Translation and Interpreting major
Translation and Interpreting: courses, careers, and where to study
Translation and Interpreting prepares you to carry meaning accurately between languages, in writing and in speech, for legal, medical, business, and conference settings.
Translation and Interpreting trains you to move meaning faithfully between two or more languages, both in writing and in live speech. Building on intensive study of one or more foreign languages, coursework covers general and literary translation, business and technical translation, and the distinct modes of interpreting: consecutive interpreting, where you render a speaker's message after they pause, and simultaneous interpreting, where you speak almost in step with the source. You practice one and two way interpretation, sight translation, note taking systems, terminology management, computer assisted translation tools and translation memory, glossary building, localization, and the ethics of confidentiality and impartiality. Where a Modern Languages degree centers on reading, analyzing, and writing about literature and culture, this field focuses on the applied craft of transferring a complete and accurate message between languages for a client or audience, often under time pressure and in regulated settings.
Most students enter through a bachelor's degree in interpreting, translation, or a specific language, and some add a master's or graduate certificate to specialize in conference, court, or medical work. There is no single national license; instead, several paths use certification to signal competence, including state and federal court interpreter exams, medical interpreter certification offered through national boards, and credentials from professional associations for translators. Rules vary by state, language pair, and setting, so confirm what your target work requires before you commit. Graduates work in hospitals, courts and law firms, government agencies, schools, language service companies, and as freelancers serving many clients. A program is preparation, not a guaranteed job, and demand varies by language pair, specialization, certification, employer, and region.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of interpreters and translators, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $59,440 and projects employment to grow about 1.7% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Translation and Interpreting maps to CIP 16.0103, Language Interpretation and Translation, within the FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to be professional interpreters and/or translators of documents and data files, either from English or (Canadian) French into another language or languages or vice versa. Includes intensive instruction in one or more foreign languages plus instruction in subjects such as single- and multiple-language interpretation, one- or two-way interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, general and literary translation, business translation, technical translation, and other specific applications of linguistic skills.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Translation and Interpreting is awarded as
Of the 950 Translation and Interpreting credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate63%597
- Associate5%52
- Bachelor's8%75
- Graduate24%226
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Consecutive interpreting using note taking systems and memory techniques
- Simultaneous interpreting and booth practice for conference and meeting settings
- Sight translation and one and two way interpretation between language pairs
- General, literary, business, and technical translation across document types
- Terminology research, glossary building, and managing specialized vocabulary
- Computer assisted translation tools, translation memory, and localization workflows
- Professional ethics, confidentiality, impartiality, and codes of conduct for the field
- Advanced grammar, register, and idiom in your working foreign languages
- Specialized domain language for legal, medical, and community interpreting settings
Typical careers
- Interpreter and Translator
- Medical Interpreter
- Court Interpreter
- Localization Specialist
- Conference Interpreter
- Postsecondary Foreign Language Instructor
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 interpreters and translators median $59,440).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Translation and Interpreting, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | $59,440 | 6,900 | +1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,010 | 1,900 | -0.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 2 of these 2 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Translation and Interpreting does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Translation and Interpreting major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Translation and Interpreting program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Translation and Interpreting department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Translation and Interpreting program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Translation and Interpreting credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Durham Technical Community CollegeNC · 73
- Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyCA · 69
- Santa Ana CollegeCA · 57
- The University of Texas at ArlingtonTX · 51
- Kent State University at KentOH · 41
- American UniversityDC · 35
- Alamance Community CollegeNC · 29
- Surry Community CollegeNC · 29
- Sampson Community CollegeNC · 26
- University of Massachusetts-AmherstMA · 26
- The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyTX · 22
- City College of San FranciscoCA · 19
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Translation and Interpreting credentials were awarded
4 states have a distinct enough set of Translation and Interpreting colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Translation and Interpreting schools by state
- Translation and Interpreting in California
- Translation and Interpreting in Florida
- Translation and Interpreting in Georgia
- Translation and Interpreting in Illinois
- Translation and Interpreting in Maryland
- Translation and Interpreting in Massachusetts
- Translation and Interpreting in New York
- Translation and Interpreting in North Carolina
- Translation and Interpreting in Pennsylvania
- Translation and Interpreting in Texas
Related majors
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of how language is structured, learned, and used, for students drawn to patterns in sound, meaning, and grammar.
Modern Languages
Modern Languages builds advanced proficiency in one or more languages along with the literature, culture, and translation skills to use them in professional and international settings.
English & Literature
English develops critical reading, analytical writing, and rhetorical skill, a flexible major that feeds into law, publishing, education, marketing, and any field that values communication.
Communications
Communications studies how messages move through media, combining writing, public speaking, and media analysis with hands-on training in PR, journalism, broadcasting, or strategic communication.
Court Reporting
Court Reporting trains you to capture and transcribe verbatim records of legal proceedings and live events, preparing you for state licensure or national certification as a reporter or captioner.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Translation and Interpreting degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Arts, Design & Media careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Translation and Interpreting degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Translation and Interpreting path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.