Master of Translation and Interpretation (MTI) Program
in Beijing Language and Culture University
for International Students
Beijing Language and Culture University has been approved to offer Master of Translation and Interpretation (MTI) program in 2008. At present, the university offer a master's program in interpreting and translation in 8 languages (English, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, French, German and Spanish).
I. Training Objectives
Leveraging the university’s advantage as a “Mini United Nations”, this program integrates and optimizes domestic and international resources in translation education and research. It aims to cultivate high-level, application-oriented, and professional language service talents who:
· possess a global vision and a sense of mission in promoting international communication and peace;
· are well-equipped to adapt to global economic integration and contribute to social, economic, and cultural development;
· can efficiently handle cross-cultural communication tasks in different fields, subjects, and text types related to translation and interpreting.
Graduates will:
· be proficient in their working languages and possess solid theoretical foundations and systematic specialized knowledge in the field;
· develop critical thinking, cross-cultural communication competence, broad knowledge, and strong professional ethics;
· understand Chinese and foreign societies and cultures while mastering translation and interpreting skills;
· be adept at using translation tools and familiar with industry workflows.
· possess independent thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Graduates will be well-prepared for careers in diplomacy, business, trade, education, and other cross-cultural communication sectors, working as translators, interpreters, or professionals in intercultural exchanges.
II. Target Students and Admission Methods
Applicants are required to have a Chinese proficiency level of HSK 5 or above, and their other foreign language must be at a native level or at least C1 level. After examination and approval of the application materials, applicants will participate in a reexamination and be admitted on a selective basis. Enrollment takes place in the fall.
III. Length of Study:
Full-time, usually 2 years of study.
IV. Training Method
1. Credit System
Students must pass the required public and major course examinations and obtain the required credits; After completing 38 credits, they can begin writing their thesis. Upon completing the required professional internship and successfully defending their thesis, they will be awarded a master's degree.
2. Training Path
The MTI program is designed to provide high-level and internationalized training. It adopts various innovative approaches, including mixed classes for Chinese and international students, project-based learning, university-enterprise joint courses, industry expert lectures, internationalized project management, and integration of domestic and foreign resources. Interpreting courses are conducted using modern internet technology, interpretation laboratories, and multimedia classrooms. Translation courses follow a project-based teaching model, making full use of computer-assisted translation labs. The faculty for MTI professional courses consists of experienced translation and interpreting practitioners with extensive real-world expertise. Many have published numerous papers on translation and interpretation, provided translation services for key national institutions and enterprises, performed interpretation at major events, and are well-versed in the latest technologies and trends in the language services industry. They have a deep understanding of employer expectations and international communication standards. Additionally, the program invites renowned translation scholars and industry experts from both China and abroad to deliver lectures, conduct seminars, and supervise theses for MTI students.
3. Major Practice Requirements
During the course of study, students major in translation must complete over 150,000 words of translation practice, and students major in interpretation must complete at least 300 tape-time interpretation practice.
4. Double-supervisor System
A mentorship team is formed by university professors who hold a master's degree advisor qualification, in combination with experienced high-level translators/interpreters and industry experts both within and outside the university. This team will jointly guide students in their professional studies and thesis research.
V. Curriculum
1. Features of the Curriculum: While ensuring the basic skills and knowledge are learned, the MTI curriculum has the following key features:
l Complementary Practical and Theoretical Courses Courses such as Translation Theory and Practice, English-Chinese Contrastive Translation, Language and Translation, and Translation Criticism broaden students' perspectives on translation theory and research. These courses provide theoretical support to help students understand or address issues encountered in translation practice.
l Combining Classroom Teaching with Translation Projects Courses like News Translation, Official Document Translation, Foreign Affairs Practice, Practical Translation, and Literary Translation incorporate real translation tasks into classroom teaching through university-enterprise collaboration, project-based learning, and simulated translation companies. This approach promotes problem discussions and enhances students' translation skills.
l Focus on Developing Professional Translation Abilities Through courses in translation project management and computer-assisted translation, the programs aim to align students' translation concepts and work modes with real-world translation practices. It helps improve their professional abilities, including management and quality control skills.
l Complementarity of Chinese and Foreign Students Taking advantage of diverse backgrounds of international students in Beijing Language and Culture University, the programs adopt a multilingual approach, offering courses in English, French, and other languages. It also integrates Chinese and foreign students in joint classes, leveraging their complementary strengths in language and culture to improve the quality of language instruction and enhance the interactive learning experience.
l Cross-Language Sharing of Teaching Resources Courses such as Translation Theory and Practice, Sports and Translation, International Organizations Overview, Translation Project Management, Computer-Assisted Translation, and Translation Practice are shared across language directions. Graduate students in different translation languages can collaborate across language barriers, learning together and growing collectively.
