Interpretation & Translation - Human Services

The Interpretation & Translation-Human Services certificate is for functionally bilingual students with a college degree (AA, AS, AAS, Bachelor or higher) AND who hold the Interpretation & Translation-Generalist certificate who wish to work as human services interpreters or translators. Upon completion, students should be able to provide basic interpreting and translation services between English and their other language(s) in human services contexts. The program is designed for students who wish to add human services interpreting and translation skills to their current set of job skills.

Certificate students complete specialized courses in Interpretation & Translation, as well as ethics. All students complete an internship under the supervision of a professional interpreter/translator, during which time they use the skills and apply the knowledge gained in the classroom.

A program chairperson and a program counselor are available to assist students with education and career planning.

Employment opportunities for human services interpreters and translators are currently found wherever human services Interpretation & Translation services are needed. There are also many volunteer opportunities.

Note: Students are required to complete a certificate program in one emphasis area at a time-there is no “mixing and matching” of emphasis areas allowed. Once a student has completed a full certificate of specialization in one area, the student can enroll in a second (or subsequent) emphasis area and complete the certificate of specialization in that emphasis area.

For more information about the Interpretation & Translation-Human Services certificate, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/itr.

Location: Urban (NOTE: All Interpretation & Translation courses are online.)

Starts Fall semester of EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS

Close contact with an academic advisor is strongly recommended for planning, because many courses are only offered once every two years. Students in the Business ITR, Human Services ITR and Judiciary ITR certificate programs start in the Fall semester of EVEN-NUMBERED years; students in the Education ITR and Healthcare ITR certificate programs start in the Fall semester of ODD-NUMBERED years.

Program Entry Requirements:

1. Complete an application for admission.
2. Satisfy the assessment requirement.
3. Complete the ITR online program information orientation including the survey.
4. Provide evidence of completion of a college degree (AA, AS, AAS, Bachelor or higher).
5. Complete the DMACC Interpretation & Translation-Generalist Certificate  or equivalent course of study approved by the program chair.
6. Provide evidence of proficiency in English with one of the following:
   1. ACT score on the English subtest of 19 or above.
   2. Minimum COMPASS writing score of 70.
   3. Completion of ENG 105  with a grade of “C” or better.
   4. TOEFL score of 173 on the computer test or 500 on the paper test.
   5. Completion of two years of college study with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (or equivalent) at an institution where English is the medium of instruction.
   6. Other evidence demonstrating English proficiency may be approved by the program chairperson.
7. Show proficiency in a second language with one of the following:
   1. Evidence of completion of high school in a country where the language is spoken.
   2. Two years of college study with a minimum GPA of 2.0 or equivalent at an institution in a country where the language is spoken.
   3. Completion of a college minor in the second language with a minimum grade of “C” for all courses taken in the second language.
   4. Proficiency may be demonstrated with other evidence, but must be approved by the program chairperson.
8. Students will need computer skills to be successful in the program. If students do not have these skills, completion of BCA 212  or CSC 110  is strongly recommended, but the course will be an extra course and will not apply toward certificate requirements.