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Certificate

Translation (Spanish/English)

Specialized Certificate

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About the Translation (Spanish/English) Program

Designed for bilingual adults who may or may not already be working in the field of translation, the program offers high-level instruction and professional training from active professionals. It can set you apart from the competition and certify to potential employers that you possess the bilingual proficiency, cultural understanding, theoretical knowledge, and skill set they are looking for. Graduates of our program go on to own and operate their own translation businesses, freelance, work for private companies or work within the public sector.

Looking for a broader translation and interpretation program?

Get connected to the local and national translation and interpretation communities through UC San Diego Extension:

Learn more about the program:

Online
In-class options not available.
15 - 21 months
Varies by student and courses taken per quarter.
$3,495
Cost does not include textbooks or additional electives.

What You Will Learn

  • Bilingual proficiency in Spanish-to-English and English-to-Spanish translation.
  • Cultural understandings needed to be a successful translator.
  • Gain a firm understanding of the theory and practice of translation services.
  • Tools and technology of translation to help you advance your skillset.
  • Take optional courses and electives in areas such as Legal or Medical Translation, or choose from Business Translation and Strategic Marketing and Branding for Translators and Interpreters.

Conditions for Admission

Total fluency in both English and Spanish, including the ability to speak, read, and write at a second year university level, is required. Fluency is determined by a written online entrance exam. Select courses may be taken prior to passing the entrance exam.

How to Apply

This certificate requires an application before taking any courses. There will be a $0.00 fee to apply to this program. Students will be required to pay a $95.00 fee upon acceptance to start their certificate program.

Get More Information

For detailed information, please contact our Arts, Humanities, Languages & Digital Arts department.

Translation (Spanish/English)
Classroom type:
Live Online
In-Person
Online
Hybrid
Download Course List

Information Session

Find out more about the program in a free information session.

PREREQUISITE

Required Courses

All 7 courses are required.

Optional Additional Classes

Please note: Does not apply to certificate; prerequisite requirements apply to some courses.

This Program Is Designed For:

  • Bilingual language speakers who desire to have a Professional Translation Certification.
  • For those who would like to take the ATA exam and become certified translators.
  • Professionals seeking career advancement in the translation field.
  • Medical, legal or business professionals seeking to enrich their ability to communicate with non-Native speakers.

Certificate Guidelines

The Specialized Certificate in Translation (Spanish/English) is issued upon completion of the entrance exam and the total number of required credit units (19.5 quarter units). The approximate cost of the program is $3,270 (includes course fees, entrance exam fee, and certificate enrollment fee) and is paid incrementally as students enroll in courses rather than up front. Cost does not include textbooks or class materials. Course fees and schedules are subject to change.

Related Documents

FAQs

The employment outlook for translators over the next decade is very good, with an expected increase of 17% overall (learn more from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics).
Yes! This program is designed for you to take it online in the convenience of your own home or office. We are currently using Canvas as our online Learning Management System for all our online courses in this program. While students do not get access to their respective courses until the first day of the course, we encourage students who are new to Canvas to click on the following link to Canvas and Take the free tour of Canvas.
Yes, the program is open to non-California residents, including non-US residents. The tuition is the same for all students. If you have questions about how enrolling in courses may or may not affect your visa status, please contact our International Department at ipinfo@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-6784.

Our programs are designed for individuals who are already bilingual in Spanish and English. This signifies written fluency, and an ability to complete college-level studies in both languages. To be admitted, students must complete an entrance exam: a written assessment of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and spelling in both languages. All students who pass the entrance exam are eligible to enroll in either program.

• Offered online once per quarter on a Saturday
• Graded by a qualified, bilingual practitioner in the field
• All exam results are reported to students within three business days
• You are eligible to retake the exam as many times as you need, but it cannot be transferred in or waived

For more information please review the Entrance Exam PDF.
 

Students may enroll concurrently in more than one course, however we recommend participating in the entry level translation courses in the order listed below.
 
The Translation certificate consists of the entrance exam and seven required courses. 

You officially have five years to complete all requirements for the certificate, although students can usually complete the entire program in 1.25- 1.75 years (5-7 quarters) by taking 1-2 courses per quarter.
The fees are the following:
  • Entrance exam: $100 per attempt
  • Introduction to Translation (5 week class): $300
  • English to Spanish Translation 1 (10 week class): $500
  • Spanish to English Translation 1 (10 week class): $500
  • Theory and Practice of Translation (10 week class): $500
  • Tools and Technology in Translation (10 week class): $500
  • Spanish to English Translation 2 (10 week class): $500
  • Spanish to English Translation 2 (10 week class): $500
  • One time certificate fee once you pass the entrance exam to enroll in the certificate: $95
  • Total: $3,495 US Dollars
Students pay as they go when they register for classes, not in one lump sum.

