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College of Humanities
Center for Language Studies

About the Minor

The Translation and Localization Minor is best suited for tech-savvy students who are proficient in at least two languages (source and target) and have a desire to bridge communication gaps between people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Students enrolled in this program build on their existing skills with foreign languages as they gain practical skills for translating texts in a variety of professional domains and familiarize themselves with the localization process, including project management.

Our program focuses on translation, localization, and project management, key components of the language services industry and prepares students for various career opportunities within this field.*

  • Translation involves converting written content from one language to another while maintaining its meaning and context. The goal of translation is to make content accessible to speakers of different languages without altering its core meaning. It requires strong linguistic skills, cultural awareness, and an understanding of the subject matter. Translators must be adept at conveying ideas and messages in a way that is natural and culturally appropriate for the target audience. In addition to linguistic skills, translators today also need to have a good understanding of how to use computer-assisted translation tools (SDL Trados Studio, Memsource, Wordfast Pro, etc.) and translation engines (Microsoft Translator, Google Translate, DeepL, etc.). This will allow them to produce high-quality translations that are both accurate and consistent. 
  • Localization is the process of adapting content, products, or services to suit the cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences of a specific target audience. The purpose of localization is to create a seamless and engaging user experience that appears as if the content was originally produced for the target culture. It goes beyond translation and involves modifying the content to resonate with the cultural norms, idiomatic expressions, currency formats, measurement units, and other local conventions of the target market. This requires additional technical skills such as the ability to manipulate various file formats and code files (localization of software products, websites, mobile apps, etc.). Localization of graphical elements, user interfaces, and multimedia content may also require skills in graphic design and desktop publishing. 
  • Project management in the translation and localization process involves overseeing and coordinating all aspects of a project to ensure its successful and timely completion. It involves a wide range of tasks, such as defining the project scope, planning the project, managing the project, communicating with stakeholders, managing the budget, and ensuring quality. Project managers often utilize translation management systems (TMS) and other technology to streamline the process, improve consistency, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction. 

BYU’s Translation and Localization minor is one of the only undergraduate programs of its kind in the United States, and we collaborate closely with language professionals and companies to continually refine our course offerings and help our students connect with jobs and internships.

*The global language services market size reached $69.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach an approximate value of $101 billion by 2028. The language services industry is the 4th fastest growing industry in the United States.