French Translation - B.S. Download to print

The Bachelor of Science in French Translation is a pre-professional degree designed for students to develop the skills needed to become working translators. The program also introduces the rudiments of translation theory as it applies to the actual practice. While meeting requirements designed to ensure competence in French, translation majors take five core courses in translation during the junior and senior years. The major features a 30-credit subject area specialty requirement, which enables translation students to acquire a level of expertise in a specific field in which they can specialize as translators. Translation majors are strongly encouraged to undertake study in a country where French is spoken.
 

Opportunities are many and varied, depending on language combinations and subject area specialties.  According to the U.S. department of labor projections, “employment of interpreters and translators is projected to increase 22 percent over the 2008–18 decade, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Higher demand for interpreters and translators results directly from the broadening of international ties and the large increases in the number of non-English speaking people in the United States…  Job prospects for interpreters and translators vary by specialty and language,” ranging from healthcare to law.  In 2009, about 28 percent worked in public and private educational institutions. About 13 percent worked in healthcare and social assistance, many of whom worked for hospitals. Another 9 percent worked in other areas of government, such as Federal, State, and local courts. Other employers of interpreters and translators include interpreting and translation agencies, publishing companies, telephone companies, and airlines. About 26 percent of interpreters and translators are self-employed.”

Translators work with written documents, as distinguished from interpreters, who work with oral language. Many translators will require on-the-job training in addition to Kent’s pre-professional BS in Translation. Translators work predominantly into the mother tongue.

Many translators rely on other sources of income to supplement earnings, such as teaching or language consultancy. The career outlook is best for those who gain a functional ability with translation tools and such skills as revising/editing/proofreading and desktop publishing. Prospects are currently strong in software internationalization and webpage localization (making products, text, or images acceptable to target-country market norms).
 

General Admissions for New Freshman: Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading and math SAT score). For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for new freshmen.

General Admissions for Transfer Students: Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
 

Minimum 121 total credit hours  and  42 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.000 GPA overall and 2.000 GPA in major required for graduation.
 

There are many Study Abroad/Away Opportunities, for more information contact the Office of Global Education.

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French: Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy, Literature (M.A.), Secondary Education: French (M.A.T.), Translation: French (M.A.)