At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.

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Ghent University's Education Objectives

Quality Assurance at Ghent University

1. Thought and action: the Applied Linguistics programme in general, and the Master of Translation in particular reconciles an academic with a practice-oriented and job-oriented profile. The programme offers current overviews of translation theory in combination with a professional language and translation proficiency in Dutch and in two foreign languages, and an in-depth knowledge of the culture and society of the chosen linguistic regions.
2. A strong team of lecturers:  our programme boasts a dedicated team of lecturers, who combine their research expertise with a passion for teaching. Our lecturers and teaching assistants have specialised in their teaching assignment and reconcile that expertise with their professional experience. Each language department employs native speakers.
3. A diversity of teaching and assessment methods: our students appreciate the efforts we put in to encourage active participation in class. In our practice-oriented seminars you will set to work diligently in small groups of fellow-students and lecturers. After all, translation is not something you learn from watching others, but by trying yourself and by working with the specific feedback you receive from fellow-students and lecturers.
4. Keeping abreast of developments in the professional field: our programme prepares you for the specific requirements of the professional field. We achieve this by employing lecturers with translation experience, inviting guest speakers on a regular basis, by sending our students out on translation work placements, and by integrating technology into our translation classes.
5. You are not alone. Students who are having a hard time can rely on additional coaching by study track counsellors, study coaches, and our lecturers.

1. Organisation and student satisfaction: surveys show that student satisfaction is high when it comes to the organisation of our study programme. Students find our study programme to be coherent and relevant, and our classes to run smoothly. In close consultation with the student representatives, we adjust our organisation continuously as needed.
2. Interculturality: you will not study Dutch and the foreign languages of your choice as separate entities. Instead, you will learn about the differences between various linguistic and cultural regions, and how to adjust communication accordingly.
3. Work placement: our most recent curricular revision has created ample opportunity for practical experience in the form of a work placement in the Master's curriculum. Increasingly, our students use take on these practical experiences in the form of a mobility window.
4. Our job application seminar is a concrete and highly successful initiative, where students learn the ins and outs of applying for jobs from recruitment and human resources management specialists. During this three-day event, they also have the opportunity to network with alumni who work in various sectors.
5. Internationalisation: thanks to our various exchange opportunities we welcome many international Erasmus students, which ensures a daily contact with native speakers.

1. Research competencies: students indicate regularly that they feel unprepared for a research career upon graduation. Moreover, some of our students do not see academic research is as a priority for them. Students with an interest in/inclination towards academic research deserve our maximum support. We are developing in-depth and tailored initiatives to meet their needs. We also want to contribute actively to initiatives leading to a research master.
2. High standards and a heavy workload: our students indicate that we set high standards in terms of language and translation proficiency. Moreover, deadlines for independent work come in quick succession, which makes for a heavy workload. We are making efforts to help students meet our high standards while at the same time monitoring our their mental well-being. For that purpose, we are charting the different assignments and corresponding deadlines better.
3. When it comes to clarifying how students can take up social commitment in their professional life, there is still room for improvement. To remedy this, we plan an annual Translator’s Day during which students find out how they can establish themselves as a self-employed translator, what the possibilities are in terms of academic research, and what types of social commitment translators can take up.  

This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review (peer-learning visit) in 2018. A screening of the Education Monitor by Ghent University’s Education Quality Board is planned in the years 2021-2024.

This information was last updated on 01/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.