The Postgraduate European Programme in Specialised Translation is a programme offered both by experts from Lessius University College and by external experts working in education and in the translation and localization industry throughout Europe. The programme offers participants comprehensive training in and an in-depth understanding of translation and localization issues and tools. Participants get to master the major tools used by professional translators and localizers, learn about workflow management and audiovisual translation and become competent in developing new ideas and practices in the rapidly growing field of translation technologies and specialised translation. Participants are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge through an internship in a company or other institution.

Introduction

The Department of Applied Language Studies of Lessius University College is one of the biggest in Europe and is part of the Integrated Faculty of Arts of the Catholic University of Louvain, KU Leuven. The department has an excellent international reputation in the fields of education and scholarly research. Its excellence was further endorsed when in 2000 the department became a member of the CIUTI, the International Permanent Conference of University Institutes of Translators and Interpreters.

Lessius University College is president of TermNet, a member of LISA, runs various translation technology projects, and is a partner of The Institute of Localization Professionals (TILP), where it coordinates the Certified Localization Professional (CLP) programme. Lessius University College has become a member of the SDL Trados Certification University Program, which places it within a network of universities in the UK, Italy, Hungary, Australia, Spain and the USA.

Within the Postgraduate European Programme in Specialised Translation, participants choose between translation technologies, audiovisual translation and localization. Lessius University College also runs various translation workshops within the programme. It has a skills lab, equipped with the essential software tools for the various specialised assignments involved.

The lecturers comprise translators, localizers and language technology experts with considerable national and international expertise, as well as dyed in the wool business people.

The postgraduate programme offers three alternatives:

A. Complete Lessius programme (60 ECTS): the participant selects 5 courses at Lessius University College in Antwerp in the first semester [1] (a total of 30 ECTS) and goes on a work placement in a Belgian or foreign company/institution in the second semester (30 ECTS).

B. METS programme (60 ECTS): the participant has recently graduated from Lessius University College as a Master in Translation. He/she follows courses at universities of the “METS” consortium and performs an assignment given by Lessius (see below for details).

C. Partial Lessius programme: the participant follows one or more courses at Lessius University College in Antwerp in the first and/or second semester. The participant does not go on a work placement. Each course amounts to 6 ECTS.

In alternative B, the participant follows courses at 2 universities of the "METS" consortium (a different university for each semester) and receives 25 ECTS at each university. The remaining 10 ECTS are obtained by fulfilling an assignment given by a lecturer from Lessius University College, related to translation technology. For more information, please refer to the METS website.

The following sections only apply to alternatives A and C, except for the “SDL Trados Certification University Program”, which applies to alternatives A and B.

Purpose

The Postgraduate European Programme in Specialised Translation is a programme taught both by experts from Lessius University College and by external experts working in education and in the translation and localization industry throughout Europe. The programme offers comprehensive training in and an in-depth understanding of translation and localization issues and tools. Participants learn how to master the major tools used by professional translators and localizers, find out about workflow management and audiovisual translation and become competent in developing new ideas and practices in the rapidly growing field of translation technologies and specialised translation. Participants are also given the opportunity to apply their knowledge through a work placement in a company/institution.

Participants

The programme is designed for students and professionals who want to learn about localization, translation technology and specialised translation issues, or to deepen their insight in those areas. Previous knowledge is not required. Participants who wish to select alternative A, however, must hold a Master’s Degree (minimum 240 ECTS). Participants wishing to select alternative C need a Bachelor's Degree. Participants who only hold a Bachelor’s Degree but wish to select alternative A, may be admitted on the basis of professional expertise in the field of specialised translation/translation technologies (see also the “Contact” section).

Courses

• Introduction to Translation Technologies
• Introduction to Terminology
• Audiovisual Translation
• Multilingual Workflow Management
• Website Localization
• Research in Translation Technologies
• Software Localization
• Computational Linguistics (“Computerlinguïstiek”; in Dutch)
• Translation workshops (“vertaalateliers”; in Dutch) [2]

+ Work placement

For a description of the individual courses/work placement, please click here.

