Bachelor's degree programme in Translation Studies

Bachelor's degree programme in Translation Studies teaches basic academic knowledge and methods as well as practical skills in the field of transcultural communication. Students learn common language translation and liaison interpreting in the languages offered at the Institute of Translation Studies.

The following applies to first-year students who are regular students at the University of Innsbruck and are not exchange students:
In order to participate in the language courses at INTRAWI, the required entry level must be proven by means of an SNE test or by submitting a relevant language certificate.

SNE dates:

  • German as a foreign language:
  • French:
  • English:
  • Italian:
  • Spanish:

Registration for the language level placement test:

by e-mail to intrawi@uibk.ac.at stating the following information:

  • Matriculation number
  • Surname, first name
  • Mother tongue or language of education, first and second (possibly third) foreign language
  • Optional: Scan of a relevant language level certificate for a possible exemption from the placement test (after checking the documents)

Language coordinators of the respective languages:

  • German as a foreign language (DaF): Andreas Schumacher
  • English: Katharina Walter
  • Italian: Saverio Carpentieri
  • French: Daria Fuchshuber-Weber
  • Spanish: Annette Wußler
  • Russian: Anna Bailesteanu

Exemption from the language level placement test

Students who have relevant proof of their language level (in one or all of the languages they have chosen) can be exempted from the placement test after their documents have been checked by the Institute Secretariat. Once your application has been processed, you will be informed in writing whether you can be exempted from the SNE test.

Evidence that can be accepted for exemption from the placement test:

  • Austrian Central Matura Certificate
    stating the level of language proficiency - not older than one (academic) year
    In the case of Austrian Central Matura certificates, only written examinations in the relevant languages can be accepted as proof of exemption from the SNE. Oral examinations cannot be accepted for SNE exemption.
  • Internationally recognised language certificate
    not older than 2 (study) years
    Note: ISI language certificates cannot be taken into account for the SNE exemption.
  • Language certificates for the SNE exemption in German as a foreign language:
    Supplementary examination in German (Austrian universities)
    Austrian Language Diploma: B2 Intermediate German (MD)
    Goethe Institute: Goethe Certificate B2
    Innovation Centre University of Vienna GmbH: Intermediate level 3
    German language examination for university admission for foreign applicants (DSH II)
    German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs: Level II (DSD II)
    Test of German as a Foreign Language (Test DaF): at least level 4 in all parts
  • Language certificates for the SNE exemption in English:
    Cambridge First, Cambridge Advanced and Cambridge Proficiency: from level B2
    TOEFL: from level B2 (from 87 points)
  • Language certificates for the SNE exemption in Italian:
    CELI, CILS, PLIDA from level B1
  • Language certificates for the SNE exemption in French:
    DALF and DELF from level B1
  • Language certificates for the SNE exemption in Spanish:
    DELE from level B1

Required language level for language course I

B1 for French, Italian, Spanish
In order to participate in the language course I in French, Italian or Spanish, the required entry level B1 must be proven by means of an SNE test or presentation of a relevant language certificate.

B2 for English and German as a foreign language
In order to participate in Language Course II in English or German as a foreign language, the required entry level B1 must be proven by means of an SNE test or presentation of a relevant language certificate.

Upgrading to language course II

If a higher level than the required entry level of the respective language is shown on the certificate, this does not automatically mean a higher placement in Language Course II, but entitles the holder to Language Course I.

If a language certificate (e.g. Cambridge Cerificate C1) proves a higher level than the required entry level in the respective language, it is possible to either be exempted from the placement test and participate in Language Course I without a placement test or to take a placement test for a possible higher placement in Language Course II. After successfully completing the placement test for the higher placement, Language Course II may be attended (Language Course I will be credited).

Registration for the courses

Registration deadline for all courses with examinations:
Summer semester: 01.02.-21.02.
Winter semester: 01.09.-21.09.

Registration deadline for all non-examination courses (lectures):
Summer semester: 01 February until the end of the semester or until the end of the respective course
Winter semester: 01 September until the end of the semester or until the end of the respective course

Registration for the remaining courses after the end of the registration period takes place by e-mail via the course instructors. For courses where the maximum number of participants has already been reached by the end of the enrolment period, no further participants can be accepted.

Start of the courses

see Course catalogue

Please note that some courses are only offered annually (either in the winter or summer semester)!

These are the following modules:

PM 2: Introduction to translation-related linguistics and communication
This course takes place in the summer semester.

