Master of Arts in Translation, Interpretation, and Localization Management

Launch your career in the $60 billion language services industry with in-person and online programs.

We offer multiple degrees that will prepare you for a career as a translator, conference interpreter, community interpreter, localization project manager, or almost any role in the languages services industry. Our graduates work for organizations like the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, Google, TransPerfect, and more.

Programs range from semesterlong nondegree courses to four-semester, 60-credit master’s degrees and six-semester, 82-credit joint degrees. On-site courses take place at our Monterey, California, campus and online courses are available.

Find Out Which Program Is Right For You

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Program	Start Term	Credits	Duration	On-Site	Online
Translation and Interpretation Degrees	Fall	60	4 semesters	Monterey, California	n/a
Translation and Localization Management (TLM)	Fall	60	4 semesters	Monterey, California	n/a
Joint Degrees	Fall	82	6 semesters	Monterey, California	n/a
Online Translation and Localization Management	Fall	32	2-year, part time	n/a	Asynchronous
Online Localization Learning Paths (nondegree)	Fall or spring	Various	Flexible	n/a	Asynchronous

Program Highlights

MA in Translation, MA in Translation and Interpretation, and MA in Conference Interpretation

Explore both translation and interpretation during your first year, then work with advisors to finalize your degree choice. You will need native and near-native fluency in your languages of study. Learn more.

MA in Translation and Localization Management (TLM)

Expand your career opportunities through this STEM-designated master’s program. Develop the language, business, and technology skills you need for success in this rapidly growing field. Learn more.

Joint MA in Translation and Interpretation/Translation and Localization Management

Launch a flexible career in the language services industry—earn two master’s degrees in three years by combining translation and/or interpretation with TLM. Learn more.

Online MA in Translation and Localization Management

Advance your career and continue to work while you complete this part-time, advanced-entry, fully online degree on a schedule that works best for you. Learn more.

Nondegree Localization Learning Paths

Take individual courses from the online TLM as a nondegree student. Related courses are grouped into learning paths to build your expertise in high-demand areas. Learn more.

Languages of Study

Translation and interpretation students focus on one (or two) of the following languages, all paired with English: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, or Spanish.

TLM students either take translation courses or content-based courses, which include Arabic.

Online TLM students take intercultural competence courses.

The professor leads a class through an exercise. — World-renowned Training for Translation and Interpretation Professionals

Transcript

At the Middlebury Institute, we offer an MA in translation and and MA in translation and interpretation, and an MA in conference interpretation. There is no where else where you can really get the professional training and the sound academic environment that we provide here at the institute, and for me that was the real draw. I really loved the blend of the academics and the professional and the type of professionals that it prepares for the world out there.

I chose this program because I want to be an interpreter and this is one of the best schools in the world. Here at the institute I learned how to interpret both consecutively and simultaneously in both directions into English and into Spanish.

In all of our classes, we’re asking students to engaged in activities that they’ll be engaged in as translators, interpreters and localization specialists. Whether they’re interpreting for international visitors or international conferences, localizing materials for various agencies, or translating documents for people.

Everything that they do is tied into their education and then of course provides them with those great experiences to put on their resume that they’ve done while they’re here with us.

My favorite class in the program is the practicum, interpretation practicum class, because that’s when we actually get to do real life assignments. We’re in the actual booth wearing headsets, speaking into the microphone, and sometimes people are actually relying on our interpretation to listen to the event.

I don’t think there are many places in the world where you can go and really find so many people, and pretty much everyone on campus has lived, worked and traveled overseas. And the multitude of languages spoken here is really impressive as well. And I think that makes for a very vibrant campus community. Everyone really has done fascinating things.

Knowing a language is also knowing about the culture. So it’s really helpful when you can actually interact with people coming from another country and to get to know them.

From the day students set foot on this campus, the faculty really treats them as colleagues. The programs are relatively short, and in two years, in fact if not sooner, our students and our colleagues are working together out there in the community. So I think that provides for really unique mentoring relationships.

The faculty here at the institute is very helpful and very accessible. They are working in the field, so they are translators and interpreters. So whenever we have a question related to the profession, they have the answer, and they are willing to help us become one of them, one of their colleagues.

