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.
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 analyses. 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 | General Requirements | The M.A. Exam | The M.A. Thesis | Distribution Requirements | Applications and Information
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, including the summer, with two semesters of four courses each (12 credits each) and a summer spent writing the thesis (9 credits). Two languages are required (one may be English). Students will explore practical techniques and strategies of translation in addition to theoretical and cultural studies implications of their field.
Requirements for Admission
- Application form and fee
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Two official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Proficiency in English
- Excellent knowledge of one foreign language
- Sample of translation or critical essay
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test
- Foreign students need to have taken the TOEFL test or have attended a North American college or university on a full-time basis for one year.
General Requirements
- Completion of thirty-three graduate credits.
- Completion of twelve required credits in Comparative Literature
- Fulfillment of course distribution requirements (see below)
- Passing of a MA exam in translation studies
- Demonstration of bibliographic skills in comparative literature and translation
- Thesis
The M.A. Exam
Students will be required to demonstrate both their foreign language facility and their expertise in translation and/or interpretation. Texts will be chosen based upon the students’ specialization (literature, business, or technical). The exam serves both to give the student a practical certification and to allow the student to demonstrate skills acquired through the first 24 credits of study.
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; or (4) translate a selection of scientific, legal, medical, technical, and/or business texts. The translation is to be accompanied by a substantial introduction explaining the decision-making process. The essay and/or translation must be of publishable quality.
Distribution Requirements
| Credit Distributions | M.A. in Translation Studies |
| Comparative Literature | 12 |
| Primary language | 6 |
| Secondary language | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Thesis | 9 |
| total credits: | 33 |
Up to 3 credits of special problems may be counted toward
the degree.
Applications and Information
The Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst offers an online application. For more information regarding the program and application procedures, contact:
Comparative Literature Graduate Program Director
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
University of Massachusetts
Herter Annex, Rm 129A
161 Presidents Dr
Amherst MA 01003-9312
Tel: 413-545-0929
Fax: 413-545-0908
Director
Translation Center
University of Massachusetts
19 Herter Hall
161 Presidents Drive
Amherst, MA 01003-9312
Tel: 413-545-2203;
Fax: 413-577-3400
Toll Free: 877-77U-MASS
e-mail: umass.translation@umasstranslation.com
Note: Download the Comparative Literature Statement of Procedure for graduate programs (PDF file) 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.