CanvasProgram Description
The Bachelor’s of Arts in American Sign Language/English Interpreting prepares students to work as interpreters between hearing English users and Deaf American Sign Language users. Our graduates will learn to negotiate linguistic and cultural variations between English and ASL and to faithfully render the interpreted message. Upon graduation, our students should be prepared to take the Utah Novice exam.
Utah requires a certification for ASL Interpreters. There are two levels of the Utah Interpreting Certification, Novice , which allows an individual to interpret in almost any situation excluding technical or specialized situations; and Professional, which allows interpreters to work in more technical and specialized situations. The Utah Interpreting Certification does not require a university degree to obtain and is also accepted by neighboring states. Candidates must pass a written exam and a performance exam.
The National Interpreter Certification is also available and does require a bachelor’s degree. This certification will allow an interpreter to work anywhere in the United States.
Admission Requirements
Students can begin taking the required courses for the BA in ASL/Eng major in one of two ways:
- By beginning with any of the lower division courses (ASL 1010, 1020, 2010, or 2020 - the first class depends on a student’s background in ASL). Students who begin with ASL 1020, 2010, or 2020 may receive vertical credits for the lower classes, if needed, according to policy. ASL 1500 and ASL 2000 are not eligible for vertical credits.
- By beginning with ASL 3060 for native speakers or students who have lived in an ASL speaking environment for 1.5 years or more, students can receive vertical credits for the classes skipped, according to policy.
The Bachelor of Arts foreign language requirement may be filled with any of these two options as soon as the student receives credit for either ASL 2020 or ASL 3060.
Placement in foreign language classes is at the discretion of the Department Chair.
An application process is required for admission to the BA in American Sign Language/English Interpreting program. The application can be found at https://goo.gl/forms/VnCVUNopEgw7kTL93
Students must provide a recommendation from someone in the Deaf community as well as someone in the interpreting community. Students must also complete the below classes with a B or higher or be eligible for and purchase vertical credits.
Program Curriculum
120 credits
Utah Tech General Education Requirements
All Utah Tech General Education requirements must be fulfilled. A previously earned degree may fulfill those requirements, but courses must be equivalent to Utah Tech's minimum General Education standards in American Institutions, English, and Mathematics.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Core Requirements | ||
| English | 3-7 | |
| Mathematics | 3-5 | |
| American Institutions | 3-6 | |
| Life Sciences | 3-10 | |
| Physical Sciences | 3-5 | |
| Laboratory Science | 0-1 | |
| Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Literature/Humanities | 3 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Exploration | 3-5 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts: Foreign Language Requirement | 3-16 | |
| Complete one of the following: | ||
- Complete 16 credits in a single foreign language, through earned credit (grade C or higher), credit by examination, or vertical credit from the courses listed on the GE Foreign Language Requirement page 1 | ||
- Complete a 2020 or higher foreign language course (grade C or higher) | ||
- Complete a 3060 foreign language course listed below (grade C or higher) | ||
- Receive 16 transfer credits for GEFL 1000 (8) and GEFL 2000 (8) in a single foreign language (grade C or higher) | ||
| OR | ||
| Complete a 1010 course listed below in a second foreign language (grade C or higher) AND one of the following: | ||
| 1. In a language not taught at Utah Tech, receive 12 FLATS exam credits for FLAT 1000 (8) and FLAT 2000 (4) | ||
or | ||
| 2. In a language not taught at Utah Tech, receive 12 transfer credits articulated as GEFL 1000 (8) and GEFL 2000 (4) (all grade C or higher) | ||
| OR | ||
| Available only to students who are nonnative English speakers, complete one of the following: | ||
- Complete 16 credits of ESL courses listed below (grade B or higher) | ||