Additional costs not included in this estimate: Textbooks and the cost of having access to a computer with internet.
Our classes post to our website and become open for enrollment approximately two months prior to the new quarter starting. If you’d like to get an email reminder you can sign up for our newsletter(s) in My Extension, under the “Preferences” tab.
We recommend enrolling as soon as possible, as occasionally classes will reach capacity.
To enroll into a class, click on the class link in the matrix and that will take you to that class page. There you can find the start date for that course, and you can click on “Add to Cart” which will lead you to complete the registration/payment process.
In general the translation and interpretation classes close on the following schedule:
  • Online classes close to additional enrollments the first Friday morning after the class starts. 
  • Enrollment to the entrance exam closes the Thursday prior to the exam at 3pm Pacific Time.
The name “application” is a bit confusing because this is meant to be completed after passing the entrance exam which is the only formal prerequisite to enrolling in the certificate.  If you submitted a certificate application prior to passing the entrance exam it will be denied however you can enroll in select classes that do not require the exam as a prerequisite and take the exam when it is offered next.  Once you pass the exam, you would then resubmit the certificate application.
Enrollment in a class may be blocked in the following situations:

◦The class is closed (see FAQ on when enrollment closes).
◦The class is at capacity. If the class is at capacity you will only be able to join the waitlist.  
◦The class is cancelled due to low enrollments.
◦The class has prerequisites that you have not completed yet.

For these reasons we recommend that you enroll early.
The refund deadline for translation and interpretation courses is 6 days after the class start date.
The refund deadline for the entrance exam is the day prior to the exam.
The exact refund deadline for each section is listed in the section notes.
If you have enrolled at least three days before the course begins, you will have access starting on the first day of class. You should receive an email from Student Services with instructions for how to login to the course. If you have enrolled on or after the start date of the course, you will have access to the course within one business day.
 

You will have access to the online Canvas course on the official start date of the class/exam/info session.  Access will be available at 12:01am Pacific Time.

Enrollment to online classes can take up to 24 hours to process and sync up to our online platform, Canvas. For example, if a class started on Tuesday and that is the day a student enrolled, they will likely not have full access to the class until 24 hours later on Wednesday.

You may take a course for one of three options: Letter Grade, Pass/No Pass, or Not for Credit. If you are taking a course towards a certificate you must complete your courses for credit (i.e. Pass/No Pass or Letter Grade) and receive a C-/Pass or higher grade. Grades below a C-, No Pass, and Not for Credit will not count towards certificate requirements.
Our program is an educational certificate, not a professional certification:
  • Students who complete the UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies Translation certificate earn an educational certificate.  This is different from a professional certification.  Industry certifications are usually earned by passing an exam through the state or federal courts or through professional organizations. 
  • There is currently no national form of certification required for translators in the United States, however there are a variety of exams that you can take to demonstrate your proficiency to your employer.  Some of these exams require previous professional experience as a translator/interpreter or an educational certificate such as the ones available at UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies in order to qualify to take the exam. 
  • You can read additional information about these exams/certifications in our online information session and this Certification Exams PDF.
To summarize:  Our program does not result in a student being "certified" by UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies since this is an educational certificate, rather than an industry exam, however it will give you the skills needed to work in the field and will be very useful in passing many certification exams. 
 
  • UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies offers continuing education loans through UC Approved Lenders. Each institution offers low competitive interest rates and flexible payment options. You are also encouraged to contact your personal financial institution about possible lending solutions. Direct links to UC Approved Lenders can be found on our website’s Financial Resources page.
  • The Employment Development Department (EDD) provides a comprehensive range of employment and training services in partnership with state and local agencies/organizations. More information is available on their website at edd.ca.gov.
  • Career Centers Located throughout San Diego County offer their communities comprehensive employment and training services benefiting both business and job seekers. More information is available on their website at workforce.org.
  • Please click here for information about Veteran’s Benefits.
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) funds are limited to degree programs only, and cannot be used for courses or certificate fees at UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies.
Students can transfer in up to two courses that match the content of our required courses. Please email ahl@ucsd.edu for more information about the transferability of previously completed courses.
UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies is not a degree granting institution, however many UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies courses can be transferred to other colleges or universities.

The transferability of credit is determined solely by the receiving institution. Students should discuss how your individual courses will transfer with the Office of the Registrar at the receiving institution prior to enrolling.

Quarter to Semester Unit Conversion

If the receiving institution operates on a semester system, credits will be converted to semester hours during their evaluation. As a general rule, quarter credits are converted to semester credits by dividing the number of quarter credits by 1.5. For example, if the student completed a course worth 4 quarter credits at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, the course would be worth 4 ÷ 1.5 = 2.66 semester credits.
For questions regarding our classes and certificates, please contact us at ahl@ucsd.edu or 858-534-5760.

Advisory Board

Grant Goodall, PhD

Director and Professor, Linguistics Language Program
University of California, San Diego

Marian Greenfield

Owner/Operator, Greensfield Translations
Past President & Chair of Professional Development, ATA

Judy Jenner, MBA

Owner/Operator, Twin Translations; Vice President, NITA
Author, Entrepreneurial Linguist column, The Chronicle, ATA

Mary Negrete, MA

Instructor, Translation and Interpretation
UC San Diego Extension

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