TRIP Graduate Study FAQs
Q: I'm interested in Translation Studies at the graduate level at Binghamton University, and I want to understand my options. With whom should I speak?
A: For information about a Graduate Certificate in Translation Studies (available for current graduate students or external applicants) or the TRIP doctoral program, contact the TRIP Coordinator or the TRIP Director. For information about the Master's degree in Translation Studies, contact the Director of Graduate Studies for Comparative Literature.
Q: What is the difference between the Graduate TRIP Certificate and the Comparative Literature MA, Plan B in Translation Studies?
A: The TRIP Certificate provides a means of earning a graduate credential for those not already enrolled at Binghamton University or as an add-on option for graduate students already enrolled at Binghamton who would like to demonstrate their translation ability. The Comparative Literature MA Plan B in Translation Studies provides a means for students to simultaneously earn a Master's degree in Comparative Literature and a translation credential. The MA requires 32 credits, whereas the TRIP Certificate requires 16 credits.
Q: Is there a different application for the TRIP Certificate than for the Comparative Literature MA, Plan B in Translation Studies?
A. Yes. Those who are not yet enrolled at Binghamton University and who want to complete the TRIP Certificate only can apply through the Graduate School.
Student already enrolled at Binghamton University in any graduate degree program (other than the Comparative Literature MA, Plan B) may apply for the TRIP Certificate by completing the Graduate School's Add-On Certificate Application.
Students interested in obtaining the Comparative Literature MA, Plan B in Translation Studies may apply through the Graduate School. Then, as with other MA students, COLI MA Plan B students must submit an add-on form to officially add the TRIP Certificate. Note that students in MA Plan B track complete the sixteen credits of coursework required for the TRIP Certificate as part of the requirements for the MA.
If you have questions about these options, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for Comparative Literature or the TRIP Coordinator or TRIP Director.
Q: Is funding offered for doctoral students?
A: For TRIP, funding is not typically offered to students for their first year in the program (note that this is not the case for doctoral students in Comparative Literature, which offers Teaching Assistantship funding packages to some first-year students on a competitive basis). However, many TRIP graduate students teach courses in language departments throughout their time in the program. Applicants may want to investigate this option.
After the first year, TRIP students may competitively receive full ($17,000) or half lines (approximately $8,500 annual stipends) to serve as teaching assistants (TAs) to teach TRIP courses. TA lines pay tuition and provide health insurance through the Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU). TRIP offers adjunct teaching and summer-winter term teaching on a competitive basis to advanced graduate students. TRIP offers select applicants the Provost's Doctoral Summer Fellowship that provides doctoral students with summer research funding for up to three years.
We encourage domestic applicants to read the eligibility requirements for Clark Fellowships and apply if eligible. Clark Fellowships offer a full TA/GA line ($17,000 for the academic year), tuition and health insurance coverage, and typically a summer stipend. Additional graduate assistantship and student assistant funding is competitively available on campus and may be found through the HireBING portal, where all positions must be made available to the entire student community.
Q: Does TRIP provide graduate students with funds to attend conferences?
A: Yes, as the annual budget allows, TRIP assists graduate students with travel to conferences if they are presenting. Students must follow program procedures for applying and receiving funds. For additional funds, Binghamton University offers other sources of funding for graduate student conference travel, including from the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Organization, and some professional organizations offer competitive funding for graduate students to attend the conferences they host.
Q: When is the deadline to apply for the graduate programs?
A: All application materials for the TRIP doctoral program (without exception) must be received by January 15 of a given year. Admissions decisions will be made by the TRIP Director, along with a TRIP faculty committee, and announced in the weeks that follow. Applications for the Graduate Certificate are accepted on a rolling basis.
Q: Do I need to take the GRE to apply to the doctoral program?
A: Yes, without exception, GRE scores (310+) are required for applicants who wish to be considered for admission. Please plan accordingly by scheduling the exam well in advance of the admission deadline.
Q: What is the average number of years to complete the TRIP doctoral program, assuming the student already holds an MA in a relevant field?
A: 4.5 years.
Q: I have very specific research interests in Translation Studies. Who could I work with at Binghamton?
A: As an interdisciplinary program, TRIP students work with faculty across many of Binghamton University's academic departments. TRIP students meet and build relationships with Binghamton faculty by taking their courses, attending their presentations, and contacting them directly. We strongly recommended that prospective applicants research faculty members and contact them directly before they apply.
Q: Who is eligible to take the Translation Workshop?
A: The Translation Workshop courses (TRIP 572/472 Literary and TRIP 573/473 Non-Literary) are intended for those with advanced language ability. Undergraduate students are eligible once they have achieved advanced, 400-level ability in the language. Graduate students will be pursuing translation as a course of study (including those pursuing the TRIP doctoral degree, TRIP Certificate, and the Comparative Literature MA Plan B in Translation Studies, for whom the Translation Workshops are required coursework). Other eligible graduate students are welcome to contact TRIP with their interest in the Translation Workshops and will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
For those with little to no knowledge of a language who want to work on translation to increase reading ability, we recommend TRIP's one-credit reading and translation courses: TRIP 481B/525: French; TRIP 481C/535: Spanish; TRIP 481A/545: German.
Q: How do I schedule the Translation Workshops?
A: These courses require instructor permission to register. The Translation Workshops, both Literary and Non-Literary, are run as either a regular class with a section for each language or as one-on-one or small group independent study arranged by the student, depending on the demand in any given semester for a given language. Let the TRIP Coordinator or the TRIP Director know well in advance when you will need to take the workshops and for which language. We will help you determine whether a regular class will run in this language or an independent study will be needed.
When a regular class is not offered, students are responsible for finding faculty members who will agree to work with them in the independent study format. The languages for which we regularly run workshop classes are Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish.
