Literary Translation, MFA
This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate:
- skills and knowledge of literary translation practice as a creative art;
- broad knowledge of the professional field of literary translation;
- familiarity with the cultural and literary context of the student’s source language;
- understanding of literary translation as a critical and reflective practice and of the history and contemporary discourse on translation theories; and
- ability to independently complete a literary translation project of scope and sophistication.
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in literary translation requires 48 s.h. of graduate credit, including a thesis. Students must maintain a UI cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.75. They typically complete the program and graduate in two years.
Translators in the program focus on creating works that convey the distinctness of the original languages in English, whether in poetry, fiction, or drama. Students consider ideas of literariness, style, cultural politics, and authority, and how these come into play in the relationships between authors and their texts, authors and translators, translations and readers, and texts and the media landscapes in which they circulate.
At the core of the MFA program are the workshops, TRNS:6555 Translator-in-Residence Workshop and TRNS:7460 Translation Workshop, which every student must take for a minimum of 12 s.h. of credit. Depth in the literature and culture of the source language, creative writing (translation is considered a writing art), translation theory and history, and contemporary literary theory are basic curricular requirements, supplemented with elective courses in which students may develop an area of special interest in consultation with their advisors.
In the first two semesters, the primary advisor for all students is the director of the MFA program. During the third semester students form a thesis committee of at least three members, including a thesis director who is faculty in one of the departments of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures or Spanish and Portuguese. The thesis director serves as the student’s primary advisor for thesis matters, though the director of the MFA program remains the official academic advisor for everything else. The rest of the committee must include at least one further tenure-track faculty member from the departments of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures or Spanish and Portuguese; one member of the translation area core faculty; and one member representing expertise from the source language. A single member can fulfill more than one of these requirements.
The MFA in literary translation requires the following coursework.
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 24 |
| Electives | 24 |
| Thesis |
Core Courses
Students must take TRNS:6000, TRNS:6399, and TRNS:6459 on an A–F graded basis.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All of these (9 s.h.): | ||
| TRNS:6000 | The Craft and Contexts of Translation | 3 |
| TRNS:6399 | Writing About Translation | 3 |
| TRNS:6459 | Issues in Translation | 3 |
| Translation Workshops | ||
| 12 s.h. from these: | ||
| TRNS:6555 | Translator-in-Residence Workshop (may be repeated) | 3 |
| TRNS:7460 | Translation Workshop (may be repeated) | 3 |
| This course: | ||
| TRNS:6444 | Thesis Workshop | 3 |
Electives
Students select 24 s.h. of electives in consultation with their advisors, with up to 6 s.h. of credit from the pedagogy courses in the following list. They are strongly encouraged to enroll in a minimum of 12 s.h. in translation courses (prefix TRNS). A maximum of 3 s.h. from TRNS:6400 Thesis may count as elective credit. With permission of a student's advisor, additional electives not listed here may be selected.
Pedagogy Courses
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A maximum of 6 s.h. from these: | ||
| CNW:5375 | Teaching in a Writing Center | 3 |
| CNW:6600 | Teaching Nonfiction | 3 |
Elective Courses
Elective options may include the following.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Translation courses (prefix TRNS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| TRNS:3179 | Undergraduate Translation Workshop | 3 |
| TRNS:3491 | Translation Internship | 1-3 |
| TRNS:6000 | The Craft and Contexts of Translation | 1,3 |
| TRNS:6050 | Independent Study | arr. |
| TRNS:6399 | Writing About Translation | 3 |
| TRNS:6444 | Thesis Workshop | 3 |
| TRNS:6459 | Issues in Translation | 3 |