- Submit one of the following test scores required for unconditional Utah Tech admission: TOEFL (61 iBT, 173 CBT, or 500 PBT); or Michigan (70); or USU-IELE equivalent score. Other tests may be accepted for admission to Utah Tech but will not fulfill this requirement. Official scores must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. | ||
| Total Hours | 3-16 | |
| 1 | General Education Foreign Language Classes may be found on the General Education page. |
ASL/English Interpreting Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASL 1010 | Beginning American Sign Language I (ALCI) | 4 |
| ASL 1020 | Beginning American Sign Language II (FL, ALCI) | 4 |
| ASL 1500 | Introduction to Deaf Culture | 3 |
| ASL 2000 | Fingerspelling and Numbers in American Sign Language | 2 |
| ASL 2010 | Intermediate American Sign Language I (ALCI) | 4 |
| ASL 2020 | Intermediate American Sign Language II (ALCI) | 4 |
| ASL 2300 | Introduction to Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 3060 | Advanced American Sign Language I | 3 |
| ASL 3070 | Advanced American Sign Language II | 3 |
| ASL 3400 | American Sign Language Linguistics | 3 |
| ASL 4300 | Transliterating | 3 |
| ASL 4350 | Internship in Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 4450 | Legal Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 4650 | Health Care Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 4660 | Educational Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 4700 | Ethics of Interpreting | 3 |
| Total Hours | 51 | |
Recommended Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASL 3300 | Current Trends in Interpreting (ALPP) | 3 |
| ASL 3500 | Deaf History | 3 |
| ASL 3600 | American Sign Language Literature | 3 |
| ASL 3990 | Seminar in American Sign Language | 1-3 |
| ASL 4400 | Topics in Interpreting | 3 |
| ASL 4500 | Advanced Deaf Culture | 3 |
Graduation Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 120 college-level credits (1000 and above).
- Complete at least 40 upper-division credits (3000 and above).
- Complete at least 30 upper-division credits at Utah Tech for institutional residency.
- Cumulative GPA 2.0 or higher.
- Grade B or higher in each Core Discipline and Emphasis course.
Graduation Plan
| 1st Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ASL 1010 | 4 | ASL 1020 | 4 |
| ASL 1500 | 3 | ENGL 2010 | 3 |
| MATH 1010 | 4 | General Education (Math) | 3 |
| ENGL 1010 | 3 | General Education (Social/Behavioral Sciences) | 3 |
| SSC 1010 | 2 | General Education (Physical Sciences) | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| 2nd Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ASL 2010 | 4 | ASL 2020 | 4 |
| ASL 2000 | 2 | ASL 2300 | 3 |
| General Education (Life Science) | 3 | General Education (Literature/Humanities) | 3 |
| General Education (Lab) | 1 | General Education (Exploration) | 3 |
| General Education (Fine Arts) | 3 | General Education (American Institutions) | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| 3rd Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ASL 3060 | 3 | ASL 4700 | 3 |
| ASL 3070 | 3 | ASL Electives (ASL 3300, ASL 3500, ASL 4500 recommended) | 9 |
| ASL 3400 | 3 | Electives | 3 |
| ASL Elective (ASL 3600 recommended) | 3 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| 4th Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| ASL 4300 | 3 | ASL 4350 | 3 |
| ASL 4450 | 3 | Electives | 12 |
| ASL 4650 | 3 | ||
| ASL 4660 | 3 | ||
| Elective (ASL 4400 recommended) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
American Sign Language/English Interpreting Program Learning Outcomes
At the successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate in American Sign Language at an advanced level on a variety of subjects with other users of ASL.
- Compare and Contrast Personal Culture with Deaf Culture in terms of cultural artifacts, behaviors and traditions.
- Use American Sign Language to connect with other disciplines and acquire information.
- Develop insight into the nature of language and culture specifically what processes and parameters define what constitutes a language and its accompanying cultural aspects.
- Use American Sign Language to generate participation in communities at home and around the world.
- Combine knowledge of spoken English and American Sign Language to create an effective interpretation between ASL/ENG by preserving the communicative intent and negotiating cultural and linguistic nuances.
- Illustrate an understanding of the interpreting profession’s laws and regulations and certification processes.