Interpreting Major - Bachelor of Arts
Want a career as an interpreter? In the Interpreting major you learn to recognise cross-cultural implications for interpreting, and the ethical and professional responsibilities of an interpreter.
Interpreting is so much more than just repeating someone’s words in a different language. A good interpreter can understand nuances and cultural appropriateness, and convey levels of formality across a range of professions and industries. The challenge is to do justice to every situation.
You practise interpreting consecutively and simultaneously between English and another language. You explore the effects of intonation and the use of idioms in spoken English. Throughout your studies you also become familiar with interpreting for legal, healthcare or business settings. These skills will serve you well in our increasingly multicultural local and global communities.
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This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.
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Throughout your three years of studies you develop a sound understanding of interpreting, as well as effective communication, critical thinking and other transferable skills you'll need for your future career.
Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.
Core courses
All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.
Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Partnerships and Reduced Inequalities
Choose one of:
- ENGL502 Reading New Zealand
- ENGL503 A Pacific Reader
- JAPA511 Speak Japanese I
- MAOR505 Te Mānutanga Beginners Māori Language 1
- MAOR506 Te Ekenga Waka Beginners Māori Language 2
- NZSL502 Deaf Community and Culture I
- NZSL510 New Zealand Sign Language I
- NZSL520 New Zealand Sign Language II
- SPAN501 Spanish 1A
- SPAN502 Spanish 1B
Peace and Justice, Climate Action and Economic World
Choose one of:
- CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice
- EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management
- HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History
- HIST501 The Holocaust: Its Causes, Character, and Legacy
- PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A
- SOSC582 Social Thinking
- SOSC583 Social Institutions
- SOSC585 Climate Action
- TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism
Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing
Choose one of:
- FOOD501 Food and the Senses
- CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour Perspectives
- HOSP509 Hospitality Social Enterprise
- TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability
Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Poverty
Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.
You could also take the Foundations in Research course to prepare you for postgraduate study.
Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?
Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.
Interpreting major courses
If you're majoring in interpreting, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight interpreting-related courses you study throughout your degree.
Complete the following courses:
- CLSY630 Intercultural Competence
- TRIN502 Introduction to Translation and Interpreting
- TRIN603 Interpreter Role, Ethics and Practice
- TRIN702 Legal Studies for Interpreters
- TRIN704 Health Studies for Interpreters
And complete three of:
- TRIN701 Principles and Practice of Translation and Interpreting
- TRIN705 Advanced Health Interpreting
- TRIN708 Advanced Legal Interpreting
- TRIN709 Discourse in Remote Public Service Interpreting
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
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Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.
https://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-arts/interpreting-major
- Legal interpreting for government and local authorities
- Health interpreting for various health sector organisations
- Freelance interpreting work
- Foreign affairs and border control
- Movie voiceovers
- Language Line (telephone interpreting)
- Refugee and migrant services
- International business conventions or conferences
To become an Aotearoa New Zealand interpreter, you need to hold the Australian NAATI certification or credentialling. Interpreters and translators can only sit a NAATI certification or credentialling test if they have completed a NAATI endorsed qualification. As a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts in Interpreting you can sit the NAATI Certified Interpreter test and even the NAATI Specialist Health Interpreter or Specialist Legal Interpreter tests (depending on your course choices) to become certified as an Aotearoa New Zealand Interpreter.
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts
- Creative Writing
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Culinary Arts
- Economics (not open to new students from 2025)
- Education
- Event Management
- Global Tourism
- History
- International Studies
- Māori Development
- Māori Media
- New Zealand Sign Language & Deaf Studies
- New Zealand Sign Language - English Interpreting*
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.
- Prepares you for interpreting careers in medical, legal and business settings
- Suitable if you already speak two languages
- Workplace experience in your final semester
- Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
- Bilingual
- A communicator
- A great listener
- Having an ear for detail
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.