| Asian Languages and Literatures courses (prefix ASIA) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| ASIA:4301 | Honors Tutorial | arr. |
| ASIA:4506 | Senior Honors Thesis | arr. |
| ASIA:6501 | MA Thesis | arr. |
| Arabic Studies courses (prefix ARAB) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| ARAB:3011 | Advanced Modern Standard Arabic I | 3 |
| ARAB:3012 | Advanced Modern Standard Arabic II | 3 |
| ARAB:3030 | Media Arabic | 3 |
| ARAB:3050 | Arab Culture Through Dialects | 3 |
| American Sign Language courses (prefix ASL) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| ASL:3001 | American Sign Language V | 3 |
| ASL:3100 | American Sign Language Conversation | 3 |
| Chinese courses (prefix CHIN) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| CHIN:3101 | Third-Year Chinese: First Semester | 3 |
| CHIN:3102 | Third-Year Chinese: Second Semester | 3 |
| CHIN:3103 | Professional Chinese I | 3 |
| CHIN:3104 | Professional Chinese II | 3 |
| CHIN:4101 | Classical Chinese: First Semester | 3 |
| CHIN:4102 | Classical Chinese: Second Semester | 3 |
| CHIN:4103 | Fourth-Year Chinese: Society and Culture | 3 |
| CHIN:4104 | Fourth-Year Chinese: Tradition and Change | 3 |
| CHIN:4150 | Advanced Reading and Writing in Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN:5106 | Individual Chinese for Advanced Students | arr. |
| Creative Nonfiction Writing courses (prefix CNW), excluding: | ||
| CNW:4690 | Undergraduate Project in Nonfiction Writing | arr. |
| CNW:7900 | Special Project in Nonfiction Writing | arr. |
| CNW:7950 | Thesis in Nonfiction Writing | arr. |
| Creative Writing courses (prefix CW) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| CW:4870 | Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Fiction | arr. |
| CW:4875 | Undergraduate Writers' Workshop: Poetry | arr. |
| CW:4885 | Undergraduate Writers' Seminar | arr. |
| CW:4894 | Undergraduate Project in Creative Writing | arr. |
| CW:7890 | Graduate Project in Creative Writing | arr. |
| CW:7895 | MFA Thesis | arr. |
| Comparative Literature courses (prefix CL) numbered 3000 and above | ||
| English courses (prefix ENGL) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| ENGL:3724 | Writers' Seminar: Literary Translation | 3 |
| ENGL:3850 | Undergraduate Translation Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL:4000–ENGL:4014 | ||
| ENGL:4020 | Honors Thesis Workshop | 3 |
| ENGL:4030 | Undergraduate Honors Project in Creative Writing | 1-3 |
| ENGL:4040 | Honors Project in Literary Studies | 1-3 |
| ENGL:4050 | Internship for Majors | 1-4 |
| ENGL:4724 | Advanced Writers' Seminar: Literary Translation | 3 |
| ENGL:5000 | Introduction to Graduate Study | 3 |
| ENGL:5990 | MA Portfolio in Literary Studies | arr. |
| ENGL:5999 | MA Thesis in Literary Studies | arr. |
| ENGL:7999 | PhD Thesis | arr. |
| And any ENGL course taught by a graduate student | ||
| French courses (prefix FREN) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| FREN:3000 | Third-Year French | 3 |
| FREN:3020 | Oral Expression in French I | 3 |
| FREN:3060 | Introduction to Reading and Writing in Literature | 3 |
| FREN:3240 | Media French | 3 |
| FREN:3410 | Business French | 3 |
| FREN:4020 | Oral Expression in French II | 3 |
| FREN:4911 | French for Reading/Research | 2 |
| FREN:4912 | French for Reading/Research | 2 |
| FREN:4995 | Honors Research and Thesis | 3 |
| German courses (prefix GRMN) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| GRMN:3103 | Composition and Conversation I | 3 |
| GRMN:3104 | Composition and Conversation II | 3 |
| GRMN:3214 | Business German | 3 |
| GRMN:3845 | The Structure of German | 3 |
| GRMN:3855 | The Sounds of German | 3 |
| GRMN:4990 | Honors Research | 3 |
| GRMN:4995 | German Graduation Portfolio | 0 |
| GRMN:5000 | German Reading for Graduate Students | 3 |
| International Studies courses (IS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| IS:3990 | Independent Study in International Studies | arr. |
| IS:4991 | Honors Thesis in International Studies | 3 |
| International Writing Program courses (prefix IWP) numbered 3000 and above | ||
| Italian courses (prefix ITAL) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| ITAL:3305 | Advanced Italian | 3-4 |
| ITAL:3306 | Advanced Italian II | 3-4 |
| ITAL:4500 | Undergraduate Capstone Project | 3 |
| ITAL:4998 | Honors Research and Thesis | 3 |
| Japanese courses (prefix JPNS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| JPNS:3001 | Third-Year Japanese I | 4 |
| JPNS:3002 | Third-Year Japanese II | 4 |
| JPNS:3107 | Classical Japanese: First Semester | 3 |