This experience has been really life-changing to me because I was doing something else with my life before and now coming here I’m more sure than ever that I really want to do this for the rest of my life.

If you are looking to be a translator and interpreter, and be ready to start working once you graduate, this is the place where you wanna be.

Launch Your Career

Career and Academic Advising

Your career and academic advising are coordinated, ensuring you align your coursework with your career goals.

Alumni Network

Our large and influential alumni network are eager to help you prepare for your next steps.

Careers

Our graduates are often hired before they complete their program, leveraging real-world projects from their classes, internships, and practicum to showcase their relevant professional experience.

5 master’s programs

3 joint master’s programs

Curriculum

Practical Experience

Your classes will often feature work with real-world texts and actual clients, allowing you to develop practical skills before you graduate. You will also have opportunities to interpret for high-profile events on campus.

Technology

The language services environment is increasingly supported by integrated systems and artificial intelligence. You’ll learn to use the latest translation and localization software, practice interpretation in our state-of-the-art simultaneous interpretation labs, and benefit from industry-focused electives.

Customize Your Degree

The flexibility in our curriculum gives you opportunities to customize your degree through career-related electives, a professional practicum, internships, intercultural competence courses, joint degrees, and optional specializations.

Play Video — Our Professors Are Also Professionals

Every day Martiño Prada uses his TLM degree experience in his work on the globalization team at Netflix, and he credits working with professors who are also industry professionals for helping him gain the necessary skills and hands-on expertise.

Transcript

My name is Martino Prada. I work at Netflix as a program manager on the globalization team and I’m a TLM graduate.

As a program manager, I think about ways to localize our content in the most efficient way, so our users can enjoy the Netflix shows and movies and have a seamless experience from a product perspective, from a content perspective.

For example, thinking about how can we localize the content that we get from India into the rest of the languages in the world? And what sort of strategies we can use to adapt the language, the visuals, how the shows are presented in the product.

“The trip to Asia was awesome. We learned a lot and I brought back a bunch of plans and initiatives.”

I chose the Middlebury Institute because I thought the TLM program is unique in many ways. It was very career-focused and very practical. We got to understand from professionals in the industry how their day-to-day works, what are the things that they do in their companies. I think that was very valuable. The fact that our professors are actually professionals with experience in the industry.

A lot of the classes were very hands-on. We actually had to manage localization projects and actually deal with real clients and build solutions for localization problems.

Honestly, MIIS just opened my mind and opened the doors for the opportunity to explore my potential as a professional and it opened the doors for a great career that I know I wouldn’t have been able to have without those two years at MIIS, without that opportunity.

Faculty: Professors and Practitioners

Our faculty combine academic expertise with years of professional experience in the language services industry, performing high-profile work at the Olympics, in literature and research, in nonprofit organizations, and in private businesses.

Research and Practice

Build valuable professional experience in areas like conflict studies and data analytics through our research centers, labs, and initiatives.

Financing Your Education

We offer a variety of resources to make your program more affordable, including merit, need-based, partner, and external scholarships for both U.S. and international students. Learn more about scholarships.

How to Apply

We take a holistic approach when considering your application, looking at your academic background, international exposure, professional experience, and career goals.

News Stories

New Short Course on Note-Taking for Consecutive Interpreting

February 16, 2024 | by Sierra Abukins

The self-paced online course is taught by Professor Laura Burian and helps you build the foundation to build a strong note-taking practice over time.
News Stories

Bridging Language Gaps: A Conversation with the Cofounder of Translators for Elders

February 15, 2024 | by Minting Lu

Barbara Zhang shares insights on how an organization that started in a crowdsourcing localization class at Middlebury Institute grew into a nonprofit that helps break down language barriers for seniors.
News Stories

For First Time, Fall Forum Delivers World Cuisine Alongside Interpretation Practice

February 13, 2024 | by Charles Cai and Xiaohui Hu

Second-year interpretation students organized and led the annual Fall Forum, which was not only centered on a food theme this year, but featured seven local restaurants serving different cuisines.