Curriculum: Online Translation and Localization Management

Asynchronous Courses

All core courses in the online TLM program are asynchronous (no mandatory live class meetings) so you can more easily schedule your weekly coursework around your other personal and professional responsibilities. Your time zone will not affect your ability to complete your coursework so you can study from any location in the world with appropriate technology and internet access.

You can continue working while you earn your online master’s degree.

Some electives, translation, language studies, and intercultural competence courses are only available live but you will have an asynchronous alternative to fulfill your requirements.

Learning Goals

In our online Translation and Localization Management degree, you’ll learn the following:

• Project Management: Manage workflows, developing processes and procedures, prioritizing tasks, recruiting, hiring and managing resources, and implementing computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, crowdsourcing, and machine translation solutions.
• Business Management: Gain proficiency in a variety of key business areas such as globalization, accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, market economics, international business strategy, and data analysis.
• Localization: Develop expertise in using software that enables the internationalization and localization of software, video games, websites, content management systems, print-based desktop publishing formats, and audio-visual formats such as subtitles and dubbing.

Requirements

Core coursework (20 credits)

Language Requirement (8 credits)

Electives (4 credits)

Degree Map/Sample Course Schedule

Core Course Work

20 credits

All core courses are 2 credits each:

• Localization Project Management
• Translation Technology
• Website Localization
• Advanced Translation Technology
• Advanced Localization Project Management
• Multilingual Desktop Publishing
• Program Management
• Terminology Management
• Quality and Supplier Management (Buyer)
• Audio-Visual Localization

Language Requirement

8 credits

You may satisfy the language requirement with courses in Translation, Language Studies, and/or Intercultural Competence (ICC).

Translation

• Take translation courses through our MA in Translation.
• Learn to provide high-quality translation and independently edit and revise pieces using the latest in translation technologies.
• Keep time zones and schedules in mind as online translation courses are currently only available live.
• Translation courses require native or near-native abilities in each of your languages of study. You will submit a Language and Skills Test (LST) to demonstrate proficiency in each of your languages of study. 
• Check out our available languages (all paired with English).
• After taking 4 credits of translation courses, you may complete your language requirement with 4 credits of translation, language studies, or ICC courses.

Language Studies

• Take content-focused courses in your target language at the 300-level or higher. 
• Develop specialized professional vocabulary and content knowledge in your target language, give presentations, and improve your writing skills.
• Keep time zones and schedules in mind as online language studies courses are currently only available live.
• Check out our available languages.
• After taking 4 credits of language studies courses, you may complete your language requirement with translation, language studies, or ICC courses.
• You may transfer up to 4 credits from completing 300-level courses at the Middlebury Summer Language Schools.

Intercultural Competence 

• Learn to manage global and cross-cultural teams, address issues of power and identity, and improve communications through intercultural competence coursework.
• Specific ICC courses are offered asynchronously in the January and summer terms (see sample course schedule below), while other ICC courses are available live during the fall and spring (keep time zones and schedules in mind for live courses)
• Minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores of 105 and 7.5 overall respectively are required for non-native English speakers.
• After taking 2 credits of ICC courses, you may complete your language requirement with translation, language studies, or ICC courses.

Electives

4 credits

Fall Electives

• Designing for Internationalization and Culture (asynchronous)
• Intro to Computer Programming (live)
• Advanced Business Applications (live)
• Help Center Localization (live)
• Financial Side of Localization (live)

Spring Electives

• Software Internationalization and Localization (asynchronous)
• Data-Driven Localization (asynchronous)
• International Marketing for Localizers (asynchronous)
• Games Localization (live)
• Leadership for Localization Management (live)
• Localization Vendor Management (live)
• Localization Quality Management (live)
• Advancing Your Localization Career (live)

Degree Map/Sample Course Schedule

Fall Start, Online, Part-Time