| JPNS:3128 | Introduction to Japanese Linguistics | 3 |
| JPNS:3500 | Japanese for Professional Purposes | 3 |
| JPNS:4001 | Fourth-Year Japanese I | 3 |
| JPNS:4002 | Fourth-Year Japanese II | 3 |
| Korean Studies courses (KORE) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| KORE:3101 | Third-Year Korean: First Semester | 3 |
| KORE:3102 | Third-Year Korean: Second Semester | 3 |
| KORE:4000 | Fourth Year Korean: First Semester | 3 |
| KORE:4001 | Fourth Year Korean: Second Semester | 3 |
| Latin courses (prefix CLSL) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| CLSL:4080 | Undergraduate Teaching Practicum | 2-3 |
| CLSL:4090 | Private Assignments | 1-3 |
| CLSL:4095 | Honors Readings | 3 |
| CLSL:7080 | Latin Thesis | arr. |
| CLSL:7090 | Advanced Reading | arr. |
| Latin American Studies courses (prefix LAS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| LAS:4990 | Independent Project in Latin American Studies | arr. |
| Linguistics courses (prefix LING) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| LING:4010 | Undergraduate Practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language | 3 |
| LING:4900 | Honors: Research and Thesis | arr. |
| LING:6900 | Master's Thesis | arr. |
| LING:7900 | PhD Thesis | arr. |
| Portuguese courses (prefix PORT) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| PORT:3050 | Intensive Portuguese for Spanish Speakers | 4 |
| PORT:3100 | Writing and Speaking | 3 |
| PORT:4995 | Portuguese Senior Project | 3 |
| Religious Studies courses (prefix RELS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| RELS:4893 | Classical Arabic: Vocabulary, Syntax, and Grammar | 1-3 |
| RELS:4950 | Senior Majors Seminar | 3 |
| RELS:4960 | Individual Study: Undergraduates | arr. |
| RELS:4970 | Honors Tutorial | 2-3 |
| RELS:4975 | Honors Essay | 2-4 |
| RELS:6125 | Classical Arabic and Grammar | 3-6 |
| RELS:7950 | Thesis | arr. |
| Russian courses (prefix RUSS) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| RUSS:3111 | Third-Year Russian I | 4 |
| RUSS:3112 | Third-Year Russian II | 4 |
| RUSS:3113 | Russian Composition and Conversation | 4 |
| RUSS:4112 | Fourth-Year Russian II | 4 |
| RUSS:4995 | Honors | arr. |
| Spanish courses (prefix SPAN) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| SPAN:3010 | Advanced Spanish Speaking and Writing | 3 |
| SPAN:3015 | Fast Fixes: Improved Spanish in Six Weeks | 1 |
| SPAN:3020 | Journalistic Writing in Spanish | 3 |
| SPAN:3080 | Spanish for International Business | 3 |
| SPAN:3090 | Spanish at Work | 1 |
| SPAN:3095 | Spanish Composition and Grammar | 3 |
| SPAN:3100 | Structures of Spanish: Words and Sentences | 3 |
| SPAN:3110 | Spanish Sound Structure | 3 |
| SPAN:4195 | Spanish Linguistics Lab II | 3 |
| SPAN:4998 | Honors: Research and Thesis | 2-3 |
| SPAN:5002 | Pedagogical Practicum | 2 |
| SPAN:6299 | Thesis: Creative Writing | arr. |
| Swahili courses (prefix SWAH) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| SWAH:3006 | Conversational Swahili | 3 |
| SWAH:3007 | Advanced Swahili | 3 |
| World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures courses (prefix WLLC) numbered 3000 and above, excluding: | ||
| WLLC:3000 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Lower-Level Language | 0-5 |
| WLLC:3001 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Elementary I | 1-6 |
| WLLC:3002 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Elementary II | 1-6 |
| WLLC:3003 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Intermediate I | 1-6 |
| WLLC:3004 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Intermediate II | 1-6 |
| WLLC:3005 | Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare: Upper-Level Language | 1-6 |
Thesis
Students complete a thesis, which is a translated collection of poems, literary essays, short stories, a short novel, or a drama with an introduction that sets the work in appropriate context. A maximum of 3 s.h. of TRNS:6400 Thesis may count as elective credit.
The introduction should include a critical discussion of issues and problems related to the translation; it should present a rationale for the translator’s approach and strategies, based on interpretation, analysis of the leading features, structure, style, or authorial objectives of the source text. The source text should be a work that has not been translated previously or, at the discretion of the advisory committee, a work whose previous translation is judged to be outdated or inadequate in some respect. An oral defense of the thesis examines the student’s translation and the introductory essay in detail.
