Chinese Translation and Interpretation

Careers

We have a well-connected and influential alumni network that is eager to help you launch your career. Our recent graduates are sought after around the world by high-profile organizations for opportunities such as managing localization projects for Silicon Valley giants like Apple and Google; interpreting at high-profile events such as United Nations conferences, U.S.-China state visits, the Olympics, and APEC and WTO Ministerial Conferences; working with Bank of China on many levels; translating materials for government and nongovernment groups; and translating literary volumes. Some thrive as freelance translators and interpreters.

We have also successfully prepared current students for the United Nations language competitive examinations.

Internships

During the summer and winter breaks, students take advantage of available internships at organizations including Stanford Hospitals and Clinics, Hara, Kyocera, Translations.com, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, and ISI Language Solutions.

Course Work

Thanks to our small class sizes, you will receive individual attention, immediate feedback, and intensive mentoring from your professors, greatly accelerating your development. This also means you will have more hours of practice in our interpretation booths, giving you a competitive edge once you graduate.

Courses are content-based and market-oriented, with balanced emphasis on contemporary literature, law, international relations and politics, economics, environmental protection, energy, intellectual property rights, trade and commerce, medicine, and technology.

Practicum in Interpretation

The Practicum in Interpretation facilitates students’ transition from the classroom to their first professional assignments by offering them a wide range of interpretation experiences. Advanced interpreting students become comfortable with working in settings in which different modes of interpretation are called for and where relay interpretation is the norm. Students provide simultaneous and consecutive interpretation at the Institute’s public events and taped conferences, in interdisciplinary courses, and as part of community outreach; they also work intensively together in multilingual practice groups during the semester. The Practicum in Interpretation reinforces the concept of reflective practice, requiring students to evaluate their own performances as well as those of their peers.

International Students

Our international students greatly benefit from the immersive English environment at the Middlebury Institute. Upon graduation, international students may be able to take advantage of Optional Practical Training (OPT) to work in the U.S.

Stilwell Scholarship

Thanks to the generosity of the Stilwell family and friends of the Middlebury Institute, each year we offer several $10,000-per-year (prorated by program length) scholarships to deserving students from the People’s Republic of China. Preference is given to students who intend to return to China to pursue a career. Recipients must maintain good academic standing throughout their course of study in order to retain the award.

Advanced Entry

Applicants who have earned a master’s degree from a recognized translation and interpretation program and/or have at least two years of relevant full-time professional experience are eligible to apply for Advanced Entry. The Language and Skills Test evaluation will confirm whether the applicant qualifies to take the Advanced Entry exam. Passing the Advanced Entry exam is a requirement for Advanced Entry admission.

We offer the following options for Advanced Entry in Chinese:

MA in Translation 
30 credits in two semesters minimum, with focus on Chinese into English translation.

MA in Conference Interpretation 
30 credits in two semesters minimum, for training in both consecutive and simultaneous interpretation.

Apply for Advanced Entry

Submit your application for the degree program, indicating that you are applying for the Advanced Entry option. If your Language and Skills Test and professional/educational background qualify you to take the Advanced Entry exam, we will schedule you to take the exam at one of our test sites in China or in Monterey.

• If you are in China, apply before the April 1 deadline to take the Advanced Entry exam in China in May.
• If you are in any other country, apply before the April 1 deadline to take the Advanced Entry exam in Monterey in May.
• If you miss the April 1 deadline, you can still apply but you will take the Advanced Entry exam in Monterey in August, right before the program starts. Please note that if you do not pass the exam, you will not be able to enroll in the Advanced Entry option.
• The sooner you apply, the sooner you will know your admission decision and whether you qualify to take the Advanced Entry exam, so we encourage you not to wait for the deadline.

MA in Translation Advanced Entry

• English into Chinese translation (400–500 words, to be completed within 1.5 hours, dictionaries allowed).
• Chinese into English translation (500–600 characters, to be completed within 1.5 hours, dictionaries allowed).

MA in Conference Interpretation Advanced Entry

• English into Chinese translation (400–500 words, to be completed within 1.5 hours, dictionaries allowed).
• Chinese into English translation (500–600 characters, to be completed within 1.5 hours, dictionaries allowed).
• English into Chinese consecutive interpretation (three segments, for 7–9 minutes in total).
• Chinese into English consecutive interpretation (three segments, for 7–9 minutes in total).
• English into Chinese simultaneous interpretation (12–15 minutes).
• Chinese into English simultaneous interpretation (12–15 minutes).

Faculty

Our faculty are active professionals who bring a broad range of experience and expertise to their teaching, having translated and interpreted for organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization, and many more. They foster strong mentoring relationships with students, providing guidance on academic performance and career opportunities.

News

Recent Graduates Win International Interpretation Competition

Ye Yu MACI ’21 and Rony Gao MACI ’21 won first prize in the Simultaneous Interpreting Invitational Tournament at the 10th International Translation and Interpreting Competition organized by Beijing Language and Culture University. Read more.

Interpretation Student Takes Silver in International Competition

Middlebury Institute conference interpretation student Bella Wan won silver in the highly competitive 7 Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest in Hong Kong. Wan competed against 27 other students representing the top translation and interpretation programs from Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Read more

Middlebury Institute Students Win Two of Six Student Prizes in UN Translation Contest

A pair of Middlebury Institute students won two of the six available student prizes in the United Nations’ annual St. Jerome Translation Contest, with Shuai (Ivy) Wang taking the student prize in the Chinese category. Read more