Since the Bologna Declaration in 1999, quality has become a central theme and a pressing need in European higher education. In translator training programmes, factors such as the nature of the translation market and its requirements, the impact of accelerating and unpredictable changes in language technologies and evolving student needs have, however, constituted obstacles for the meeting and maintenance of quality requirements by university departments. To overcome these obstacles, this paper puts forward the idea that quality in translator training programmes can be maintained through adapting the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) to the processes of programme design, development and implementation. This approach leads to the conclusion that it is imperative for translator training programmes to be developed in accordance with proper assessment of three inextricably linked needs: the needs of the market, the needs of translation departments and – equally important – the needs of students.