Studies & Degrees in Translation and Interpretation
Translation and Interpretation Study Programs
Translation and interpretation are two related professions. Both convert information from one language into another, but translators work with written text and interpreters work with spoken or sign language. A degree in the field trains students in both, and most programmes let them lean towards one of the two in the final years.
What students learn
Programmes are built around a first language (language A), a main foreign language (language B) and usually a second foreign language (language C). Translators normally work into their native language. The usual subjects are:
- General and specialised translation: legal, economic, scientific, technical, audiovisual and literary texts
- Interpreting: consecutive interpreting, where the interpreter speaks after the speaker has stopped, and simultaneous interpreting, where both speak at the same time
- Translation technology: nearly all translators use software, including computer-assisted translation tools and machine translation
- Terminology, documentation, and the culture and institutions of the countries concerned
- Localisation: adapting websites, software and other products for another market
Qualifications and levels
Bachelor's degree. In Spain, translation and interpretation is a bachelor's degree (grado) of its own with 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, the Grado en Traducción e Interpretación lasts four years, has 240 ECTS credits and offers 110 places for new students, with English or French as language B. In the United Kingdom, London Metropolitan University teaches a Translation BA that combines English with French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Polish or Russian; applicants must be fluent or proficient in both English and the chosen language. At York University in Toronto, the translation programme is taught at the bilingual Glendon campus and includes credited internships. Western Sydney University lists a three-year Bachelor of Arts (Interpreting and Translation).
Master's degree. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Many specialise in one area: conference interpreting, audiovisual translation, legal translation or public service interpreting. The Máster Universitario en Comunicación Intercultural, Interpretación y Traducción en los Servicios Públicos of the Universidad de Alcalá has 60 ECTS credits, takes one academic year full-time or two part-time, and is offered in five language pairs: Chinese, Arabic, English, French or Russian with Spanish. The Master of Interpreting and Translation of Western Sydney University takes two years full-time.
Quality labels and professional certification. The European Master's in Translation (EMT) is a quality label created by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation for master's programmes. According to the Commission (page updated in May 2026), the EMT network includes 81 programmes at 79 universities in 24 countries. In Australia, NAATI is the national standards and certifying authority for translators and interpreters. A university degree and a professional certification are different things, so it is worth asking each school which one its programme leads to.
Sworn translators in Spain
Official translations between Spanish and a foreign language can only be made by holders of the title of Traductor/a Jurado/a or Intérprete Jurado/a, which is granted by the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación. Their translations can be submitted to courts and public authorities. The main route to the title is an examination that the ministry holds periodically; the other is recognition of a similar professional qualification from another EU or EEA state. Both routes require citizenship of an EU or EEA member state. For Catalan, Galician and Basque, the regional governments award their own titles.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 76 active schools for translation and interpretation. Spain has 27 and the United States 10. Canada follows with three, and Costa Rica, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, South Korea, Austria and France have two each.
In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Alicante, the Universidad de Vigo, the Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio and the Universidad Europea de Madrid. Abroad it includes London Metropolitan University, York University, Western Sydney University and Northeastern University.
The language of instruction matters more here than in most subjects. Spanish programmes are taught in Spanish plus the foreign languages chosen, and Spanish is normally language A. International students whose first language is not Spanish should check with the university which language combinations it accepts.
Careers
Graduates work as translators, conference, court or medical interpreters, localisers, subtitlers, proofreaders, terminologists and project managers in translation companies, and in international organisations.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counted about 73,900 jobs for interpreters and translators in the United States in 2025. Professional, scientific and technical services employed 30% of them, and 28% were self-employed. The BLS projects employment to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,000 openings a year. It notes that software and artificial intelligence make translators more efficient, but that many of these jobs cannot be entirely automated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between translation and interpretation?
Translators work with written text. Interpreters work with spoken or sign language, either after the speaker has stopped (consecutive) or at the same time (simultaneous).
How long does a translation and interpretation degree take?
In Spain the bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. An official master's degree adds 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
Do I need a degree to work as a translator?
According to the BLS, interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree, together with proficiency in at least two languages. Some activities, such as sworn translation in Spain, also require a specific official title.