None of the courses is compulsory. Participants choosing alternatives A or C are free to pick their courses, but some restrictions do apply:

• Going on the second semester work placement is restricted to participants in alternative A.
• Enrolment in translation workshops is restricted to participants in alternative A.
• Participants in alternative A must pick minimum three courses from courses 1 to 8.
• Consequently, they can follow a maximum of two translation workshops.

The following courses are repeated in the second semester for participants in alternative C:

• Introduction to Translation Technologies;
• Introduction to Terminology;
• Audiovisual Translation;
• Website Localization.

Course format

Each course comprises both theoretical and practical aspects of the covered topics. Certain sessions include exercises, which can be done individually at home or by using the Lessius University College infrastructure.

Participants will receive printed and digital documentation by way of reference material and for preparing exercises and exams.

Schedule

As a rule, each course is taught on a weekly basis, on a fixed weekday, either in blocks of 2 or 4 hours (between 8.30 and 17.30). The sessions take place in the course of a 13-week semester. Depending on the course (number of hours and speakers), there may not be a session each week. Some sessions may sporadically take a full day.

Exams over the first semester take place in December, those of the second semester are held in May.

Language

The entire programme is taught in English, with the exception of Computational Linguistics and the translation workshops, which are taught in Dutch.

Assessment and certification

Each course equals 6 ECTS, and is assessed by means of hands-on exercises, papers or exams. Successful participants are awarded a certificate for the courses in question.

The certificate of the Postgraduate European Programme in Specialised Translation (60 ECTS) is awarded to any participant who meets the following three requirements:

1. The participant fulfils the admission requirements for alternative A (see “Participants” section above).
2. The participant successfully completed at least five courses during the first semester (30 ECTS).
3. The participant successfully completed a work placement in a company/institution during the second semester (30 ECTS).

Location

Courses are taught at the Department of Applied Language Studies, Sint-Andriesstraat 2, 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium), except for the first part of Computational Linguistics (Computerlinguïstiek), which is taught at the KU Leuven, Faculteit Letteren, Blijde-Inkomststraat 21, 3000 Leuven (Belgium).

Enrolment

The enrolment fee for alternative A is € 1,250. Participants in alternative C pay € 250 per course. Participants in alternative A who wish to follow more than the required number of courses (5) will be charged € 250 per additional course, on top of the enrolment fee of 1,250 €.

Application deadline

15 September 2009 [3]

SDL Trados Certification University Program

Thanks to Lessius' membership of the SDL Trados Certification University Program, participants in alternative A or B can enrol for the SDL Trados Certification programme at no extra cost, and thus possibly obtain a premier and internationally renowned SDL Trados translation software certificate. This certificate is endorsed by large international corporations and institutions, including Siemens, Microsoft, Opentext, and the United Nations. Participants in alternatives A and B can enrol in the SDL Trados Certification programme at any time during the first or second semester. Participating is optional.

Contact

For more information on the programme itself:

Mr. Ken De Wachter
Department of Applied Language Studies
Sint-Andriesstraat 2
2000 Antwerpen
Tel +32 3 241 08 07
Fax +32 3 206 04 99
ken.dewachter@lessius.eu

For all administrative issues or questions about the work placement:

Ms. Karen Foelen
Department of Applied Language Studies
Sint-Andriesstraat 2
2000 Antwerpen
Tel +32 3 206 04 85

Fax +32 3 206 04 99

karen.foelen@lessius.eu

[1] Some courses (translation workshops) span two semesters. In the second semester, students going on a work placement must complete their course assignments autonomously and will receive feedback from the lecturer.

[2] As those courses are also part of the Master in Translation, the time schedule may overlap with course 1 to 8. This may  limit the available choice of specialised translation courses.

[3] The time schedule of the Master in Translation acquires its definitive shape immediately before the start of the academic year only. In case of overlaps between translation workshops and a postgraduate course,  participants in the postgraduate programme who enrolled for a specific translation workshop will exceptionally be allowed to modify their choice.