The Department of Translation Studies educates experts in intercultural communication: professional translators, interpreters, and researchers in translation and interpreting theory and practice, as well as practitioners of the intercultural communications and international area studies perspectives which are fundamental to professional communication across language and culture. The skills of Department students are based on an excellent command of their working languages, wide-ranging communicative and research skills, and a thorough familiarity with the theory and practice of translating and interpreting. Graduates from the Department find employment in the public and private sectors or as self-employed entrepreneurs. In addition to translating and intepreting, many work as consultants, educators and researchers, or in a variety of communications professions at the managerial level.

The Department, part of the School of Language, Translation and Literary Studies of Tampere University, provides a curriculum leading to the the Bachelor's, Master's, Licentiate, and PhD degrees. The B.A. degree requires at least three years of study, and comprises Basic and Subject studies which emphasize foundation skills needed in professional translating and interpreting. The M.A. degree requires an additional one to two years and includes Advanced studies which build on the theoretical and practical foundation. The Licentiate and PhD degrees both require the writing and public defense of original research, as well as a certain amount of course and seminar work.

The Department has an annual intake of ca. 15-18 students in each of its three main language groups, English, Russian and German. The mother tongue of students is assumed to be Finnish, though non-native Finnish speakers with "native-equivalent" fluency in both spoken and written Finnish may be admitted. Translation and interpreting is between Finnish and either English, Russian or German. Finnish and Swedish, the two national languages of Finland, are also required for all students, and translation and interpreting between Finnish and Swedish may also be taken as a minor subject.

Department Staff and Curriculum

Teaching and research is carried out by three Professors, twenty Lecturers, three administrative and research assistants, and a varying number of project-specific researchers and part-time instructors.

Curriculum objectives include the improvement of the students' oral and written communication skills in their mother tongue and the development of their skills in one or more foreign languages to the level required of an translator's working language. The students' knowledge of their own and other cultures is broadened and deepened so as to enable them to engage successfully in professional intercultural communication. Among the specializations open to students are special field communications, literary translation into Finnish, and conference interpreting. A central area in the curriculum is the theory and methodology of translating and interpreting. Finnish language studies occupy a prominent position and are taken by all students.

Strong emphasis is also laid on digital literacy and informatics skills. In 1984 the Department was the first Nordic-region Humanities unit to provide a microcomputer laboratory and instruction in basic computational tools and computer-aided translation to all its students and staff. In 1994 a formal requirement for proficiency in academic information technologies and knowledge management was added to the curriculum. The application of information and communications technologies to practical language needs is also central to many of the Department's research projects.

Curricular Options Available to Students

Students in the Department may tailor individual study programs to a large extent, since minor subjects may be chosen freely from among the options within the Translation Department or other subjects in Tampere University. For instance, an aspiring interpreter may choose speech and communication studies, while those interested in economics may choose business and marketing. Students with an eye on intercultural careers may select the FAST Area Studies Program; those interested in translating literature may take literary or theater studies. The Department cooperates with other university departments and outside bodies with a view to diversifying the content of teaching; many students also study abroad via international exchanges.

Research in the Department of Translation Studies

The Department of Translation Studies is an active research community. A central field of research is the various phases and aspects of professional translation and interpreting. Recently the department has also launched research projects on language technology and the development of electronic tools for translators. In addition, it issues the publication series Studia Translatologica.

Department Location, Facilities, and Other Background

The Department is housed in the Pinni B-wing in the main campus area of the University of Tampere, about a ten-minute walk from the Tampere Railroad Station and 15-minute walk from the Tampere Central Square.

For further information, contact:

Department of Translation Studies
Visiting Address: Pinni B, 4th floor
Postal Address: FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland
Telefax: +358-(0)3-35517200
E-mail: trans [at] uta.fi