UMass Amherst University Without Walls Launches New Multilingual Translation and Interpreting Bachelor’s Program Online

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AMHERST, Mass. – UMass Amherst University Without Walls has launched a distinct multilingual bachelor’s program that focuses on the in-demand skills of translation and interpreting that can be applied to careers in increasingly globalized spaces. It is offered around the world through UWW online to students who are proficient in English and at least one language other than English.

The bachelor’s program with a concentration in translation and interpreting will open opportunities for jobs in various fields and present an advantage among other applicants. Cristiano Mazzei, lecturer and director of online translator and interpreter training, created the curriculum to benefit people from all over the United States and beyond, so they can attain a degree to acquire translation and interpreting skills in the second language they desire. Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree have the opportunity to pursue the online certificate in translation and interpreting through UMass Amherst’s online Continuing and Professional Education, also overseen by Mazzei.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for interpreters and translators is expected to grow in the next decade. With this degree or certificate, taught by experts in the field of translation and interpreting, students will expand their abilities in translation and interpreting in different areas. This will position them for career advancement in sectors such as health care, education, business, diplomacy, government, legal, public service and many others. In an increasingly globalized world developing language mediation skills has a new value.

No prior translation or interpreting skills are required to pursue the B.A. or the certificate. Since the program is not language specific, each student can speak a different language and will still be assessed accurately by external language reviewers.

UWW director Ingrid Bracey says, “This program continues our almost 50-year tradition of interdepartmental collaboration and innovation. Because of Cristiano Mazzei’s work and the opportunity we have had to partner with him, UMass Amherst now offers students access to first in the nation, high-quality certificate and bachelor’s programs that are in high demand in an increasingly globalized world."

Mazzei adds, “The partnership between UMass Amherst’s department of languages, literatures, and cultures and UWW is amazing in that it offers the opportunity for students to complete a bachelor’s in translation and interpreting completely online. And for those who already have a bachelor’s degree, the same courses are offered as an online certificate through our Continuing and Professional Education division.”

UWW students can bring in or earn up to 105 credits for their prior learning, as well as life and work experience. This includes coursework from other universities, professional trainings and certifications, credit evaluations and exams, and a thorough portfolio about their experience. By doing so, the students are able to save time and money when earning their bachelor’s degree.

The courses for the translation and interpreting program at UWW consist of introduction to translation, fundamentals of interpreting, ethics and standards, skills development, legal interpreting, interpreting in mental health, simultaneous interpreting, translation and technology and medical interpreting.

About the director of the program
Cristiano Mazzei is from São Paulo, Brazil, where he completed his B.A. in translation and interpreting at Unibero University. He started at UMass Amherst in July of 2017 when he was hired to design and supervise this online certificate and also teach translation and interpretation classes in comparative literature on campus at the university.

He is a nationally CoreCHIA certified healthcare interpreter, a certified court interpreter by the National Center for State Courts, and certified by the U.S. State Department as translator and interpreter. He is also a certified translator and interpreter for the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in Portuguese and English.