CAS Specialised Translation ("CAS Fachübersetzen")

This certificate of advanced studies course "CAS Fachübersetzen" (the language of instruction is German) provides participants with an opportunity to extend their translation skills and to broaden their knowledge in the fields of economics, law and technology. Participants gain greater confidence in dealing with specialised texts and will, by the time they have completed the course, have mastered new techniques for acquiring additional knowledge.

Target audience

The course is designed for translators and interpreters with university degrees (ZHAW or DOZ, ETI or other tertiary education institutions). Non-graduate translators and interpreters and applicants from related fields of work may also be admitted if they can demonstrate several years of relevant practical experience.

The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) course in Specialised Translation also prepares its participants for the aptitude assessment for admission to the M.A. degree programme in Applied Linguistics (with Professional Translation as its major subject).

Course structure

In addition to specialist and methodological input, practice-oriented exercises and work in translation and writing workshops are the principal means by which the course helps participants to develop their translation expertise. The curriculum places particular emphasis on exercises using new information technology, and workshops are held which enable participants to become acquainted with current software and practise working with it.

Course content

The course comprises six subject areas:

• Fundamental theoretical principles of translation

• Development of translation skills
  Workshops allow participants to hone their language-pair translation competences in analysis, research, formulation and editing
• Software for translators and interpreters
• Specialist knowledge in economics, law and technology
• Research techniques and communication
• Fundamental principles of terminology

Language of instruction

The principal language of instruction is German.

Final paper

The final paper which participants in this CAS course write takes the form of a commented translation (generally of a text relating to the field in which they work). Its purpose is to test each participant’s ability to apply rigorous theoretical principles to translating a specific text. This work is supervised by professional translators and faculty members teaching translation.

Course duration and scheduling of lessons

The course schedule comprises a total of 130 on-campus lessons. Lessons are generally held on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. The course commences in October 2011 and ends in June 2012.

Qualification on completion

Participants successfully completing the course are awarded a ZHAW Certificate of Advanced Studies and also earn 15 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points. Some of these credits can be counted towards the ECTS credit requirement for admission to the master’s degree programme in Applied Linguistics (with Professional Translation as its major subject).

Faculty

Zurich University of Applied Sciences faculty, experienced practitioners from the fields of translation and interpreting, guest lecturers for specific subject areas.

Course director

Andrea Thomas-Spengler, MA, dipl. Übersetzerin FH

Head of Continuing Education, School of Applied Linguistics

Venue

ZHAW, Theaterstrasse 15c, 8401 Winterthur (5 minutes’ walk from Winterthur main station)

Fees

The course fees are CHF 5400.

Enrolment

Completed application forms should be submitted by August 31, 2011. Requests for applications forms may be made by e-mail (weiterbildung.linguistik(at)zhaw.ch) or telephone (+41 58 934 6161) or you can download the form here (in German only). The number of course participants is limited and applications will be processed in the sequence in which they are received.

Cancellation

All cancellations must be made in writing. Cancellations made before the enrolment deadline incur no costs. If cancellation is made after the enrolment deadline, participants who do not put forward replacement attendees will be required to pay half the course fees, and a minimum cancellation fee of 5% will apply for all cancellations received after the enrolment deadline. Participants cancelling after the course has commenced, failing to attend the course or ceasing to attend during the duration of the course will be required to pay the full course fees.

Further information on the general terms and conditions is available here.