It is argued in this paper that in the process of planning/restructuring/innovating translation programs to address the changing social needs, needs assessment is crucial. Rather than sitting behind closed doors charting out the possible needs of the students, which often are considerably different from the actual needs of translators, the authors carry out serious needs assessment to find out what the real needs are. They argue that needs assessment should be a continual process and take place throughout the instructional program, thus influencing materials selection, curriculum design and teaching approaches. Major assessment methods for translation programs/courses are then described in brief for reference. The paper concludes that (1) whatever the format and focus of the needs assessment, the basic purpose is to determine what are the real needs of the students: and (2) when curriculum content, materials, and teaching approaches match social needs, student motivation and success are enhanced.