Our Alumni Testimonials

It’s without hesitation the best thing I could’ve done for my career. My manager noticed an instant improvement in the quality of my translations, and I enjoy it so much more now!

I absolutely loved taking this class! I knew next to nothing about professional translating when I started the program, and now I feel 100% confident and ready to start my career. The readings, videos, and assignments cover a broad range of topics and are thoughtfully selected to provide all the training necessary to become a translator. Prof. Mansilla is amazing! He is extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and truly cares about seeing his students succeed, and the guest lecturers are equally great. Also, the friends I’ve made and colleagues I’ve met are an added bonus! I would definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in becoming a translator.

I’d recommend this program because the way it is thought, taught and structured helps you to build a firm base from where to jump to start working as a translator or to further progress in your career. The professors are extremely good, the materials are well prepared and every week helps you to understand the translation process better.

The course has provided me with a wealth of information pertaining to the field of translation, along with invaluable advice for establishing a career as a translator. I am forever grateful for this program, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in starting a career in the field of translation.

This is an amazing course that will provide you with great skills and knowledge. I learned so much about what it means to be a translator and the resources I was given will help me for the rest of my life. I encourage you to take full advantage of all that is included in this course and remember to commit and dedicate the time needed to accomplish all the assignments and exams. I am grateful for this course, for the incredible professors, the guest speakers, and for the kind peers who took this course alongside me 🙂

This program gives you a great microscopic look at the world of translation, with practice in every possible field. It requires a lot of critical thinking and writing, as well as editing skills for other people’s translations. Not only will you learn to translate, and understand the decisions you are making when translating, you will also learn how to read a translation against its source text and be able to provide valuable input on the translation’s quality. You will come out of this program a better writer, thinker, editor, and critical reader in your native language and in Spanish.

While many people who are bilingual, somehow, translate one way or another, going through the coursework truly makes a difference in the quality of the product and the effectiveness of the process.

The class was well organized, informative, and full of hands on practical work. I also really appreciated all the real-world applicability and the exposure to the broad variety of translation/interpretation work that is available out there. Finally, having a network of contacts in the field is invaluable.

I recommend this program because it provide the necessary tools to become a good translator, —developing creativity, analytical thinking, and writing and research skills. It is committed to the wellbeing of the students and provides many opportunities for growing as a professional in a translation career.

It’s a thorough program and honestly I learned a lot. In addition, it’s interesting.

It is a great foundational program for emerging translators.

This program is filled with very valuable information and unique opportunities, I would recommend this program to anyone who is ready to give translation a shot and is looking for experience and qualifications. It teaches students the essential skills to tackle translation projects and provides newbies with incredible valuable information about the industry.

I would recommend the program to others who are already fluent in two languages. It’s a great way to focus your skills and become a better translator. The key is that they have to be already fluent in two languages, this isn’t a course for beginners, and I really liked that.

It is a very comprehensive program, and one of the best parts about it is that you are introduced to a community of translators, interpreters, and people interested in language. The teachers were highly knowledgeable and supportive, and put a ton of effort into making it a good course. This year’s group of students was very supportive and a real pleasure to get to know.

Es un programa excelente para ampliar los conocimientos en el campo de la traducción.

I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone that is interested in becoming a professional translator. This course has high standards and expectations that are required in the world of translation and let you experiment in the many different fields there are to work in. The lessons are engaging and fun, with music, video and include a lot of interaction with teachers and fellow students. It was challenging but I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel prepared to take on whatever I am asked to do in a job not because I know everything, that is far from true, but because I have the tools to research, I know where and how to search to stay updated and the steps I need to follow after I get certified. I truly enjoyed this course, our teachers are real masters at their craft. I am really thankful for everything they taught me and how they pushed me past my insecurities and own limitations.

I would recommend this program to those who love languages and have a passion for communicating. I love both and enjoyed the journey.

I really liked the convenience of it being an online program and us being able to do our work whenever we had the availability (within the school week, of course). I also feel like we were given relevant material depending on the week’s topic, and most of the assignments were also helpful and gave useful practice exercises that helped me understand better the materials.

I would recommend this program (and have already) to people who work in interpretation and translation. Very early on students receive information that helps ground you in the industry’s lingo and standards. At the same time the program provides valuable feedback from instructors and practical exercises.

I enjoyed the program and would recommend it to anyone who wanted to become a Spanish/English translator.

Today I was contacted and hired to translate a Honduran Birth Certificate. It reads almost verbatim to the one we did in Exercise 7.7 – Legal translations.  Kuddos to this program for the relevant course materials!!

The program is well-structured and the content is carefully designed to strengthen existing capacities and develop new skills to improve yours. Also, price is reasonable for the level of attention we got as students and learning. I think it’s a great investment and a great program.