WM 6 / WM 7: Basic course Russian I and II
These courses only take place in the winter semester.

PM 4 / PM 7: Russian I
This course only takes place in the summer semester.

PM 5 / PM 8: Russian II
This course only takes place in the winter semester.

PM 4 / PM 7: French I, Italian I, Spanish I
These courses only take place in the winter semester.

PM 6 / PM 9: Spanish III
This course only takes place in the winter semester.

PM 10a / PM 12a: VO Regional Studies
PM 11a / PM 13a: VO Cultural History

  • DaF, French and Italian: Regional Studies and Cultural History only in the winter semester
  • Russian: Regional studies and cultural history only in the summer semester
  • Spanish: regional studies in the winter semester, cultural history in the summer semester
  • English: semestral

PM 10b / PM 12b: UE Languages and Cultures in Comparison

  • Russian: only in the winter semester
  • DaF, French, Italian, Spanish: only in the summer semester
  • English: semestral

PM 11 / PM 13: PS Selected topics

  • GFL, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish: only in the summer semester
  • English: semestral

PM 14 / WM 1: Translation I

  • French, Italian, Spanish: only in the winter semester
  • (exception PM14a Italian also in the summer semester)
  • Russian: only in the summer semester
  • English: semestral

PM 15 (a-b) / WM 2 (a-b): Translation II

  • French, Italian, Spanish: only in the summer semester
  • Russian: winter semester only
  • English: semestral

PM 16 (a-b) / WM 3 (a-b): Translation III

  • Russian: only in the summer semester (exception Russian-German also in the winter semester)
  • French and Italian: only in the winter semester (exception French-German and Italian-German also in the summer semester)
  • English/Spanish: semestral

PM 15: Extemporaneous translation

  • Russian: only in the winter semester
  • Spanish and French: only in the summer semester
  • English and Italian: semestral

PM 17: Liaison interpreting

  • French and Spanish: winter semester only
  • Russian: summer semester only
  • English and Italian: semestral

PM 17: Conference interpreting

  • French and Russian: winter semester only
  • Spanish: summer term only
  • English and Italian: semestral

PM 18: Examination project

  • French, Russian and Spanish: summer semester only
  • English and Italian: semestral

Abbreviations:

PM = compulsory module
WM = elective module
DaF = German as a foreign language

Dr Astrid Schmidhofer
Student representative at the Institute of Translation Studies

Information for BA students whose mother tongue or language of education is NOT German
(= for students studying German as a 1st foreign language):

BA students whose mother tongue or language of education is NOT German may replace the course "Translationsrelevante Textanalyse und Textkompetenz Deutsch II" (2.5 ECTS)

  • by the course "Regional Studies" (2.5 ECTS) in the respective mother tongue or language of education or
  • by the course "Cultural History" (2.5 ECTS) in the respective mother tongue or language of education

replace it.

German is not my mother tongue or language of education. What should I do when registering for the degree programme?

If German is not your mother tongue or language of education, you must choose German as your first foreign language. The language of education must always be a language offered at the institute (English, French, Italian, Spanish or Russian).

Information for students with previous knowledge of Russian

Students who have chosen Russian as a foreign language and already have previous knowledge of the language will be placed in the appropriate language course by means of a placement interview.

Placement by: Mathias Althaler
Date, time slot:
Room:

Russian language coordinator:
Anna Bailesteanu
Institute for Translation Studies

Prerequisites

The formal requirement for the Bachelor's degree programme is the school-leaving examination (also without Latin) or an equivalent school-leaving qualification. The degree programme is suitable for students with very good native language skills (German) and very good skills in the chosen first foreign language. The BA programme in Translation Studies leads to the acquisition of a first professionally qualifying university degree in common language translation in the languages offered at the Institute of Translation Studies.

Admission to the degree programme

The Admissions Office of the University of Innsbruck is exclusively responsible for admission to the degree programme, registration of additional studies, changes in the language combination, etc. Please note the compulsory online application for first-year students.

Scope and duration of the programme

The Bachelor's degree programme in Translation Studies comprises 180 ECTS credits. This corresponds to a study duration of approx. six semesters, whereby the courses of an academic year generally correspond to 60 ECTS credits and those of a semester to 30 ECTS credits.

Language programme

The degree programme must be completed in two foreign languages. The following languages can be chosen:
German as a foreign language, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian.

