Frequently Asked Questions : Languages, Literatures, and Cultures : UMass Amherst

Frequently Asked Questions

Program Related

What are the prerequisites and requirements?

Since this is an undergraduate certificate, the U.S. educational prerequisite is a high school diploma (or GED). If you are an international student, please make sure to forward a copy of your high school diploma to the Director of Translator and Interpreter Training, Cristiano Mazzei (cmazzei@umass.edu). Another prerequisite is language proficiency. Students applying to the program must demonstrate high proficiency in English and a Language Other Than English (LOTE). Please refer to our Certificate Guidelines and carefully review the information on language proficiency.

How many credits or how many courses do I need to earn the certificate?

Students must complete 15 credits in order to receive the certificate, and must pass each course with a grade of C or higher. Most of our classes bear 3 credits, but we also have 2 and 1-credit offerings. See our coursework page for more info.

What if I only want to take one course, and not pursue the 15-credit certificate?

Students can take any online class that is available in any semester, independent of the certificate, as long as they meet the prerequisite of high language proficiency and have been approved to get started by program director.

How long does it take to complete the certificate?

Students can complete the certificate in one year (3 semesters) or take as long as they need. Some students take one course per semester and finish in 2 years. There’s no deadline to complete the certificate.

After I complete the certificate, will I be a “certified” translator and interpreter? Is this a certification program?

There’s an important difference between “certification” and “certificate.” Certification is offered by an independent organization after you take and pass an exam to become “certified.” A “certificate” of training/education is offered by an educational institution or organization.

Are core courses required? Can I build my own certificate based on my interests?

Our core courses are “suggested” as opposed to “required.” Our certificate is flexible enough that students can start by taking any of our LLC classes (400 & 500 level) and design their own program.

When are courses offered?

We follow the academic calendar of our university, and our classes are scheduled in fall, winter, spring, and summer. Not all courses are available every term, so please review the information on "explore classes" or contact program director to plan your certificate.

How many courses should I take each semester?

Since most of our students are adult learners, busy with the professional and personal lives, we usually recommend a maximum of 2 per semester (our classes are very demanding university credit courses). Students should expect spending approximately 10 hours of work per week on each 3-credit course (watching lectures, reading articles, taking quizzes, working on translation & interpreting assignments, terminology research, etc.).

How does a multilingual class look like? Will I receive feedback on my language-specific work?

Course readings, discussions, papers, presentations, quizzes and other course related content are in English. Students’ translation and interpreting assignments are done in the student’s language pair (e.g., English & Arabic). Some of those assignments are sent out to language reviewers (professional translators and/or interpreters) who work in the same language pair as the student.

Can I use American Sign Language (ASL) or another sign language as a Language Other Than English (LOTE)?

The certificate’s pedagogical framework and the expertise of our faculty members is focused on spoken languages. For ASL-specific interpreting programs, please visit the education section on the website of the Registry for Interpreters of the Deaf (RID).

Are there internship or mentorship opportunities?

Because our online certificate is offered all around the world and accepts different languages, it is not possible to provide equitable internship opportunities to all students. Our faculty members are professionals with many years of experience and some of our courses are focused on how to start in the career.

Learning Management System Related

Where do I find my courses after I enroll?

Our Learning Management System (LMS) is Blackboard Learn. After enrollment, you'll receive emails with information on how to access your courses in our platform. You can also access Blackboard using your username and password. If you’re not seeing your courses it’s because they are not available to you yet.

When will my courses be available to me on Blackboard?

Our classes follow the academic calendar of the university and open for “preview week” ONE WEEK before their start date (fall, winter, spring, summer).

What am I supposed to do during “preview week”?

Students will have access to the course syllabus, information about course navigation, an overview of the 1st week of class. There are no required assignments during “preview week” – this is a time for students to become familiar with our Learning Management System, Blackboard, or engage with non-graded activities designed by their instructors. Students are also encouraged to review Blackboard Learn tutorials during this time by visiting UMass Amherst Student Orientation & Resource Area.

Cost Related

What about tuition and fees?

As of fall 2021, students should expect to spend approximately $9,000 on our 15-credit certificate. The cost for each course is between $1,500 to $1,800 (most are 3 credits, but others are 2 and 1 – course fee is based on number of credits). Our 400-level classes are $495 per credit; and 500-level ones, $580 per credit. The most current course pricing will be found in Spire and the UWW Explore Classes webpage for each enrollment term (under "Program," please select "Professional Translation and Interpreting.").

When is my bill due?

Students only pay for the courses they take each semester. Questions about finance and payment should be directed to our Office of the Bursar, which will upload each student’s bill on their SPIRE account. The same office also offers a payment plan (UPay), which students can use to pay for their courses in monthly installments.

Is there financial aid available?

There is no financial aid for short certificate programs at UMass Amherst, only for degree programs, such as BAs, MAs, and PhDs (I believe the same is true in most US universities).

Are there scholarships available?

Our online division, University Without Walls (UWW), offers a few options for online students. For more information, please visit scholarships.

Work Related

Will the certificate lead to employment?

The U.S. Department of Labor states, “Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to grow 24 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The vast majority of translators and interpreters are freelance workers and independent contractors, either working directly with clients or through “agencies” (LSP – Language Service Providers).

What kind of jobs will I be able to apply for?

As stated above, translators and interpreters mostly work as independent contractors, for different clients, companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, or subcontracted by “agencies” (Language Service Providers). Depending on individuals’ resumes and experience, jobs available also include “manager of interpreter services,” “language services manager,” “cultural mediator,” “cultural and bilingual liaison,” “project manager,” “medical or healthcare interpreter,” “court interpreter,” and “owner of language service provider.”

How much money do translators and interpreters make?

Please refer to the survey commissioned and published by the American Translators Association (ATA), showing salary range and much more: ATA Translation and Interpreting Services Survey

Registration And Enrollment Related

How do I register for the program?

Students register and enroll through our course management system, SPIRE. After being accepted by program director new students can start the registration process here. Upon filling out the form, students will receive their new email address (umass.edu) and student ID, which they will need to log on to SPIRE to enroll/add classes to their “cart.” It can take up to 3 business days to establish your SPIRE account.

How do I enroll in the courses?

Students enroll through our course management system, SPIRE. This short videoclip illustrates the enrollment process. IMPORTANT: When watching it, you’ll hear and see the term “CPE” being used in reference to our online courses and terms; it has recently been replaced by UWW (University Without Walls), which is the division in charge of our distance learning education. Instead of “CPE” you’ll see “UWW” in the “session” dropdown box inside SPIRE. If you need additional assistance with registration and enrollment, please contact our Program Information Specialist Lori Knapp at lknapp@uww.umass.edu or 413-545-6811.

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