Bachelor of Arts in Translation

The BA degree programme in Translation, with specialisations in Multilingual Communication, Multimodal Communication or Technical Communication, qualifies its graduates to meet the communication challenges arising at the interfaces between languages, cultures and professions.

The course lasts three years and culminates in the award of a Bachelor of Arts in Translation degree. Students may choose to specialise in Multilingual Communication, Multimodal Communication or Technical Communication.

In their first year of study (<span style="font-weight: bold;">the foundation year</span>) students consolidate their communicative and linguistic skills and acquire a fundamental knowledge of a number of specialist subject areas which will be important for their future work. These are Information Technology, Marketing, Law and Technology.
During their <span style="font-weight: bold;">main course</span> of study students then perfect their linguistic competence and gain a sound, practice-oriented knowledge of language and communication.

The principal focus of their studies will depend on which one of the following three possible areas of specialisation students choose:

• Multilingual Communication: primary language and at least two other languages, oral linguistic intermediation, plus project, event and information management
• Multimodal Communication: primary language and at least two other languages, interlingual translation (translation between these languages), intralingual translation (adaptation, within one language, of texts to suit different target audiences and text media), terminology, project management, knowledge of the cultures associated with the languages studied, and familiarity with translation tools
• Technical Communication: German, English and at least one other language, technology, standardised, database-compatible preparation and management of information, formulation of technical texts for various target groups, communicative objectives and media

The following school leaving certificates qualify candidates for admission: Swiss vocational baccalaureate (in German, „Berufsmatura“), Swiss general baccalaureate (in German, „gymnasiale Matura“), a commercial diploma recognised by the Swiss Confederation on completion of three years’ training (in German, „eidgenössisch anerkanntes Handelsdiplom nach dreijähriger Ausbildung“), Swiss specialised secondary school diploma awarded after three years’ training (in German, “Diplom-Mittelschul-Abschluss nach dreijähriger Ausbildung), a Swiss specialist baccalaureate (in German, „Fachmatura“), or a qualification from another country which is equivalent to any of these.
All candidates wishing to enrol will also be required to pass aptitude assessment.

This BA is offered by the IUED, Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
Academic Office