Programs in translation studies

[Valentino, Russell]

Of the multiple trends in translation studies, I'm not sure what kind of theory your friend is interested in. One of the trends follows more of an applied linguistics track, so there theory could reach to philosophy of language, delivery systems, or library and information science, as in access and code. Another comes out of the comparative literature tradition, so its theory would probably be literary/cultural  (from Steiner to Derrida, Venuti, and so on). A third  seems to have got conflated with literary translation, at least in some people's minds, where theory (when you find it at all) is closer to the second camp. One of the latest programs to emerge, at the U. of Rochester, attempts to split the difference by calling their degree an MA in "Literary Translation Studies." There are also people like David Bellos who treat translation as a sub-category of communication, so theory there is communication-based and has a whole different set of basic texts, reaching also into!
  media studies.

TS in the applied linguistics vein is covered well by Brian Baer in his response to your post. In the comparative literature/literary theory and communications veins, there are a lot of places that have multiple courses available, but very few that have developed an actual translation studies program on that basis. It's usually part of something else and needs to be put together with some care by the student. There seem to be new ones all the time, however, so your student may be on to something. 

See for instance: http://www.umasstranslation.com/academics/ma-in-translation-studies/

Or: http://rochester.edu/college/translation/graduate/

Or (forthcoming): http://www.translation.illinois.edu/programs/masters.html


*******************************
Russell Scott Valentino
Professor of Comparative Literature
http://ccl.clas.uiowa.edu
Editor, The Iowa Review
http://www.iowareview.org/
tel. 319-353.2261
University of Iowa
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-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Charles Mills
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 8:24 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] Programs in translation studies

Dear Seelangers,

I have a friend who is asking for advice about good graduate study programs in the field of translation studies.  I know that the Monterey Institute has a program in T&I.  Other than that I draw a blank.  I can do an on-line search as well as anyone (well, perhaps not as well as Wayles Brown!), but I was hoping to draw on the vast experience of those out there.
 Specifically my colleague is looking for a program with an emphasis on translation theory (more than one course).  Her language is Russian, but I get the impression that is not her main concern.  You could reply to me off line, but this seems like a topic that may be of general interest.

Sincerely,
C. Mills
Defense Language Institute
cmillsphd at gmail.com

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