Este programa provee las herramientas para el desarrollo profesional en todos los campos de la traducción. Es dinámico, exigente y actualizado en cuanto a los recursos que necesita un profesional para iniciarse en el camino profesional.

I learned different tools and techniques. I learned about different things that are available to translators. Learned about the different kinds of translators, and communities of translators, and I had the opportunity to learn from reputed professionals, who shared their knowledge about translation as a craft but also as a business.

The Certificate program is rigorous, engaging and excellent preparation for translation as a career.

I am so happy I did this. I am sad it’s over, and I am on my own now. It gave me a sense of community that helped me survive the pandemic.

I keep on recommending this program to anyone interested in the world of languages and communication. So far, my own sister has already enrolled in the upcoming 408 Course. I know for certain that she will enjoy it as much as I did!

I took the program because it focuses on written translation, which is my main interest. In only two semesters it covers all the major aspects of translation as a discipline and a profession. It provides great bibliographical resources and introduces the students to useful websites, technological tools, and more. It is led by a great team of teachers, all experienced in the field, generous, caring and highly professional. Faculty is complemented by excellent guests, experts in the field who share with the class their professional insights, lessons learned from experience, and also useful advice. Another wonderful aspect is meeting people from all over the country and the world, with different backgrounds and interests. You get the opportunity to learn together and from one another, help each other and start building a professional network.

There are other programs at other higher learning institutions and there are other programs through private organizations that are less expensive, but this is why I chose the Spanish to English Translation Program at UMass Boston.

1. Your level of Spanish and English is evaluated by a professor through a test you take.
   This is something NOT available in most less expensive programs through individual companies. I know for a fact because I looked into other Certification venues and did one, I was not impressed.
2. This program has professors with real world experience in the fields they teach.
   When you hear Robert Kyosaki talk about fake teachers and fake degrees, you will NOT find that at UMass Boston in this program.
3. This program gives you knowledge in many different fields with assignments similar to what you will be doing in the real world.
4. The professors CARE about the students and that the students succeed and are learning. There is A LOT of interaction with students from all over the world, so you are also learning from the group. Not so in other programs. You are usually alone and on your own.
5. What I like is that the professors are also members of the ATA, American Translators Association and NETA, New England Translators Association. Which also helps you to get into those organizations.
6. And finally, UMass Boston is a prestigious University, a certificate from UMass Boston can help open doors where a certificate from a lesser known group won’t.
7. If I had had to do it all over again. I would have started here first. That is also why I am staying here and continuing on with my education to achieve my BA in Spanish to English Translation over time…

It felt just right and improved my skills beyond words, I’m so happy I did it.

This program gave me the time and space to evaluate the level of my skills and to put into perspective how to use those skills professionally.

This program was a great experience! I learned A LOT about translation and truly enjoyed the course content. Each week’s assignments were fun, interesting, and engaging. The instructors were also great; they were super supportive and enthusiastic.

Wonderful teachers.

Yes, it’s worth every penny. The knowledge, support and encouragement received from Diego, Gerry and Natasha is fantastic. I will recommend this program to anyone who wants to become a competent and professional translator. You will receive all the necessary tools, not only in learning the craft of translation but in applying them in the real world. Excellent program!!!!

I have no doubt that this translation program will have an impact on anyone seeking certification. This is why I already started to promote it to all my friends on Facebook.

Most definitely, a very comprehensive and demanding program. The program provides not just good academics, but also, great interviews with translators, interpreters and professionals in the business. Very helpful.

The translation program improved my knowledge and skills, so I would recommend it to others looking for a credential in the field.

I thought that this was a very functional and engaging online class. I’m beyond happy with what I’ve gained and I especially loved how this program drew such a diverse crowd – geographically, professionally, in age, etc. So many great learning opportunities within the program itself and from the instructors and classmates.

This program has given me a firm foundation as a professional translator. I feel confident and competent as I move forward in my field. Thank you!

In terms of practicality, budget, and quality I think this is definitely one of the best options out there for anyone trying to break into translation. The fact that it’s online makes it much more accessible and the fact that two of our professors are working professionals in the industry provided a lot of insight that might not be gleaned from a program that was 100% academics. Getting the personalized feedback from Natasha and Gerry was honestly one of the most helpful parts of the course because the positive feedback motivated me, and all the corrections were detailed and to the point which showed me what I specifically needed to work on in order to improve.

The course in Google Classroom was of very high quality, and the professor and the TAs were excellent. They always took the time to respond to questions, explain assignments, and to review and return them promptly. It was expensive, and I had my doubts as to its worth in the beginning, but then I began to see all the angles and spheres of translation the course encompassed. When I finished, I realized that it was well worth the expense, not only because of the knowledge I had acquired, but the people I met online, with whom I hope to remain in contact during my translation career.

