Bachelor of Arts in Translation Studies

The program responds to a growing demand for professional translators well-equipped with linguistic and cultural knowledge to meet the needs of the multinational society of the UAE. The program is designed to provide theoretical and practical training for students to become professional translators, and to introduce them to the requirements of specialized translation. The curriculum ensures students will have the required linguistic fluency and familiarizes them with problems they may face in English-into-Arabic and Arabic-into-English translation. It also introduces them to different ways of solving those problems in light of textual and extra-textual factors that may affect their choices. The curriculum includes various specialized courses such as legal, scientific, media, and business translation, as well as community interpreting. It also offers internship opportunities for students to train in different institutions around the UAE.

Program Objectives

• Develop students’ translation-oriented written and oral proficiency in Arabic and English.
• Familiarize students with the theoretical aspects of translation and interpreting.
• Develop students’ skills in translating and interpreting texts of different types from English into Arabic and vice versa.
• Produce translators with market-oriented skills and ethics.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate translation-related reading and writing skills in English and Arabic.
• Analyze the contrastive differences between English and Arabic at linguistic and cultural levels.
• Explain theoretical concepts of translation.
• Perform translation-oriented text analysis.
• Produce acceptable translations of different text types using different translation techniques.
• Revise translations as per quality parameters, i.e. accuracy of meaning, clarity of language and effectiveness of message.
• Conduct basic interpreting and sight translation tasks between English and Arabic in different job contexts, such as interpreting in courts, hospitals, police stations and schools.
• Demonstrate ethical reasoning in relation to translation issues.
• Work effectively both independently and within a translation team.
• Demonstrate preparedness for continued reflective practice of translation and lifelong learning.
• Conduct translation-related research projects using appropriate research methods and ethical procedures.

Degree Requirements

Required Credit Hours : minimum 120 hours

General Education (Req. CH:33) Cluster 1: Skills for the Future (Req. Ch:15)

Cluster 2: The Human Community (Req. Ch:12)

Cluster 3: The Natural World (Req. Ch:6)

Translation Studies Major (Req. CH:42)

Minors (Req. CH:36)

Free Electives (Req. CH:9)