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American Sign Language

American Sign Language/English Interpreting - B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting equips you with the skills needed to communicate between deaf and hearing individuals in a variety of settings. With experienced faculty, a state-of-the-art interpreting lab, and opportunities for hands-on experience, you'll gain the expertise needed to succeed in this rewarding field.

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Bachelor's Degree in American Sign Language/English Interpreting

This intensive major challenges and prepares students for the dynamic and diverse field of sign language interpreting. All of the instructors are nationally certified with extensive careers as interpreters in a wide variety of venues. The KSU ASL/English Interpreting Program prepares students by developing expertise, fluency, and professional practice. Students have three years of ASL instruction. Coursework encompasses interpreting process models, analytical approaches to professional and ethical decision-making, interpreting proficiency across a variety of settings and consumers, and comparative analysis of English and ASL through the study of linguistics, discourse structures and features, pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Students develop self-assessment strategies for lifelong learning and receive guidance in preparing for the RID NIC and EIPA national certifications. A key component of this major is over 500 hours of practicum experience with interpreter mentors.

Program Information for American Sign Language/English Interpreting - B.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in American Sign Language/English Interpreting prepares students to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in both educational and community settings, including schools and universities, businesses, medical and mental health agencies and social service offices, among others.

The coursework and nationally certified instructors guide students in developing interpreting expertise, sign language fluency and professional ethics. Coursework encompasses interpreting process models and their application; analytical approaches to professional and ethical decision-making; and interpreting comparative analyses of English and American Sign Language through the study of linguistics, discourse structures and features, pragmatics and sociolinguistics. Students learn self-assessment strategies for lifelong learning and gain roughly 400 clinical or practical hours. They also experience working with interpreter mentors. They also have preparation toward the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA).

The American Sign Language/English Interpreting major includes the following optional concentration:

  • The Community Setting Interpreting optional concentration is for students who are not seeking licensure to interpret in Ohio schools. Students in the concentration complete 400 hours at a community agency.

Students who do not choose the optional concentration may apply for licensure from the State of Ohio to interpret from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Students complete 300 practicum hours at an educational placement.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Admissions for American Sign Language/English Interpreting - B.S.

Admission Requirements

Admission to this major is selective. Freshmen students must have a minimum 2.75 high school GPA— for direct admission into the major. Transfer students must have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA for admission.

Students who do not meet the GPA requirement at the time of admission for this major will be admitted to the EHHS General non-degree program until which time they have established a 2.750 Kent State GPA. They may then submit a change of program to declare this major.

Current Kent State and Transfer Students: Active Kent State students who wish to change their major must have attempted a minimum 12 credit hours at Kent State and meet all admission criteria listed above to be admitted. Students who have not attempted 12 credit hours at Kent State will be evaluated for admission based on their high school GPA for new students or transfer GPA for transfer students. Transfer students who have not attempted 12 credit hours of college-level coursework at Kent State and/or other institutions will be evaluated based on both their high school GPA and college GPA.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to do the following:

  1. Demonstrate native or near-native fluency in spoken and written English (80% of the time as per the NCIEC), American Sign Language, Deaf and non-Deaf cultures
  2. Effectively interpret audio and video texts, as well as live presentations, across a variety of genres and be able to adapt interpretations to consumer modality preferences
  3. Demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills and professionalism across all classroom/program-related settings, while interacting with others, with an awareness of linguistic, cultural, contextual and personality differences
  4. Make appropriate and effective ethical decisions, both in practical and authentic interpreting situations in alignment with RID's Code of Professional Conduct and Â鶹´«Ã½'s Code of Student Conduct
  5. Demonstrate adaptability and teachability
  6. Articulate the impact of interpreting models, theories and best practices and how they inform one's work
  7. Recognize substantive linguistic and paralinguistic cues from others from a distance of three-to-10 feet in a variety of environments
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ASEI 43092DEAF CULTURE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE (ELR) 1,21
ASEI 43100SURVEY OF THE INTERPRETING PROFESSION (min B- grade)3
ASEI 43102INTERPRETING PROCESSES I (min C grade)3
ASEI 43103INTERPRETING PROCESSES II (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43104INTERPRETING PROCESSES III (min B- grade) 13
ASEI 43105TRANSLITERATING (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43107COMMUNITY SETTING INTERPRETING (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43110DISCOURSE ANALYSIS FOR INTERPRETERS (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43111THE PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETER (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43112INTERACTIVE INTERPRETING (min C grade) 13
ASEI 43113ASL TO ENGLISH INTERPRETING PROCESSES (WIC) (min C grade)3
ASEI 43114SOCIAL MEDIA AND CURRENT EVENTS INTERPRETING 3
ASEI 43118MEDICAL INTERPRETING (min C grade)3
ASEI 43119MENTAL HEALTH INTERPRETING (min C grade)3
ASEI 49625INQUIRY SEMINAR FOR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/ENGLISH INTERPRETING (min C grade) 13
ASL 19201ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I (min C grade)4
ASL 19202ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II (min C grade)4
ASL 29201INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I (min C grade)3
ASL 29202INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II (min C grade)3
ASL 39201ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I (min C grade)3
ASL 39202ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II (min C grade)3
ASL 39401INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN THE DEAF WORLD (min C grade)3
ASL 49108AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE LINGUISTICS I (min C grade)3
COMM 35852INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG) (min C grade)3
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
PSYC 11762GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
PSYC 20651CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 33
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
(minimum C grade)6
3
9
3
6-7
3
Additional Requirements or Concentration
Choose from the following:12
Minimum Total Credit Hours:121
1

Professional Phase coursework.

