| by Sierra Abukins

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Promo image for Localization Project Management program

As the localization industry booms, Middlebury Institute is launching a new online degree that provides essential preparation to enter the field.

The new online MA in Localization Project Management is the first degree of its kind in the U.S. The program is designed both for early career professionals trying to land their first job in the localization industry, as well as experienced translators looking to pivot into localization work.

Middlebury Institute has long been known for its leading translation and interpretation programs and launched the first MA in Translation and Localization Management in the U.S. in 2005.

“This new online option supports working professionals in getting their start in the dynamic language services industry,” said Patricia Szasz, dean of Middlebury Institute Online.

Globalization Is Driving Demand for Localization Professionals

Localization is the process of adapting the content related to an idea, service, or product to the language and culture of a specific market or region. As businesses expand across the globe and the media and entertainment industries increasingly cross borders, more content is being localized than ever before. The global language services industry was estimated at almost $68 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

“Localization allows people to combine business, language, and technology to craft an exciting career,” said Professor Adam Wooten, program director for the new degree. Wooten is an alum of both the Institute’s translation and interpretation and MBA programs and has 20 years of experience in the language services industry, heading up translation operations for several companies.

Websites, apps, videos, games, and many other products require localization to reach international markets. Institute alumni go on to work in a range of roles, including as localization program managers and language leads at tech firms like Netflix, Google, and Salesforce, and as project managers at leading language service providers.

Wooten said the field appeals both to people who love language—whether they studied abroad or completed a language degree—as well as those who studied business, technology, or computer science and are looking for a creative way to leverage those skills.

“This profession draws people who are multilingual and multicultural and have a passion for ensuring different cultures are not only represented accurately and respectfully, but are also celebrated,” said Wooten.

Expanding Pathways into the Localization Field

The first step into a career in localization management usually starts with a project management role.

The Institute’s new online 10-course, 30-credit program is asynchronous so students can adjust their studies to fit around their personal and work responsibilities. The degree has been developed by the faculty of the Institute’s in-person MA in Translation and Localization Management, who have years of industry experience and mentor students throughout the program. The program focuses on the skills most in demand from employers, such as project management, translation technology, quality assurance, software, and audiovisual and marketing localization.

The Middlebury Institute also continues to offer its popular in-person degree, a 60-credit, full-time program completed over two years on campus in Monterey, California. The program is more in-depth and students can customize their studies by choosing from a wide variety of electives on topics such as games localization, program management and leadership, account management, and crowd-sourced localization, among others.

“Our online degree is a great option for those who want a fast track into the field and need flexibility,” said Wooten. “Our in-person program is more in-depth and positions graduates to move quickly into a wider variety of roles, including engineering, localization solutions architecture, program management, and more senior roles.”

No matter which option students pursue, they will have mentorship from faculty with decades of industry experience; interactive coursework that helps them build their skills and portfolio; and access to a strong network of employers and alumni from the Institute’s current translation and localization management program.

“It’s an exciting time to enter the localization field,” said Wooten. “We’re glad that we are able to expand our educational offerings and support the next generation of professionals in launching their careers.”