French and Francophone World Studies, MA/Literary Translation MFA
The Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures offers a combined Master of Arts in French and Francophone world studies and Master of Fine Arts in literary translation. Students interested in writing in its different forms—creative, academic, and translation—will find the University of Iowa to be the ideal place to develop their talents and an attractive option for more diversified career preparation.
A separate application and admission to each degree program is required. For more information, review the admissions requirements for French and Francophone world studies and literary translation.
Students in the combined program earn both degrees by completing a minimum of 60 s.h. of coursework, fewer semester hours than if each degree was completed separately. Qualified students may be eligible for up to three years of full funding for a teaching assistant (TA) position.
Students in the combined program are required to complete a thesis for the MFA in literary translation. For the MA in French and Francophone world studies, students are not required to complete a thesis. Should they choose to do so, a separate thesis is required.
Graduate education prepares students with advanced knowledge and skills in specialized fields. At the University of Iowa, the Graduate College advocates for student-centered graduate education and supports equitable application of rules and policies across graduate programs.
Academics
University of Iowa graduate credentials are regulated by policies and requirements found in the Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations. This includes minimum grade-point average (GPA) requirements for academic standing and degree conferral. The Graduate College sets the minimum requirement. Individual graduate programs may establish higher GPA requirements.
Admissions
Graduate student applicants must meet admission requirements for both the Graduate College and the program to which they have applied. University of Iowa graduate admission requirements are published by the Graduate College and on the Graduate Admissions website.
Financial Support
Graduate students might be eligible for financial support. Several contingencies apply, including degree program and award type, satisfactory progress toward degree, satisfactory completion of all duties related to an appointment, and availability of funding. Graduate students should inquire directly with their program for more information about funding availability. The Graduate Student Employment Standards govern the employment relationship between the University of Iowa and all graduate teaching and research assistants in all matters except wages, which are covered by an existing collective bargaining agreement or the conditions of an applicable federal grant.
Applicants to the program are evaluated mainly on a writing portfolio. The portfolio should include translations, including source texts, and an original critical literary essay or literary writing in English; a statement of purpose; and three letters of recommendation. Applicants should provide evidence of advanced competence in their source language—normally at least three years of college-level work or the equivalent—and substantial preparation in English literature. The availability of faculty expertise in the applicant’s source language and culture is considered in admission decisions.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Graduates have gone on to work in the world of professional publishing as editors and reviewers or as free-lance translators; to become university professors after earning a PhD; and to pursue other careers involving cross-cultural and artistic exchange. In recent years, publishers of works by translation alumni have included Greywolf Press, Seven Stories Press, Autumn Hill Books, Melville House, Words Without Borders, The Iowa Review, 91st Meridian, Two Lines Press, Circumference Poetry in Translation, The Literary Review, Passport Publications and Media Corporation, Absinthe, and others.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Literary Translation, MFA
| Academic Career | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| 48 s.h. must be graduate level coursework; graduate transfer credits allowed upon approval. More information is included in the General Catalog and on department website. a | ||
| Hours | 0 | |
| First Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| TRNS:6459 | Issues in Translation b | 3 |
| TRNS:7460 | Translation Workshop c | 3 |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| TRNS:6000 | The Craft and Contexts of Translation b | 3 |
| TRNS:7460 | Translation Workshop c | 3 |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Thesis Proposal | ||
| TRNS:6399 | Writing About Translation b | 3 |
| TRNS:7460 | Translation Workshop c | 3 |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| TRNS:6400 | Thesis d, e | 3 |
| TRNS:6444 | Thesis Workshop | 3 |
| TRNS:6555 | Translator-in-Residence Workshop c | 3 |
| Elective course d | 3 | |
| Exam: Master's Final Exam f | ||
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
- a
- Students must complete specific requirements in the University of Iowa Graduate College after program admission. Refer to the Graduate College website and the Manual of Rules and Regulations for more information.
- b
- Students must take TRNS:6000, TRNS:6399, and TRNS:6459 on an A-F graded based.
- c
- Complete workshop courses by taking a mix of TRNS:6555 (usually taken once) and TRNS:7460 (usually taken three times) for a total of 12 s.h.
- d
- Students select 24 s.h. of electives in consultation with their advisors and are strongly encouraged to enroll in a minimum of 12 s.h. in translation courses (prefix TRNS). See the General Catalog for list of approved courses.
- e
- Students complete a thesis, which is a translated collection of poems, literary essays, short stories, a short novel, or a drama with an introduction that sets the work in appropriate context. A maximum of 3 s.h. of TRNS:6400 may count as elective credit.
- f
- Oral thesis defense.