2

For field experiences, residential practicum and advanced practicum that require candidates to be placed within a school or agency setting, the college requires candidates to complete the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCII) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks and submit the results to authorized personnel at their assigned school/agency before the beginning of the field experience or the first day of the semester in which the field experience or practicum will take place. Authorized school/agency personnel will determine whether a candidate may participate in fieldwork in that setting. The BCII and FBI background checks are good for one year and are mandatory for licensure application. Electronic fingerprinting is available for BCII and FBI in 221 White Hall and should be completed at least two months prior to field experience residential practicum/advanced practicum. Regional campus students should contact their Regional Campus coordinator to identify fingerprinting availability at each campus. Candidates are responsible for fees incurred for this requirement. For more information on this policy, contact the Director of Clinical Field Experience in 304 White Hall. Visit the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website at https://education.ohio.gov for more information about background check requirements in Ohio. Contact the Office of Professional Conduct at the ODE for specific information about the results of the background check. Due to the length of time that a student participates in the variety of work experiences within the ASL/English Interpreting program, the student may need to complete a minimum of two background checks. Also, if a student is placed out of state, they may need to get a background check completed in that respective state according to the requirements of that state.

3

Students who are not pursuing licensure may take an elective in place of PSYC 20651 with special approval only.

Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ASEI 43106SCHOOL SETTING INTERPRETING (minimum C grade)3
ASEI 43192ADVANCED PRACTICUM: ASL ENGLISH INTERPRETING (ELR) 1,29
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Professional Phase coursework

2

For field experiences, residential practicum, and advanced practicum that require candidates to be placed within a school or agency setting, the college requires candidates to complete the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCII) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks and submit the results to authorized personnel at their assigned school/agency before the beginning of the field experience or the first day of the semester in which the field experience or practicum will take place. Authorized school/agency personnel will determine whether a candidate may participate in fieldwork in that setting. The BCII and FBI background checks are good for one year and are mandatory for licensure application. Electronic fingerprinting is available for BCII and FBI in 221 White Hall and should be completed at least two months prior to field experience residential practicum/advanced practicum. Regional campus students should contact their Regional Campus coordinator to identify fingerprinting availability at each campus. Candidates are responsible for fees incurred for this requirement. For more information on this policy, contact the Director of Clinical Field Experience in 304 White Hall. Visit the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website at https://education.ohio.gov for more information about background check requirements in Ohio. Contact the Office of Professional Conduct at the ODE for specific information about the results of the background check. Due to the length of time that a student participates in the variety of work experiences within the ASL/English Interpreting program, the student may need to complete a minimum of two background checks.  Also, if a student is placed out of state, they may need to get a background check completed in that respective state according to the requirements of that state.

Community Setting Interpreting Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ASEI 40092ADVANCED PRACTICUM: AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/ENGLISH INTERPRETING-COMMUNITY SETTING INTERPRETING (ELR) 19
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)3
Minimum Total Credit Hours:12
1

Professional Phase coursework

Progression Requirements

  • To be able to continue in the program, students must be accepted to the professional phase, comprised of ASEI 43092ASEI 43103, ASEI 43105, ASEI 43107, ASEI 43110, ASEI 43111, ASEI 43112, ASEI 43192 or ASEI 40092,  and ASEI 49625. Typically, students must apply for the professional phase by the end of the second week of the fourth semester. To be eligible for the professional phase, students must have the following:
  • Minimum 3.000 major GPA1
  • Minimum 2.750 overall GPA1
  • Minimum C grade in ASEI 43102, ASL 19201, ASL 19202, ENG 11011 and ENG 21011 (or their equivalents)
  • Minimum B- grade in ASEI 43100. Students need a B- in the course before continuing on in the program.
  • Passing score on the entrance assessment prior to ASEI 43103 (students who are placed directly into an advanced ASL course are not required to complete the entrance assessment)

Students who are not able to advance into the professional phase or are not able to pass the entrance assessment will receive a warning and will be required to meet with their faculty and professional advisors to develop a plan of continuation. The plan will include all actions necessary to continue in current program, the opportunity to declare a different program, a timeline of when actions should occur and next steps if actions are not followed. Students who have received a warning the previous term will be reviewed during end-of-term processing to determine their status regarding continuation in the major.