2. Credit Requirements
The MTI programs include compulsory and elective courses, with a total of no less than 48 credits. The credit breakdown is as follows:
Total credit 48 credits=degree courses (38 credits) [compulsory public courses (12 credits)+ compulsory professional courses (11 credits)+ elective professional courses (15 credits)]+compulsory teaching activities (teaching, social practice and services) (6 credits)+thesis (4 credits)
1. Degree Courses (38 credits)
Compulsory Public Course (12 credits)
(1) Understanding Contemporary China: 4 credits; (2) Chinese Human Geography: 4 credits; (3) Chinese Topic Discussion: 4 credits
Translation:
Compulsory Professional Courses (11 credits)
(1) Translation Theory and Practice: 2 credits; (2) Interpretation Theory and Techniques: 2 credits; (3) Comparison and Translation of Foreign language and Chinese: 2 credits; (4) Translation Projects: 5 credits
Elective Professional Courses (15 credits): Elective core courses (no less than 8 credits) and Professional Elective Courses
Professional Core Courses: (1) Business Translation: 2 credits; (2) Scientific and Technological Translation: 2 credits; (3) Computer-Aided Translation (MOOC): 2 credits; (4) Literary Translation: 2 credits; (5) Foreign Translation of Chinese Culture: 2 credits; (6) Translation Localization Industry Overview (MOOC): 2 credits; (7) Legal Translation: 1 credit; (8) Comparison and Translation of Foreign language and Chinese: 2 credits
Elective Professional Courses: (1) Interpretation (1): 2 credits; (2) Interpretation (2): 2 credits; (3) Terminology: 2 credits; (4) Localized Project Management: 2 credits; (5) News Compilation: 2 credits; (6) Translation Project Management: 2 credits; (7) Translation of International Organization Literature: 2 credits; (8) Paper Writing Method of Translation Major: 2 credits; (9) History of English Language: 2 credits; (10) Introduction to Language Services: 2 credits; (11) English Translation of Classical Prose: 2 credits; (12) Comparison of English Literary Translations: 2 credits; (13) Content Management System Design and Development: 2 credits; (14) Translation and Localization Engineering Practice: 2 credits; (15) Terminology and Terminology Information Processing: 2 credits; (16) Editorial Studies (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (17) Cultural entrepreneurship: Internationalization and Localization (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (18) Publishing Science (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (19) Book Marketing (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (20) Advanced Foreign Language Reading and Writing: 2 credits; (21) Advanced Foreign Language Listening and Speaking: 2 credits
Interpretation:
Compulsory Professional Courses (11 credits)
(1) Translation Theory and Practice: 2 credits; (2) Interpretation Theory and Techniques: 2 credits; (3) Comparison and Translation of Foreign language and Chinese: 2 credits; (4) Interpretation Project: 5 credits
Elective Professional Courses (15 credits): Professional Core Courses and Professional Elective Courses
Professional Core Courses: (1) Interpretation Methodology: 2 credits; (2) General Translation (1): 2 credits; (3) Computer-Aided Translation (MOOC): 2 credits; (4) Simultaneous Interpretation B-A (2): 1 credit; (5) Simultaneous Interpretation A-B (2): 1 credit; (6) Themed Simultaneous Interpretation (1): 2 credits; (7) Themed Simultaneous Interpretation (2): 1 credit; (8) Sight Interpreting: 2 credits
Professional Elective Courses: (1) General Translation (2): 2 credits; (2) Public Speaking: 2 credits; (3) Terminology: 2 credits; (4) News Compilation: 2 credits; (5) Translation Project Management: 2 credits; (6) Translation of International Organization Literature: 2 credits; (7) Paper Writing Method of Translation Major: 2 credits; (8) Interpretation Workshop: 2 credits; (9) Introduction to Language Services: 2 credits; (10) Editorial Studies (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (11) Cultural entrepreneurship: Internationalization and Localization (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (12) Publishing Science (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (13) Book Marketing (University-Enterprise Cooperation): 1 credit; (14) Advanced Foreign Language Reading and Writing: 2 credits; (15) Advanced Foreign Language Listening and Speaking: 2 credits
VI. Internship, Practice and Social Services
During their studies, students must complete:
l Translation practice as outlined in Section III;
l At least 30 working days of social practice, internships, or social service (such as teaching assistantships, administrative assistantships, or on-campus volunteer work).
l Participation in at least three academic activities related to their field.
l Submission of a thesis proposal.
After completing the internship, students must submit an official internship evaluation report issued and stamped by the internship organization as proof of completion.
VII. Master’s Thesis
The master’s thesis can take one of the following forms:
1. Translation Internship Report – Under the supervision of a faculty advisor, students participate in translation or interpreting internships and write an internship report of no less than 15,000 words.
2. Translation Practice Report – Students select a source text in Chinese or a foreign language for an original translation (at least 10,000 Chinese characters). They must also submit a practice report of at least 15,000 words analyzing the translation process.
3. Translation Experiment Report – Students conduct an experimental study on a specific aspect of interpreting or translation and write an experiment report of no less than 15,000 words analyzing the findings.
4. Translation Research Paper – Students conduct research on a translation-related topic and write a research paper of at least 15,000 words under faculty supervision.
For international students, the thesis must be written in Chinese and must combine theory with practice while following academic writing standards.
Theses undergo an anonymous review process, with at least one external reviewer. A thesis must receive approval from at least two reviewers before proceeding to the defense stage. The defense committee consists of at least three members, including at least one expert with extensive translation or interpreting experience and a senior professional title.
VIII. Degree Conferral
Students who successfully complete the required coursework, professional internships, and pass their thesis defense will be awarded the Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) degree.
