Professional Doctorate in Translation and Interpreting: Next Thing on the Horizon in Chinese Mainland

In Chinese mainland higher education institutions, translator and interpreter education comprises research-oriented Master’s and Doctoral programs in translation and interpreting studies, and Bachelor’s and Master’s-level programs that focus on developing students’ practical translation and interpreting skills and knowledge. A limited few also offer conference interpreter training that leads to a professional diploma. While this structure has been established for the past two decades or so, many Chinese scholars have argued in favor of adding a professional doctorate in translation and interpreting (DTI) to the mix and expect it to have positive implications for academia and the industry. This paper provides the context in which DTI should be interpreted and takes stock of the proposals for its design. It also makes a brief comparison of DTI and the traditional academic doctorate in terms of admission, research goals, focus of study, assessment approaches, as well as internship and dissertation requirements, and it argues for the need for finer differentiation.