The purpose of the professional phase is to ensure that students in the major have adequate preparation necessary to successfully complete upper-division curriculum, including a senior-level practicum, which provides students with professional training in the field of interpreting.

Students must earn a minimum C grade in all ASL and ASEI courses in order to register for the subsequent ASL course, with the exception of ASEI 43100 and ASEI 43104 in which a minimum B- grade is required.

Students must earn a minimum C grade in ASEI 43102 and ASEI 43103 in order to progress to ASEI 43104. Students must earn a minimum B- grade in ASEI 43104 to progress to the final semester.

Before students are approved for ASEI 43192, they must do the following:

  • Complete all coursework, with the exception of ASEI 43192 and ASEI 49625
  • Possess a 2.750 overall GPA and a 3.000 major GPA
  • Complete the prescribed number of clinical application hours
  • Candidates seeking Ohio interpreting licensure from the Ohio Department of Education are required to have passed the entrance assessment and the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (Intermediate level or higher) or the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (minimum 2.0 level). The Sign Language Proficiency Interview must be taken at the Ohio School for the Deaf. An attempt must be made before the start of semester six. If students fail, they may continue progressing but students must develop a professional development plan. A passing score must be obtained before entering semester seven (fall semester of their senior year) and it will be a prerequisite for ASEI 43104, ASEI 43112 and ASEI 43118.
  • An Interpreting Readiness Assessment will be conducted in lieu of a midterm exam in ASEI 43104. If students fail, they are given a professional development plan. All students, regardless of a passing or failing score on the readiness assessment, must pass ASEI 43104 with a minimum B- grade in order to register for ASEI 40092 or ASEI 43192.
1

Undergraduate students who have not completed a minimum of 12 Â鶹´«Ã½ credit hours will be evaluated for advanced study and professional phase based on their high school GPA for new freshmen or transfer GPA for transfer students.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
3.000 2.750
  • A satisfactory (S) grade in ASEI 43192 for licensure students or ASEI 40092 for students in the Community Setting Interpreting concentration.
  • Students who do not choose the non-licensure concentration may apply for licensure from the State of Ohio to interpret from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. If this is the case, they must take ASEI 43106 and ASEI 43192 and complete 300 practicum hours at an educational placement.
Roadmaps
 

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
!ASL 19201 ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I 4
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
!ASL 19202 ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II 4
PSYC 11762 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
Requirement: minimum 3.000 major GPA and 2.750 overall GPA by end of semester  
!ASEI 43100 SURVEY OF THE INTERPRETING PROFESSION 3
!ASL 29201 INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
!ASEI 43102 INTERPRETING PROCESSES I 3
!ASEI 43113 ASL TO ENGLISH INTERPRETING PROCESSES (WIC) 3
!ASL 29202 INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II 3
!ASL 39401 INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN THE DEAF WORLD 3
PSYC 20651 CHILD PSYCHOLOGY (DIVD) (KSS) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours18
Semester Five
!ASEI 43103 INTERPRETING PROCESSES II 3
!ASEI 43106 SCHOOL SETTING INTERPRETING (or General Elective for concentration students) 3
!ASEI 43111 THE PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETER 3
!ASEI 43114 SOCIAL MEDIA AND CURRENT EVENTS INTERPRETING 3
!ASL 39201 ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
ASEI 43092 DEAF CULTURE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE (ELR) 1
!ASEI 43105 TRANSLITERATING 3
!ASEI 43107 COMMUNITY SETTING INTERPRETING 3
!ASEI 43110 DISCOURSE ANALYSIS FOR INTERPRETERS 3
!ASEI 43119 MENTAL HEALTH INTERPRETING 3
!ASL 39202 ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Seven
!ASEI 43104 INTERPRETING PROCESSES III 3
!ASEI 43112 INTERACTIVE INTERPRETING 3
!ASEI 43118 MEDICAL INTERPRETING 3
!ASL 49108 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE LINGUISTICS I 3
COMM 35852 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG) 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
!ASEI 40092
or ASEI 43192
ADVANCED PRACTICUM: AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/ENGLISH INTERPRETING-COMMUNITY SETTING INTERPRETING (ELR)
or ADVANCED PRACTICUM: ASL ENGLISH INTERPRETING (ELR)
9
!ASEI 49625 INQUIRY SEMINAR FOR AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/ENGLISH INTERPRETING 3
 Credit Hours12
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:121
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for American Sign Language/English Interpreting - B.S.

Graduates of Â鶹´«Ã½'s Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting are prepared for various careers, including roles as American Sign Language/English Interpreters and Sign Language Interpreters.

Examples of Possible Careers
  • American Sign Language/English Interpreter 
  • Sign Language Interpreter
Professional Licensure Disclosure

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure or certification and contact information for state licensing boards at Kent State's website for professional licensure disclosure.

Looking for our American Sign Language/English Interpreting Licensure Preparation non-degree program?

ASL/English Interpreting Licensure Preparation Non-Degree Program