Graduate Degrees
APPLY NOW REQUEST INFO GRADUATE COLLEGEWe offer 6 graduate degrees in Spanish Translation and Interpreting. All of them taught on a 100% online format, our programs gather the expertise of over a dozen highly specialized faculty from several countries in Europe and the Americas. Serving students from, literally, all over the world, our programs have graduated students from or located in Texas, the U.S. and several countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Uruguay.
Degrees
Browse the following links to learn more about our graduate programs in T&I.
- Master of Arts in Spanish Translation and Interpreting, which ranked first in the United States.
- Graduate Certificate in Court Interpreting
- Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting
- Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation
- Graduate Certificate in Localization and Audiovisual Translation
- Graduate Certificate in Spanish Translation
All courses in the Graduate Certificates count towards an eventual completion of the MA degree (15 credits out of 36).
Our courses are designed for individuals who are fully bilingual, with native or near-native fluency and literacy in both Spanish and English, and with some previous experience (professional, academic, or volunteer) in translation and/or interpreting. The program is not specifically designed for language acquisition or improvement. Many of our students are already practicing professionals or graduates with degrees in T&I. This does not preclude the admission of other kinds of profiles, provided that candidates perform well in the entry test and meet all other requirements for admission.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications will be accepted year round and prospective students are encouraged to apply at least 2 months before classes start to ensure a timely application review.
We typically offer at least one entry-level course every semester, including Summer Session, so it is possible to start out in most of the programs during three different “entry-points” (Fall, Spring and Summer).
For more information regarding general admission requirements, please visit the Graduate College webpage.
THE NATURE OF OUR ONLINE PROGRAMS
There is no need to be physically present in UTRGV at any time during the process; from admission to graduation, students can to complete all the requirements online from wherever your location is. We have students from all over the United States and several other countries, some of them in remote and isolated locations.
Interaction with instructors takes place throughout the week via our discussion boards. No synchronic interaction is necessary (i.e., students do not need to log in on a specific day and time: all activities and interaction can be conducted at the student's best convenience, a.m. or p.m.). Feedback from instructors is always intensive, and students are expected to be responsive and to engage actively in discussion. A commitment of no less than 6 hours weekly per course is needed in order to keep up with the pace of the readings, activities, revisions, etc. These hours can be distributed throughout the week as best suits the student's schedule. Some pack everything into a couple of days a week, others prefer to devote a couple of hours a day per course.
In some courses (especially the Interpreting ones), intensive video and audio interaction takes place. Students do not need to purchase any specific software for this or for any other aspect of the program. All courses provide most materials online, although some special courses (mostly elective courses) may occasionally require the purchase of additional books.
Our courses have a common structure of 6 biweekly units, covering theory (first week) and practice (second week), comprising a total of 15 weeks:
- Week 1:
- Introduction to the course
- Weeks 2-13:
- Biweekly units
- Week 14:
- Review
- Week 15:
- Final exam / project
When offered, Summer courses are intensive and last five weeks, with one unit every week.
COMPLETION TIMES
Our courses are very demanding. They typically require between 6 and 10 hours of engagement weekly, per course.
Generally, ONE course per semester is recommended for students who work full time and have significant family commitments. Two courses per semester are recommended for students who work full time and have limited family commitments, or students who work part-time with significant family commitments. Three courses (full-time status) are recommended ONLY to students with limited professional commitments.
In order to complete the Graduate Certificates in one year, two courses per semester are recommended in the Fall and the Spring semesters, and then an extra course in the Summer. At a pace of one course per semester, including at least one summer, most of the Certificates can be completed in two years.
In order to complete the Master’s program in one year and a half, three courses per semester are needed during three consecutive long semesters, and then three additional courses in total during the first and the second summer (2+1, or 1+2). At a pace of two courses per semester (plus one course in the summer), the MA program can be completed in two years and half. Because of nature of the required course rotations, at least two courses in the MA need to be taken in the summer.
STANDARD COURSE ROTATION (good through Fall 2022)
FALL
- SPAN/TRSP-6343 English to Spanish Translation
- SPAN/TRSP-6345 Topics in Translation (varying topic) (alternate years)
- SPAN/TRSP-6347 Translation Technologies
- SPAN/TRSP-6348 Audiovisual Translation (alternate years)
- SPAN/TRSP-6395 Translation/Research Project
SPRING
- SPAN/TRSP-6340 Translation Theory
- SPAN/TRSP-6342 Spanish to English Translation
- SPAN/TRSP-6344 Translation of Legal Documents (alternate years)
- SPAN/TRSP-6346 Business and Finance Translation (alternate years)
- INTG 6377 Simultaneous Interpreting (alternate years)
- INTG 6378 Court Interpreting (alternate years)
SUMMER (SESSIONS I & II)
- SPAN/TRSP-6345 Topics in Translation (topic in Grammar)
- INTG-6376 Consecutive Interpreting
- INTG-6380 Medical Interpreting and Terminology