European masters in translation: A comparative study

The European Masters in Translation is a network of programs selected because they meet quality standards for translator training. An analysis of 67 programs (from 61 universities located in 21 countries) describes how those standards inform actual curricula. The analysis compares the various admission requirements, hands-on language-specific translation classes, courses on the translation profession, internships, and the status accorded to translation theory and research. It is found that there is significant variation between the programs for most of these factors, and a very significant presence of elements that might seem not to be in tune with the strict philosophy of training professionals for a market. In particular, some programs oblige students to do very little language-specific translation practice or internships, which suggests that it is possible to legitimize a Masters in translation in which relatively little controlled translating has to be done.