The UMass Boston Spanish/English Translation Program professors offered helpful reading and video resources, arranged virtual conversations with professional translators and the professors themselves, and diversified lesson content so that we could translate different types of texts.

I highly recommend this great program to anyone who has an interest in developing and improving their translation skills. I know for a fact that the knowledge and experience they will gain with the help of the magnificent instructors I had the privilege to learn from, good opportunities as professional translators will open up in their future. The very good reputation of UMB will also help them to highlight in the market.

This program allows for flexibility and is the most encouraging set of courses I’ve taken in translation. If there’s anywhere someone will learn about translation in a way that is reflective of actual work in the profession it’s in this program.

I think it is a great course for someone who wants to start in the field of translation.

The program is very well-structured and pedagogical and the instructors are very helpful.

It is a wonderful program that will prepare you to become a professional translator.

I was really conflicted for a while on what type of program to do. I liked that this one ONLY focuses on translation (with a little interpretation sprinkled in, but they aren’t half and half). I felt that the university seemed credible, and I liked the certificate aspect. It looked like I would be able to balance my time with work, and I liked that it was completely remote.

I tried to sign up in September of 2018 when I found the program, but I missed the deadline. I didn’t find a better program so I gave up on the idea until almost a year later in July when it popped into my head that the deadline was coming up again. This time I went for it and I DID NOT REGRET IT. The program offered everything I was looking for. I felt like we really were a united class even with the remote aspect. The instructors truly seemed to care about our experience, and I feel way more confident coming out of the program than I did going in. I LOVED the business side of translation and realistic focus the program had, which I think makes it unique; we didn’t just learn about theory, but about the realities we would soon be facing in the real world. Many majors, degrees, certificates, etc. do not offer that sort of training. I also loved the fact that we had such a wide variety of guests with current, relevant experience. I feel like I’ve been given a springboard of knowledge which has prepared me to launch into my career with confidence.

Less than a year after graduating, I’ve successfully managed to become a full-time translator within a global-reaching translation agency. It wouldn’t have been possible without this course, and I continue to use the skills I’ve gained in my day-to-day work.

If you are interested in entering the field of translation, this is an excellent program. It is comprehensive and will give you the solid foundation of knowledge in translation theory, practice, and credibility that you need to start translating professionally. The instructor was outstanding; interaction with classmates was well-facilitated and very helpful. There were great guest speakers, opportunities for growth and networking. I highly recommend it!

This class has given me back the confidence I need, and the information that I was missing, the strategies, the techniques; it truly is preparing us to become certified translators. I’m so glad I’m going through this process with all of you in this group, and learning from our Professors and each other.

It took more than a year for me to decide if I wanted to go back to school. I’d heard people say that if you know two languages that’s all you need to be a translator (haha!), so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend the time, work, and money to do this program. I’m so happy I did though, because I’ve learned so much more than I could have imagined.

This entire course has been great in helping me feel good about pursuing further education, pushing myself to learn new technology and preparing for the certification exam!

One thing I truly appreciated about this class was that it was a smaller group, with more than one professor, guaranteeing prompt attention to questions and concerns. It is a helpful guide, with tips and practice for the ATA exam, teaching you to recognize errors in your own work, as you work on it.

The instructors are great at giving feedback on completed exercises, and attentive to follow-up questions. Another thing I really liked was the sense of community created by the professors, with them and the other students. Through interactive media platforms (video introductions, virtual meetings, discussion boards and peer reviewed assignments) it made it feel like an on-site class. I didn’t expect to learn so much from my fellow classmates, nor that they would be such an important part to my learning process, but they certainly were. Our instructors worked hard to create a sense of community between us, so that we may start our careers with a base of colleagues whose skills we know and appreciate, and I don’t think every class out there will offer this.

In this class, you can tell the instructors care about your education and about the growth of the program, not just about a paycheck. I hate when I have paid for a class where the instructor is noticeably detached and careless, tossing out assignments “to keep us busy” while they goof off — that was absolutely not the case, in this class.

I highly recommend this option. I feel very fulfilled after taking it and prepared to start my career thanks to it.

I highly recommend UMass Boston for the Translation Course. After looking in my state, TX, I couldn’t find any other University that could offer a substantial amount of literature regarding linguistics. It is a plus to be fluent in both languages because it helps to interpret and understand the true meaning of the text.

From my personal experience, I can say that this is a very rewarding course. You learn with peers to collaborate in a translation and others learn from you as well. It is not stressful, but it is not that easy either. The small details count a lot, the editing process is very important to be able to be successful in the final product.

The instructors are very nice, they have high interpersonal, social skills, in other words, you will like them and vice versa.

I hope this makes sense, and you go with UMass Boston for the Translation course.