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Pursuing a master’s degree in translation is a great way to set yourself up for a fulfilling career upon graduation. There are multiple paths that you can take within the translation realm, with one of these including the translation of scientific texts. Additionally, a role in scientific translation offers many different career options depending on your skillset and interests.

Earning an online M.A. in Translation will assist you in learning the tools needed to grow in your career.

A Career as a Scientific Language Translator

Scientific translation involves the translation of documents with distinctive and objective language containing extremely complex terminology. These documents use certain abbreviations and specialized concepts that require an authorized and knowledgeable person to translate them. The role of a scientific translator is key as the slightest variation or smallest errors could be potentially fatal to the rest of the work.

Scientific translators have to be experts in both translation and the subject matter in question, as this type of work requires knowledge of the subject matter, terminology, and relevant writing techniques of the given field. Scientific fields that often utilize translation include:

• Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Biology
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Astronomy
• Psychology
• Geology
• Neuroscience
• Zoology

A career in scientific technical translation requires an expertise in the language of one of the above subject matters. Some common texts that are often translated include:

• Scientific articles and documents
• User manuals
• Clinical trials and laboratory testing documents
• Pharmaceutical registration documents
• Experiments/trial results
• Glossaries and scientific encyclopedias
• Market research documents
• Instruction booklets
• Training materials

Each of these documents includes information that only an expert can translate. Scientific language translators are extremely helpful to companies because they ensure their processes are following the text as accurately as possible.

Key Aspects of Scientific Technical Translation

When you are looking at a career in scientific translation, applying your vast array of knowledge to your work will help you to be the ideal translator for the job. Here are a few things to keep in mind when pursuing your career:

• Pay attention to numbers and symbols – In your work, you will often come across a variety of numbers, formulas, diagrams and symbols, so be sure to pay attention as these aspects are vital to the work’s integrity.
   
• Always proofread – As with most industries, proofreading is essential for catching any mistakes. With such complex language found in scientific documents, you must be sure to double-check your work.
   
• Be clear and concise – The language in scientific documents is already complex, so keep your translation clear and concise to assist in readability.
   
• Be an avid reader – In any field, it is important to stay as informed as possible. Stay up to date on the latest academic journals to get used to the terminology, scientific research, and discoveries, and to better understand concepts that you likely will need to translate.

A career in scientific technical translation is definitely a challenge, so it is important to keep up with the constant changes of the industry and be knowledgeable of the terminology and topics you are required to translate. Pursuing a scientific translation degree is a great way for you to establish those tools to become a successful scientific translator. Start earning your degree today at ºÚÁÏÍø!

Advantages of Earning Your Scientific Translation Degree at ºÚÁÏÍø

When you choose ºÚÁÏÍø for your scientific translation degree, you are picking a university that will offer many core benefits to your education. ºÚÁÏÍø allows you to earn your degree from anywhere in the world.

This means that you can take your coursework online or in person, and with a flexible schedule. Also, you have the option to earn your degree full-time or on a part-time basis. Other benefits include:

• Graduation rates that exceed 90%
• Exceptional employment opportunities
• Guidance from expert faculty that is personalized to you
• Access to virtual multilingual computing laboratory
• Courses designed by industry experts in aspects such as translation, localization, and language project management

Within the program, we cover a wide range of topics in the translation field. Some of these include:

• Theory of translation
• Terminology
• Project management
• Professional editing
• Computer applications
• Intercultural communication in the language industry

At ºÚÁÏÍø, a career in translation doesn’t stop with scientific translation, as there are various other areas you can work in within the translation industry. Other types of translation careers include:

The Master of Arts in Translation is offered in six concentrations, which include some of the most commonly spoken and printed languages in the world. These concentrations include:

• Spanish
• French
• Russian
• Arabic
• German
• Japanese

The opportunities are endless with our master’s degree in translation. No matter what language or topic you choose, our program will set you up for success in your future career.

Learn More About a Degree in Translation on Our Blog!

If you are wanting to learn more about the M.A. in Translation program, be sure to check out our blog for the latest news! Some of our most recent blog posts include:

• Careers in Translations: Engineering Translation
• Everything You Need to Know About Working as a Language Consultant
• Everything You Need to Know About Working in Translation Project Management
• Q&A with Andrew Tucker, a Doctoral Fellow Specializing in Spanish Translation
• Translation vs. Interpretation: How Do They Differ?

Start Working Toward Your Scientific Translation Degree at Kent State Today!

To learn more about the translation program at Kent State, contact us today! We will be happy help you with any questions you may have.

If you are ready to start your career as a scientific language translator, fill out our brief form on our admissions page to start the application process. We can’t wait to hear from you!