Minor in Translation Studies

What is Translation Studies?

Translation Studies has become an interdisciplinary catalyst of comparative literature and humanities programs over the past twenty years.  It brings together scholars and writers working in creative and professional practice, comparative literature and cultural analysis, philosophy and theory, indigenous studies, linguistics (including the study of dialects, idioms, slang and creoles), history and anthropology (particularly with respect to language extinction), poetics, art practice, digital media and knowledge alphabets across natural and computational languages (AI). At NYU there is an extraordinary cross-department and cross-school wealth of faculty contributing to these fields alongside an engaged student body, many of whom are multilingual.  An academic course of study tapping into heritage language abilities enhances diversity in the humanities curriculum, often in ways that concretely address the perennial problem of Eurocentrism. 

WHAT YOU WILL STUDY

The Minor in Translation Studies is a 4-course (16-credit) minor. Courses may be taken in NYC or at Global Academic Centers. Up to one course may be double-counted for the minor. 

There are three categories of courses:

1. Introductory course (4 credits). Students will take one of two options for the introductory course:

Global Liberal Studies 

  • Global Topics: Translation across the Disciplines (previously offered in GLS as Global Topics: Introduction to Translation Studies, GT-UF 201-001) explores a range of contexts and practices that have informed translation studies scholarship. To be offered annually, and next in Spring 2023.

OR

Comparative Literature

Translation Theory: Comparative Approaches and Case Studies introduces students to the key theoretical debates that have shaped the field. To be offered annually beginning in the 2023-24 academic year.

2. An elective GLS or Comparative Literature course focusing on translation theory and/or practice (4 credits). Students will take at least one course from among the options below.

Global Liberal Studies

  • Advanced Writing Studio: Translation and Difference 
  • Creative Writing Studio 
  • Global Topics: Indigeneity Today
  • Global Topics: Migration, Language, Identity
  • Global Topics: The Treasonous Art of Literary Translation 
  • Global Topics: World Poetry
  • Senior Seminar: The Global Go-Between: Translation Studies Seminar
  • Senior Seminar: Multilingualism and Society

Comparative Literature

  • Force of Law, Colonial Violence and the Politics of Translation (Emily Apter and Benjamin Baer)
  • Translating a Discipline/Theorizing Untranslatables (Emily Apter)
  • What Makes a Translation Good? (Ulrich Baer)
  • Translation Studies in Arab Cultures (Hala Halim)
  • Translation and the Mediterranean (Hala Halim)
  • Translation Through Chinese Literature (Todd Foley)
  • Translation at the Limits (Poetics and Theoory) (Zakir Paul)
  • Translating Knowledge Alphabets Across Media (Emily Apter and Alexander Galloway, MCC)
  • Translation Across Media: The Case of Radical Theater in South Africa (Mark Sanders)

3. Eight (8) additional credits drawn EITHER from the above list of GLS and Comparative Literature electives OR from the below list of approved electives offered in collaborating units. This list will continue to expand as more courses are approved or developed. Please check host department sites or contact Directors of Undergraduate Studies for information about scheduling and prerequisites.

ARTS & SCIENCE

French Literature, Thought and Culture

  • French Translation 
  • Advanced Techniques of Translation 

German

  • Techniques of Translation 

Hebrew and Judaic Studies

  • Yiddish in America 
  • Yiddish Literature and Translation 
  • Modern Hebrew Literature in Translation 
  • Bible as Literature 

Italian Studies

  • Language, Culture, and Identity in Italy 
  • Translation 
  • New Trends in 21st Century Italian Literature 
  • Translingual Writing in Italian

Linguistics

  • Language and Society 
  • Sex, Gender, and Language 

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

  • Literature and Society in the Middle East 

Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures

  • Techniques of Translations 
  • Advanced Translation Workshop 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Students pursuing the Minor in Translation Studies will learn about translation history, theory, and practice in a cross-cultural, multilingual, and interdisciplinary context. They will gain a deeper understanding of this work that bridges different languages and cultures, and of the dynamics of power and capital that shape how translations are produced, disseminated, and received. They will engage with translation scholars and practitioners, and participate in translation events, while studying in NYC and at the Global Academic Centers.

HOW TO BEGIN THE MINOR

Students can begin by registering for one of the many course options listed above. If you’ve already taken one of the above courses prior to the Fall 2022 semester, you may apply it to the minor. Declare your minor and manage your coursework with the Minor in Translation Studies Worksheet.

TRANSLATION NATION

Founded in 2019, Translation Nation is the student club for exploring all things translation. We practice different techniques of translation through exercises and projects, and learn about how translators have approached their work–and the cultural, political, and economic conditions informing it–through conversations with guest speakers, and outings to literary readings, lectures, and film screenings. For more information, please contact the club’s faculty advisor, Professor Jennifer Zoble, at jz64@nyu.edu.