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Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Abschlusszeugnis

English translation:

Certificate of Studies

Added to glossary by British Diana
Feb 9, 2014 11:20
10 yrs ago
78 viewers *
German term

Abschlusszeugnis

German to English Other Education / Pedagogy Qualifications certificate / transcript
Context: A document issued by the ‘Letteverein’ in Berlin. This is described as a ‘Berufsfachchule für Foto-, Grafik- und Modedesign’.
The student completed a 3-year course and came out with a qualification that translates as ‘Nationally Certified Graphic Designer’.
The problem is that my client wants me to translate ‘Abschlusszeugnis’ as ‘Degree Certificate’, whereas I originally translated it as ‘Diploma’. I would like to make her happy, as she wants to apply for a master’s degree at a U.K. university, but I am a little uneasy and would like a few opinions.
Proposed translations (English)
4 Leaving Certificate
4 +1 Vocational degree
4 Graduate in xxx, yyy and zzz from the Letteverein....
3 +1 Graduation certificate
3 Vocational Certificate
Change log

Feb 14, 2014 06:54: British Diana Created KOG entry

Discussion

Lis Liesicke Feb 10, 2014:
Sorry, Yorkshireman, hadn't read through your answer, just the discussion about degree or not degree
But as they say: great minds ......
Yorkshireman Feb 10, 2014:
State certified Have to agree with that, I had it in my answer, too.
Anne Bitton (asker) Feb 10, 2014:
Thanks Liesicke, that is useful. Yes, I will change to 'state certified'. I had considered that. Thanks for confirming.
Lis Liesicke Feb 10, 2014:
Just to add my 2cts re. the 3 years of study.
I also teach at a college where students take their Fachabitur after 3 years and also receive qualification as staatlich anerkannte Grafikdesigner, this is no way a degree (most students start when they are 16/17 after leaving school with the equivalent of "O" levels) but more like dual vocational training. I would probably have just used plain "certificate" but "certificate of studies" is also fine
And it could be more State certified (rather than nationally)
Anne Bitton (asker) Feb 10, 2014:

The definitive answer has arrived from the Lette-Verein in Berliin:

Wir übersetzen das Abschlusszeugnis mit – Certificate of Studies.

My client is not going to like it, but c'est la vie....

I will consider the best answer shortly. Thanks for all suggestions. Anne
philgoddard Feb 9, 2014:
Anne I agree with your customer. A diploma usually takes less than three years - it could even take three weeks. Assuming it's a fulltime course, it sounds like a degree to me.
Anne Bitton (asker) Feb 9, 2014:
Thanks Yorkshireman, but that doesn't really solve the problem that the one-word title of the document is 'Abschlusszeugnis', to be translated as 'Diploma' or 'Degree Certificate'. I am veering towards 'Diploma', on the basis that UK NARIC or the university will hopefully do the work of determining the exact U.K. equivalent. I will also encourage the client to contact the establishment though and copy me in. Thanks for the help everyone. I will leave a bit of a gap before selecting the most helpful answer.
Anne Bitton (asker) Feb 9, 2014:
Yes, I agree with Nelly too. I think checking with the school is a good idea in this case.
Wendy Lewin Feb 9, 2014:
@yorkshireman yes, I had read that, all I was saying is that you can't just call any Abschluss a degree - I agree with Nelly, it would be best to check with the school
Yorkshireman Feb 9, 2014:
@WML "Only bodies in the UK are included in the Orders. Overseas provision is not covered by the legislation."

Seems to be the crunch in the site you posted.
Nelly Thomas Feb 9, 2014:
In the past, German qualifications have not been equal to those of the english-speaking world. This is changing, however, in Germany. Most professional schools, colleges of applied sciences and universities have been adapting the Bachelor of Arts and the Master's degree to their curriculums to make it easier for students to go abroad later. I checked the Lette Verein's website but could not find a specific reference to the BA. Most Berufsfachschulen have adapted their "nationally certified" programs to equal the BA. In this case I recommend this be checked with the school directly, either by your student or yourself.

Hope this is of use.
Wendy Lewin Feb 9, 2014:
Here an excerpt from Wikepedia
Bildungsgänge der Berufsfachschule:

Die Bildungsgänge dauern in Vollzeitform (Regelform) ein bis drei Jahre, in Teilzeitform entsprechend länger. An Berufsfachschulen werden teilqualifizierende Bildungsgänge, die einen Teil der Berufsausbildung (zum Beispiel berufliche Grundbildung) vermitteln, sowie vollqualifizierende Bildungsgänge mit Berufsabschluss angeboten. Die Bildungsgänge der Berufsfachschule sind in einer Rahmenvereinbarung über die Berufsfachschulen der Kultusministerkonferenz geregelt.

and then this:
https://www.gov.uk/recognised-uk-degrees
So uinless it is from an institution who has the power to award degress, it can't be called a degree.

Proposed translations

6 hrs
Selected

Leaving Certificate

Basically I think you must translate this as neutrally as possible. It is more AE to call things graduation or diplomas.

Probably your client will have difficulty having her qualifications recognised as being equivalent to a BA. Yorkshireman has given us some info on this.
However, there is no way you can help by "interpreting" them more favourably than they really are, so it is better to give a correct translation.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks British Diana. In the end I contacted the establishment and they confirmed that they translate it as 'Certificate of Studies'. Therefore I think that your option is the closest."
1 hr

Graduate in xxx, yyy and zzz from the Letteverein....

Graduate in Graphic Design from the Letteverein, Berlin, State Certified Graphic Designer.

All one, but sounds like two diplomas :-)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2014-02-09 12:44:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The official take on this is that a "Berufsfachschulabschluss" is a

Level 5 Certificate
(NFQ Level 5)

Which doesn't sound at all impressive.

Source: http://www.qualrec.ie/germany-training2.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2014-02-09 12:52:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, it now sounds even worse - that was an Irish qualification that is equivalent to NVQ Level 3 in the UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Vocational_Qualificati...

More or less quivalent to what used to be "City & Guilds"
Peer comment(s):
neutral British Diana : Don't really think this is graduating in UK
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
4 hrs

Graduation certificate

avoids the issue beautifully!
Peer comment(s):
neutral British Diana : I don't think you can call this graduating in UK
2 hrs
agree philgoddard : It's a three-year course, so it must be a degree.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
5 hrs

Vocational degree

Well...this is actually a vocational degree since Berufschule is Vocational school. I'm not sure if your client will be happy with this, but if she isn't, she should have thought about it before, perhaps. Everyone has a chance to go to university in Europe.

Between Berufschule and Uni, there also FH (Fachhochschule), so in essence, Berufschule is the "lowest" level.

Perhaps the above is a good solution since she gets her "degree" and you're not falsifying her educational level either.
Peer comment(s):
agree Eleanore Strauss
2 days 5 hrs
Something went wrong...
17 hrs

Vocational Certificate

I don't think there is an exact transation for this because of the differences in educational/vocational training systems in Germany and the UK. It is certainly not a degree. Neither is it a graduation. "Leaving certificate sounds too much like a school leaving certificate.
Something went wrong...
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