The Qualitative Program Evaluation of the Postgraduate English Translation Major in Iran

The present study aims at evaluating the M.A. English Translation Program. Although this is somehow a new established program, nothing has been done about evaluation of it. Program evaluations need to be carried out within a well-constructed framework. A review of more than 30 evaluation models and checklists led to the decision that Stufflebeam's CIPP Model (2002) would best fit this evaluation study. This model has four parts (Context, Input, Process, and Product) and the research questions were written based on these parts. Then, all the universities having this program (at the time of this study) were chosen (except Islamic Azad University, Chabahar Branch). The first step in doing this study was conducting a comprehensive needs analysis to clarify the needs and objectives of students, presenting their language problems and their inabilities in relation to translation. This was done through class observations, interviews, and questionnaires. According to the obtained data it became clear that the first and most important aim of establishing this program- "training the expert translators skilled in the fields of Human and Social Sciences, etc." to the great extent is ignored.