A number of key components of undergraduate translation programs are discussed. In addition to providing professional training for future translators and interpreters, these programs can be shown to provide a valuable education for sizable numbers of students, who may not necessarily wish to become specialist translators, interpreters, or language officers, a feature which led to the rapid development of undergraduate degrees in five of Hong Kong's seven UPGC institutions. It is suggested that multi-disciplinary translation programs with this kind of orientation could also appeal to other English-speaking universities and colleges, and that the translation profession might wish to lend its support to their introduction.