Here is the M.A. in Translation Studies application review process:
Application Form – The Graduate Studies Committee reviews all applications for the MA in TS; for fall admissions, this process begins on Feb. 1st. Please be sure to submit all materials on time. The Graduate School offers an online application.
Selection Criteria – We consider all aspects of the application: grades, GREs, recommendations, personal statement, and – perhaps most important – your translation or critical writing sample. All non-native speakers of English (except US citizens) must take the TOEFL or the IELTS test.
Writing Sample – We accept either of the following options: a translation sample into your first language, ca. 10 pages in length and accompanied by an introduction explaining the linguistic or cultural problems of the text (the topic of which need not be literary); or an essay on translation (ca. 15 pages) discussing recent translation research, history, text comparisons, or linguistic and cultural analysis. Show us your best work!
Submit the translation or writing sample to:
The MA in Translation Studies
Program in Comparative Literature
University of Massachusetts
403 Herter Hall
161 Presidents Dr.
Amherst, MA 01003-9312
All other application materials should be sent to the Graduate School.
Acceptance Letters – We review applications from February through the beginning of April. Acceptance letters are mailed out as decisions are made.
Financial Aid – On the application, there is a line to mark in order to indicate a need for financial aid. Be advised that we have many applicants for a few slots, so it is very competitive. Many students work on a freelance basis with the Translation Center to supplement their income.
Good luck with the application process. We look forward to reading your application.
Doctor Edwin Gentzler, Director
About the Program | Requirements for Admission | The M.A. Exam | The M.A. Thesis | Distribution Requirements |
About the Program
The Master of Arts in Translation Studies is a separate track of the M.A. in Comparative Literature. Thirty-three credits are required. The degree can be completed in one year, with two semesters of four courses each (12 credits) and a summer spent taking the exam or writing the thesis (9 credits), but most students take two years, taking three courses each for the first two semesters, two courses in the third semester, and a final semester with the thesis or exam. A minimum of two languages are required (one may be English). Students in the program will acquire expertise in practical techniques and strategies of translation as well as a rigorous understanding of the theoretical and cultural stakes of the field.
Requirements for Admission
- Application form and fee
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- One official transcript
- Two or three letters of recommendation
- Proficiency in English
- Excellent knowledge of one language other than English
- Sample of translation with a short introduction, or critical essay (10-15 pages)
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test with a minimum verbal score of 550
- Interntional students need to have taken the TOEFL test with a score of 80 or higher, or its equivalent in IELTS of 6.5 or higher, or have attended a North American college or university on a full-time basis for one year.
Applications and Information
For application information, please see the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts website at http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/prospective_students_application_information_domestic.htm. You may apply online or download an application from the graduate school at http://webapp.spire.umass.edu/admissions/cgi-bin/inquiry/gradinq_display.pl. For information on tuition and fees, please see the graduate school website http://www.umass.edu/grad_catalog/tuition.html. For more information regarding the program and application procedures, contact:
Edwin Gentzler
Professor, Comparative Literature; Director, Translation Center
19 Herter Hall
161 Presidents Drive
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-9312
Tel: 413-545-2203; gentzler@complit.umass.edu
General Requirements
- Completion of thirty-three graduate credits.
- Completion of twelve required credits in Translation Studies and/or Comparative Literature
- Demonstration of bibliographic skills in Comparative Literature and Translation Studies
- Fulfillment of course distribution requirements (see below)
- Successful completion of Capstone Course/Final Project in Translation Studies
- Either: Passing of MA Exam in Translation Studies (see below) or Successful Defense of a Masters Thesis (see below)
The M.A. Exam
Students will be required to demonstrate both language facility in English and one non-English language and expertise in translation and/or interpretation in a written exam of (a) three to four hours on translation/interpretation practice and (b) three to four hours on knowledge acquired from research and study. Texts will be chosen based upon the students’ specialization (literature, business, or technical). If the student selects the exam option, the student will need to declare a particular area of interest (e.g., translation theory, cultural studies, postcolonial translation theory, literary theory) and turn in a reading list comprised of 20 items. The exam serves both to give the student a practical certification and to allow the student to demonstrate knowledge and skills acquired through the first 24 credits of study. Up to 7 of 20 items of the exam may be satisfied by a portfolio of separate exercises, (emulations, adaptations), applications (of theory) or critical assessments.
The M.A. Thesis
The student may (1) write on an aspect of translation theory; (2) prepare a descriptive studies project (a comparison of several translations of one original text); (3) translate a collection of poems or short stories, a novel, a play; a filmscript or (4) translate a selection of scientific, legal, medical, technical, and/or business texts. The translation is to be accompanied by a substantial introduction (25-30 pages) explaining the decision-making process. The essay and/or translation must be of publishable quality; the thesis itself should be between 75-90 pages in length, inclusive of bibliography and notes.
Distribution Requirements
| Distribution | Graduate Credits |
| Comparative Literature/Translation | 12 |
| Primary language | 6 |
| Secondary language | 3 |
| Elective Capstone/Final Project |
3 3 |
| Thesis or Exam | 6 |
| Total graduate credits: | 33 |
Up to 6 credits of graduate level independent study may be counted toward
the degree.
Note: Download the Comparative Literature Statement of Procedure for graduate programs (PDF file) at http://www.umass.edu/complit/CompLit-statement-procedure.pdf for a printer-friendly version of these pages in one document. University entrance requirements and other Graduate School regulations can be found online in the Graduate School Bulletin at http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/bulletin.html.