The curriculum is based on the assumption that students have good prior knowledge of the chosen foreign languages - with the exception of Russian, which is not a school language - or very good prior knowledge of the first foreign language. The level of language proficiency in the two foreign languages is determined by language level assessment (SNE) before the start of the degree programme. Students who can prove the required level of language proficiency by means of an Austrian central school-leaving certificate (not older than one academic year) or other relevant proof (not older than two academic years) will be exempted from the placement test after the documents have been checked.

Students whose mother tongue is not part of the teaching programme of the Innsbruck Institute of Translation Studies must choose an educational language from the languages offered at the Institute. All students whose mother tongue or language of education is not German must take German as their first foreign language. A very good knowledge of German is a prerequisite for the BA programme.

Stay abroad

A stay abroad of at least one semester in the countries of the chosen foreign languages is strongly recommended. The aim of the stay abroad is to expand language and cultural competence in the chosen foreign languages. In the INTRAWI international section, you can find out all about our international networks, mobilities and internships. You will also find numerous experience reports here.

Structure of the degree programme (according to the amended version of the curriculum from 1 October 2016) and recommended study plan

The Bachelor's degree programme in Translation Studies consists of compulsory and elective modules from the fields of translatology (cross-linguistic theoretical basic subjects), linguistic mastery, cultural studies and translatorics (= translation) and proceeds almost symmetrically in the two chosen foreign languages. It is only in the area of translation that you can choose between two variants for the second foreign language: Variant 1 provides for the same translation courses as for the first foreign language (translation in both directions); variant 2 includes translation courses in only one direction and is primarily intended as a kind of relief for students with German as their first foreign language, who would otherwise have to translate between two foreign languages.

Compulsory modules totalling 140 ECTS must be completed:

  • Translatology (22.5 ECTS)
  • Language proficiency (30 ECTS per foreign language)
  • Cultural Studies (15 ECTS per foreign language)
  • Translatology (first foreign language: 25 ECTS) and examination project (2.5 ECTS)

In addition, elective modules totalling 32.5 ECTS credits must be completed:

  • Translatorics second foreign language: option 1 (20 ECTS) or option 2 (15 ECTS)
  • Further elective modules: Variant 1 (12.5 ECTS) and Variant 2 (20 ECTS)

In addition, a Bachelor's thesis is written as part of one of the proseminars offered at the Institute (PS Translation Studies or Cultural Studies PS Selected Topics for the First or Second Foreign Language):

  • Bachelor's thesis (7.5 ECTS)

Please note that most of the courses (LV) have an immanent examination character, i.e. attendance is compulsory during the semester.

1st semester

  • PM 1: Orientation module (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 4: Language course I, 1st foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 7: Language course I, 2nd foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)

2nd semester

  • PM 2: Basic skills (except language technology and terminology management) (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 5: Language course II, 1st foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 8: Language course II, 2nd foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM: from the group 6-16 (5 ECTS-Credits)

3rd semester

  • PM 6: Language course III, 1st foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 9: Language course III, 2nd foreign language (10 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 14: Translatorics I, 1st foreign language (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM 1: Translatorics I, 2nd foreign language (5 ECTS-Credits)

4th semester

  • PM 2b: Language technology and terminology management (2.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 15: Translatorics II, 1st foreign language (7.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM 2: Translatorics II, 2nd foreign language (7.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 10b: Cultural Studies, 1st foreign language: Languages and Cultures (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 12b: Cultural Studies, 2nd foreign language: Languages and Cultures (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM 14: Interdisciplinary competences (2, 5 ECTS-Credits)

5th semester

  • PM 16: Translatorics III, 1st foreign language (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM 3: Translatorics III, 2nd foreign language (7.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 17c: Liaison interpreting, 1st foreign language (2.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 10a, 11a: Cultural Studies, 1st foreign language: Regional Studies and Cultural History (2.5 + 2.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 12a, 13a: Cultural Studies, 2nd foreign language: Regional Studies and Cultural History (2.5 + 2.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM 3a: PS Translation Studies (5 ECTS-Credits)

6th semester

  • PM 17a/b: Translatorics IV (2.5 + 2.5 ECTS-Credits)
  • Cultural Studies, 1st foreign language: Selected topics (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • Cultural Studies, 2nd foreign language: Selected topics (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • WM: from the group 6-16 (5 ECTS-Credits)
  • PM3b: Examination project (2.5 ECTS-Credits)
    Bachelor's thesis (7.5 ECTS-Credits)
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