Study of the Curricula Design for Translation and Interpretation Major in Science and Technology Universities

In 2006, degree programs for both undergraduates and postgraduates in translation and interpretation (BTI and MTI, respectively) were officially approved by the Ministry of Education of China. In 2011, there were ( and are now) 31 universities offering BTI programs and 158 universities offering MTI programs. Among them, there are less than 20 universities offering both BTI and MTI programs. Diversity and idiosyncrasy in curricula are strongly recommended in the guidelines delineated by the Ministry of Education. This paper introduces these degree programs for both undergraduates and postgraduates in translation and interpretation at Beihang University, one of the leading universities offering both programs. The programs are distinctive in the fact that they are science and technology-focused, practice-intensive and industry-oriented. It is hoped that, through the curricula design and implementation, future graduates from both BTI and MTI programs of Beihang University will be capable of dealing with both-ways English-Chinese translation of domain-specific texts. In a sense, they will become semi-professionals who don't need much in-house training when they enter the translation industry.