Translation + Interpretation

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Spanish-English Translation + Interpretation

Every person has a unique voice. As a bilingual, you have two. Well-suited to the highly bilingual student, our translation and interpretation degree is one of the few undergraduate programs of its kind in the U.S., and the only program at a Christian college. We view translation and interpretation as an opportunity to serve our Spanish-speaking neighbors, providing critical language support in legal, medical, educational, business and community settings.

Major requirements

Spanish-English Translation + Interpretation

Why NWC?

Put your skills to the test in our world-class simultaneous interpretation lab or in the Christ Chapel interpreting booth. You’ll receive training in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation and sight translation, as well as practice translating medical reports and court documents.

We’ll prepare you for certification exams in both legal and medical interpreting. Fully online, one-year certificate programs are also available to those seeking certification in only one area. Alternately, our interpretation minor focuses on one specific field—either medical or legal interpreting—but allows students to take courses in the other field.

CONTACT

Piet J. Koene
Department Chair

EXPERT FACULTY Professor Piet Koene is a certified translator, court interpreter and medical interpreter.

100% GRAD PLACEMENT 100% of translation and interpretation majors find a job or enroll in graduate school within six months of graduation.

#1 INTERPRETATION LAB Our 13-booth simultaneous interpretation lab is the only one of its kind in the Midwest.

Outcomes

Around 85 percent of U.S. employers are reliant on Spanish communication in the workplace (The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages). It explains why jobs in translation and interpretation are expected to increase 24% by 2030—three times the national average for job growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Join our standout alumni at:

Omaha Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Omaha, NE

Swedish Medical Center

Englewood, CO

Hegg Memorial Health Center

Rock Valley, IA

Family Crisis Centers

Sioux Center, IA

#RaidersStandOut

STUDENTS

**Ashley** After interpreting for her parents and others in her hometown as a kid, Ashley knew she wanted to do something in the interpretation field.

ALUMNI

**Michelle** Michelle’s experiences serving as an interpreter for her parents sparked her passion for providing quality interpreting and translation services for Spanish-speaking families.

FACULTY

**Piet** Professor Koene has elite certification and experience as a courtroom interpreter.

Experience

Study abroad

Northwestern offers study abroad programs in dozens of countries around the globe, including language immersion programs in Argentina, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Spain.

Bilingual worship

Held twice monthly, Spanish Chapel is a student-led service offered as an alternative to Northwestern’s regular chapel programming. You might also choose to worship with Amistad Cristiana, a Spanish-speaking church in nearby Sioux Center, Iowa—or with María Magdalena Reformed Church, a multiethnic and bilingual church plant also located in Sioux Center.

Mission + service opportunities

Volunteer as an English language or other subject-area tutor for local Spanish speakers who are learning English. You can also take a 10-day or 10-week mission trip to a Spanish-speaking country, where you might volunteer with after-school programs, teach ESL and share the gospel. In recent years, Northwestern students have traveled to Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua.