23:33 Nov 16, 2009 

I guess I could live with "prerequisite diploma #1" and #2 respectively. Degree is going too far, IMHO. We simply do not know enough about what this person did and when. I would go with the above AND put in a note asking for clarification unless you can get in touch with the holder of the cert before delivering your translation. If not, if this is an agency job, then a note and a warning to the project manager should do the trick.
Trouble is that these academic types (present company excluded) can be touchy and if you call something that it is not - understating is worse then overstating :-) - there could be a complaint. Playing it safe would be wise. ;-)

23:04 Nov 16, 2009 

I agree with you that I should not specify Bachelor and Master, since they are not spelled out in the document, however, I am not certain that "intermediate degree" renders the complete meaning of Vordiplom in this context. How about "prerequisite degree #1" and "prerequisite degree #2"?

22:42 Nov 16, 2009 

I don't know, but I do not think so, to be honest. Even if it were so and these Vordiplomas were indeed BA and MA, they could easily be translated as intermediate diplomas since as far as a Ph.D. is concerned, all that came before is a pre-diploma. You could kill two birds with one stone by sticking to facts as we know them instead of jumping to conclusions. My own cert, for instance, which is also in German, but from Germany, states the previous degrees clearly identifying them by name, not just as something intermediate. Anyway, unless this is some very specific type of a cert from Switzerland or some obscure place, I do not believe Vordiplom can or should be translated as any kind of a degree.

22:24 Nov 16, 2009 

The problem that I have here is that the 2 Vordiploms are not necessarily earned as a part of the Doctoral studies. They are simply listed as prerequisites met, or grounds for bestowing of the Doctoral Degree. Therefore, I think that it may be appropriate to translate one of them as Bachelor and the other as Master degree.
As we all know one has to have the two degrees (Bachelor and Master) in order to qualify for the Doctoral degree.

22:12 Nov 16, 2009 

Hi Emilia! I do not think you could safely translate Vordiplom as any kind of a degree. As you very well know, one cannot be admitted to a Doctoral course before obtaining a BA and a MA (B.Sc./M.Sc. and the like). Therefore, any diplomas obtained as part of the subsequent Ph.D. course can never be degrees. These are intermediate diplomas, no more, no less. As fas as the Prüfungsausweis is concerned, this is the same as Zeugnis and can be translated as credentials, certificate, grades, etc. Whatever fits your context. If you doubt this advice, simply google "Prüfungsausweis" and read the official definition. Is this a Swiss certificate?

21:01 Nov 16, 2009 

This is a Doctoral Degree. The second page represents the exams and grounds for bestowing the degree and is titled "PRÜFUNGSAUSWEIS"
Is it correct to translate PRÜFUNGSAUSWEIS as CREDENTIALS and Vordiplom 1 as Bachelor Degree and Vordiplom 2 as Master Degree?