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Bachelor of Arts in Translation

Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in Translation (BAT) at UHD is a 120-credit-hour program designed to prepare students for professional translation in medical and legal fields. The curriculum blends core theoretical concepts with hands-on practice, allowing students to integrate:

  • Linguistic competencies (reading and writing skills)
  • Technological tools
  • Intercultural knowledge

Graduates will be equipped to produce high-quality translations into Spanish, while also strengthening skills in writing, editing, and interpreting.

Program Highlights
The BAT program includes: 

  • In-depth training in translation techniques
  • Vocabulary development strategies
  • A required capstone project or field experience for real-world application and feedback

Multidisciplinary Coursework
The degree combines 39 hours of coursework from:

  • Spanish
  • Technical Communication
  • Communication
  • English

Student also select 9 credit hours in a subject content area related to their specialization.
For example students pursuing medical translation may take:

  • ANTH 3312 - Health, Medicine, and Culture
  • BIOL 1310 - Human Biology
  • HEA 2303 - Medical Terminology 

Flexibility
The BAT program included 30 hours of free electives, giving students the flexibility to:

  • Add a minor
  • Pursue a double major
  • Explore additional areas of interest

Advisors from CHSS and the BAT program coordinator are available to help tailor course selections to meet each student’s goals.

Program Learning Objectives:

1.

Analyze, evaluate, and create accurate translations of legal, medical, and other professional texts from English to Spanish with accuracy, fidelity, and correct register and style.

2.

Apply vocabulary research tools, academic research skills, and strategies to solve complex linguistic gaps when transferring a document from English to Spanish.

3.

Implement translation skills and ethics in a professional setting, such as an internship or field experience, or project, such as the successful completion of previously untranslated text, to serve the Hispanic community at large.

4.

Utilize online and software tools for producing, editing, appraising, and streamlining during the translation process.

Degree Information

The following four-year degree plan is based on the current UHD academic catalog. Students should meet with a UHD Academic Advisor to develop their own plan.

Related Minors:
The following minors supplement well with the BAT, as students are allowed to reuse some of their credit hours to complete them.

  • Minor in Spanish
  • Minor in Interpreting
  • Minor in Technical Communication
  • Minor in Communication Studies
  • Minor in English
  • Minor in Legal Studies
  • Minor in Sociology

 Career Outlook and Professional Experience

Learn more about what you can do with this degree:

The BAT requires a capstone project that introduces the student to the professional world of translation and interpretation. Students can choose between:

  • field experience (SPAN 4380 or equivalent) or
  • a directed study (SPAN 3399 or SPAN 4390 if needed).

The field experience consists of 120 hours volunteering as interpreters and translators in organizations, institutions, and other sites where translators are needed to assist the Spanish-speaking community.

The Directed Study/Special Topics courses are designed to work closely with a previously untranslated text (or set of texts) under the supervision of a faculty member. This study is meant to lead towards a research project or publication in the field of translation studies

Students are encouraged to contact the BAT coordinator at least 3 months before their capstone semester to identify a potential site for volunteering or document to translate.

Current and Previous Field Experience
This list illustrates the flexibility of a career in translation to work in any industry, from legal, to medical, and educational.

Field Experience Sites include:

  • University of Houston Law Center’s Immigration Clinic
  • Modi Law Firm
  • Harris County Juvenile Probation Department
  • Nueva Casa de Amigos (WIC)
  • Casa Juan Diego
  • Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA)
  • Houston Metropolitan Research Center
  • Culture of Health Advancing Together (CHAT)
  • Pasadena ISD
  • Channelview ISD
  • Neff Early Learning Center

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that, within the next decade, the translation profession will grow by more than 20%, creating more than 14,000 jobs in this industry. Graduates from this program are well positioned to excel as:

  • translators
  • medical translators
  • legal translators
  • analytic linguists (government linguist or FBI linguist)
  • language access specialists
  • language access coordinators
  • language and culture consultants
  • and interpreters

In addition, BAT graduates can also hold positions in education, international business, and bilingual editing.

A Unique Mission:

The mission of the BAT is to improve Houston’s language access services by providing state-of-the-art education in Translation, specifically for the translation of English documents into Spanish. Given Houston’s current and projected Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population growth, this degree will empower students with the necessary linguistic and critical thinking skills, tools, and knowledge to improve language access for the Hispanic population, especially in the areas of law and medicine.

Unlike most U.S. translation programs, which emphasize translation into English and often focus on literary or business texts, the BAT prioritizes English-to-Spanish directionality in professional fields. The program is designed to serve Houston’s Hispanic community while leveraging UHD’s proximity to the city’s medical center and judicial institutions.

two UHD students on laptops talking with each other

Questions?

Question: I’m interested in the BA in Translation. Where do I start?

Answer: You should arrange to take a Spanish placement exam (email Dr. de Jesús at dejesusa@uhd.edu), as this will determine if you can start with upper-level Spanish courses. You should also declare your major with CHSS Advising Office.

Question: Will I be a certified translator after I finish my BA in Translation?

Answer: No, this is not a certification program. You will need to register and take a national certification exam such as the ATA. This program, however, will provide you with knowledge and experience to develop your competencies and improve your score in that exam.

Question: Should I combine this BA with another BA or minor program? 

Answer: The BAT allows for 30 hours of free electives, which can facilitate combining it with another BA or minor program. This BA has a Spanish minor built-in, so make sure you tell your advisor that you would like to declare a Spanish minor as well (unless you are pursuing a BA in Spanish). Other minors that fit well with the BAT’s coursework are interpreting, technical communication, communication studies, English, Legal Studies, and Sociology.

Question: Can I get retroactive credits?

Answer: If you placed in SPAN 3301 and you earn an A or a B in that course, you can request up to 8 credit hours (for free!). Make sure you let your advisor know your SPAN 3301 grade and that you would like to claim the retroactive hours.
 What is the capstone course?

Question: What is the capstone course?

Answer: You can choose between SPAN 4380 Field Experience or SPAN 3399 Directed Study/SPAN 4390 Special Topics. The Field Experience course is ideal for students who want to work in the community as interpreters and translators, and it will include a total of 120 hours of volunteer work. The Directed Study/Special Topics courses are designed to work closely with a previously untranslated text (or set of texts) under the supervision of a faculty member. This study is meant to lead towards a research project or publication in the field of translation studies. 

Students are encouraged to contact the BAT coordinator and set up an appointment to go over degree requirements, capstone options, and course availability.

Contact BAT Coordinator