Bachelor’s in Translation Chinese
Build bridges to China with your career as a language professional!
The relationship between Germany and China is continually growing closer due to economic ties. To cope with the constantly accelerating flow of information, languages professional are needed.
The Bachelor’s degree programme in Translation Chinese trains you to become an expert in German-Chinese communication.
During your studies, you will acquire knowledge in the areas of language and culture, translation and technical translation. You will be taught by an experienced team of lecturers consisting of German and Chinese native speakers. In addition, a practical training semester enables you to do a study semester or an internship in China/Greater China while Chinese students can do an internship at a German company or translation agency in Germany.
After completing your studies, you will be an expert in communicating between the German and Chinese languages and cultures. You will be able to handle a wide variety of translation settings – both written and oral. You will know methods and modern tools that support translators in their work and will know how to use them in the best way possible.
If you need to boost your German language skills (B1 level), start your time in Munich with our summer course intensive programme (A1–C1) – the ideal preparation for your studies!
Benefits for you
Hands-on – with native-speaker lecturers and professors from the translation industry
Global – practical training semester in China or Germany integrated in the programme
Connected – large number of partner universities in China to choose from
Personal – close professional relationship with professors and lecturers
Study and work – 3-day university compatible with a part-time job
Future-oriented – a variety of promising career prospects for graduates in China and Germany
Translation is more than recoding between languages. Its foundation is a profound knowledge of the subtleties of a foreign language, a high degree of sensitivity towards a foreign culture, as well as the extraordinary ability of language and culture professionals to quickly familiarise themselves with new subject areas. The Bachelor's degree programme in Translation Chinese is dedicated to all these key competences. As Programme Director, I am confident that you will feel at home in both the Chinese and the German language and culture at the end of this degree programme and thus will be success in mastering all relevant professional challenges.
Study programme
Key facts at a glance
Academic degree
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
European Credit Transfer System
210 Credit Points
Duration
7 semesters full-time on three days a week (incl. Bachelor’s thesis)
Recognition
state-recognised and accredited
Languages
German, English and Chinese (with prior knowledge)
Practical training semester
Semester in China or Germany at a (partner) university or internship at a company
This degree programme is right for you ...
- if you were raised bilingually with a connection to China and want to improve the skills you already have.
- if you are interested in Chinese culture and language and have prior knowledge of Chinese.
- if you come from China/Greater China and are interested in the German language and culture.
- if you want to be proficient in both languages and want to be able to switch back and forth effortlessly between German and Chinese.
- if you want to be a bridge-builder between the two languages and cultures later in professional life.
- if you are aiming to specialise in a Master's degree programme with an intercultural focus and would like to develop a wide, professional knowledge base beforehand. In this case, the Master's degree programme in Intercultural Communication and International Master’s in Translation at the International University SDI München could be excellent future prospects for you.
Career prospects
Perfect conditions for starting your professional career
After graduating, you will be a professional translator for the language pair Chinese-German and an expert in intercultural communication between China and Germany. You ensure smooth communication between speakers of the German and Chinese language and members of theses cultural areas at home and abroad.
You work freelance or as an employee of business enterprises, ministries, authorities and international organisations or in translation agencies.
With your Bachelor's degree, you also qualify for a number of advanced Master's degree programmes in China or in Germany (– for example, Intercultural Communication or the International Master’s in Translation at the International University SDI München). For particularly talented graduates, the Master’s degree programme in Conference Interpreting (Double Degree) offers an entry into a career as an interpreter.
Career prospects
Multilingual corporate communication
Translation and editing of technical texts
Subtitling of foreign language films, image videos and commercials
Terminology management and localisation of software and websites
Consecutive and liaison interpreting
Intercultural training and language teaching
Management of international translation projects
FAQ
Frequently asked questions and answers
Generally, the following language skills are required for this degree programme:
- German or Chinese: C1 competence level (CEFR)
- Chinese or German: B1 competence level (CEFR)
- English: B1 competence level (CEFR)
Our Student Advisory Service is happy to advise you on your prior language skills.
The fifth semester is a practical training semester, which you can adapt to your individual needs and study goals. At one of our partner universities, you can study for half a year in China, for example, to improve your language skills. Depending on your native language, level of proficiency and specialisation, you will complete the practical training semester in China/Greater China at a university or company or in the German-speaking world at a company or translation agency.
Degree programmes at the International University SDI München are designed as a 3-day university. You will attend seminars and lectures three days a week and have two days off to work either at the SDI as a student assistant or at a company.
You can also apply for a scholarship. Our Scholarship Assistant can help you with that. If you have any further questions on the topic of financing, please contact our Student Advisory Service.
Since degree programmes are designed as a 3-day university, you are free to work on two days a week (in addition to the periods with no lectures). You will also acquire some of the programme content yourself, of course with the support of digital tools and media. This makes it easy to combine studying and working.
Our lecturers will help you find internships, jobs as working students and Master’s theses with practical relevance. Since the lecturers and the university have a wide network of contacts, current requirements of the job market are continuously incorporated into the programme content.
In addition, our students can find out about the latest job advertisements and internships at the Career Center.