are an essential tool for translators. Not only does the professional translator rely on the personal computer for word processing, desktop publishing, and glossary databases, but in-house translators work on networks that feature computer aids such as glossary management and translation software. Translators who work with machine translation software must become adept at the pre- and post-editing that such programs require. In addition, many translators become involved in the design and engineering of translation software, performing tasks such as building dictionaries and writing rules for parsing. Another aspect of the software industry that relies heavily on translators is localization, the adaptation of programs and user manuals to other linguistic and cultural environments.

Translators work as full-time employees or as freelancers for international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States; they are employed by government agencies including the Department of State and the National Security Agency and work for nonprofit organizations like the Red Cross and church organizations; private companies, such as software developers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, international corporations and law firms, as well as translation agencies.

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