Arts & Humanities

Diploma in Translation Studies

The Diploma in Translation Studies is a programme that equips learners with competencies to become professional linguists and enter professions that build on linguistic knowledge. Offered at Africa International University through the School of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, the programme prepares students for careers in translation, language teaching and linguistic analysis.

The curriculum covers translation theory, translation practice, linguistics, sociolinguistics, phonetics and phonology, morphology and syntax, semantics, language analysis, orthography creation, dictionary production, literacy activities, language teaching methods, research methods and practicum. Students develop both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in translation and linguistic analysis.

The programme responds to the need for trained linguists and translators who can support Bible translation, language documentation, literacy programmes and cross-cultural communication in Kenya and beyond. It provides a foundation for professions that require linguistic knowledge and translation skills.

The programme is delivered through lectures, translation workshops, language analysis sessions, seminars, presentations, tutorials, case studies and practicum. Students gain hands-on experience through translation projects, language analysis assignments and supervised practicum in translation or language-related organisations.

Graduates pursue careers as translation assistants, language analysts, literacy officers, language teaching assistants and linguistic research assistants in Bible translation organisations, research institutions, NGOs and educational institutions. They can also progress to a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Translation and Linguistics at AIU.

Prospective students should have interest in languages, linguistics and translation. The programme is suitable for students seeking careers that require linguistic knowledge and cross-cultural communication skills.

Duration: 2 years
Private, up to: Ksh 93,050
Job market: Low

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Remote Teaching, Evening, Weekend
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

7 subjects

Translation Theory and Translation Practice
Linguistics and Sociolinguistics
Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology and Syntax
Semantics and Language Analysis
Orthography Creation and Dictionary Production
Language Teaching Methods and Literacy Activities
Research Methods and Practicum

Modules

7 in the programme

Translation Theory and Translation Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers translation theory, translation models, equivalence, translation strategies, translation practice, source and target text analysis and translation quality assessment.
Linguistics and Sociolinguistics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers general linguistics, language structure, sociolinguistics, language and society, language variation, multilingualism, language contact and language planning.
Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology and Syntax
Year 1Semester 24 creditsCore
Covers phonetics, articulatory phonetics, phonology, phonological analysis, morphology, word formation, syntax, sentence structure and grammatical analysis.
Semantics and Language Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers semantics, lexical semantics, sentence semantics, pragmatics, language analysis, discourse analysis and meaning in context.
Orthography Creation and Dictionary Production
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers orthography creation, writing systems, orthography design principles, dictionary production, lexicography, dictionary entries and corpus building.
Language Teaching Methods and Literacy Activities
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers language teaching methods, second language acquisition, literacy activities, literacy programme design, reading materials development and adult literacy.
Research Methods and Practicum
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Covers research methods, linguistic research and a supervised practicum in a translation organisation, language project or literacy programme, assessed through a practicum report and supervisor evaluation.

Specialisations

Bible Translation
Focuses on Bible translation principles and practice for careers in Bible translation organisations.
Language Documentation
Specialises in language analysis and orthography creation for careers as language analysts.
Literacy Programmes
Focuses on literacy activities and materials development for careers as literacy officers.
Language Teaching
Specialises in language teaching methods for careers as language teaching assistants.

A day as a student

A typical day begins with a morning lecture on translation theory or linguistics, followed by a translation workshop or a language analysis session. Afternoon sessions may include a phonetics lab, a sociolinguistics seminar, or preparation for practicum. Students also work on translation projects and language analysis assignments.

The trade offs

In its favour

The programme provides unique skills in translation and linguistic analysis.
Graduates can progress to a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Translation and Linguistics at AIU.
The programme supports Bible translation and language documentation work in Kenya.

Against it

The programme is offered at only one university, limiting study options.
Career opportunities are niche and primarily in translation and language organisations.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 188 arts & humanities courses

Private93k to 93k

93k at Africa International University93k at Africa International University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

AIU 93,050/yr (thekenyatimes). No public univ offers Diploma in Translation Studies.

Students can access HELB loans. Bible translation organisations may sponsor students pursuing translation studies. AIU may offer internal bursaries.

Funding options

HELB Loan

Scholarships

1 recorded

HELB Loan
LoanKsh 40,000Kenyan
Kenyan students enrolled in accredited programmes at recognised institutions

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: KCSE D- with a recognised relevant post-secondary certificate, or KCE/EACE equivalent.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Written examination30% of the mark
Mid-semester and end-of-semester written tests covering translation theory, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax.
Translation and Language Analysis Assignments
Assignment30% of the mark
Assessment of translation projects, language analysis exercises, phonetic transcriptions and grammatical analyses.
Translation or Linguistics Project
Project40% of the mark
A translation or linguistic analysis project, assessed through a written report and presentation.
Practicum Report
Practicum100% of the mark
Assessment of performance during supervised practicum in a translation organisation or language project.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is offered at Africa International University, School of Education, Arts and Social Sciences.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is offered at Africa International University, School of Education, Arts and Social Sciences.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Translation Assistant
Low demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 155,000
Assists with translation projects, translates documents and materials, supports translation quality checks and works with senior translators in Bible translation organisations and NGOs.
Language Analyst
Low demandKsh 32,000 to Ksh 160,000
Analyses language structure, documents linguistic features, supports orthography development and contributes to language documentation projects in research institutions.
Literacy Officer
Low demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 150,000
Coordinates literacy programmes, develops reading materials, supports adult literacy initiatives and promotes mother-tongue literacy in community-based organisations.
Language Teaching Assistant
Low demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 145,000
Assists with language teaching, supports language courses, prepares teaching materials and helps with language assessment in educational institutions.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as translation assistants, language analysts, literacy officers and language teaching assistants in Bible translation organisations, research institutions and NGOs.

Certifications

Commission for University Education (CUE) Accreditation

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Translation studies is just about knowing two languages.
Translation studies involves translation theory, linguistics, sociolinguistics, cultural analysis and specialised translation techniques, requiring much more than bilingualism.
A diploma in translation studies has limited career prospects.
Graduates can work in Bible translation, language documentation, literacy programmes and cross-cultural communication. They can also progress to a Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Linguistics.
Translation is only for literature and books.
Translation is needed in Bible translation, legal documents, medical materials, educational resources, software localisation and community development materials.
Machine translation will replace human translators.
Machine translation cannot handle cultural nuance, context, minority languages and specialised translation tasks that require human linguistic expertise.