PURPOSE: The degree in American Sign Language (ASL)-English Interpretation is designed to prepare individuals for a career in sign language interpretation.
OCCUPATIONAL OBJECTIVES: A majority of full-time ASL-English Interpretation positions in the Commonwealth are found in the K-12 public school setting. The minimum requirement to work as an ASL-English Interpreter in the K-12 setting in Virginia is a VQAS Level III, an EIPA of 3.5 or higher, or National Interpreting Certificate (NIC) certification. Interpreters may also consider freelance and contract interpreting opportunities, including the expanding fields of video relay service (VRS) and video remote interpreting (VRI), which both utilize interactive video technology via the Internet.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission
PROGRAM NOTES: ASL-English Interpretation is a two-year, full-time course of study that enrolls new students annually to begin coursework during the spring or summer semester with programmatic content provided year-round until completion. Candidates for admission to the program must provide evidence of fluency in both English and ASL. Fluency in English is demonstrated by placement into ENG 111. Fluency in ASL is demonstrated by completion of the American Sign Language IV with a “B” or higher. Fluency in ASL may also be demonstrated through a diagnostic interview with the American Sign Language and Interpreter Education (ASL&IE) program head.
Successful completion of the 3-step NIC process results in national certification as an ASL-English Interpreter, which may be maintained through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) via continuing education. As of July 1, 2012, individuals are required to have a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, as determined by the National Council on Interpreting (NCI), in order to sit for the NIC evaluation. For more information, please contact the ASL&IE coordinator regarding alternative pathways to certification (i.e., without a bachelor’s degree). For more information on the NIC, please visit www.casli.org.
As part of the ASL-English Interpretation AAS curriculum, the student must receive a passing score on the VQAS written assessment and “B” or higher in INT 130 prior to initiating INT 280 , Interpreter Assessment Preparation. It is typical for students to sit for the VQAS or EIPA performance exam during the fall semester of year 2. Initiation of INT 290 , ASL-English Interpretation Internship, during the spring of year 2 is typical. The Virginia Quality Assurance Screening (VQAS) is a state screening, valid for three years, by which time the interpreter must be screened again or the credential is no longer valid. For more information on the VQAS, please visit http://www.vddhh.org or contact the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) at1-800-552-7917 [V]. The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) is administered by Boys Town National Research Hospital. For more information on the EIPA, please visit www.classroominterpreting.org.
CONTINUATION IN THE PROGRAM: To continue in the program, students must achieve a minimum course grade of “B” (80) in each INT course.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS:
| Books and Supplies |
$400 first semester; $200 for all other semesters |
| Certification/Testing Fees |
Contact CASLI for NIC fees; contact VDDHH for VQAS fees; contact Boys’ Town for EIPA fees |
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT: Students in this program will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 115 . Students can also meet this requirement by passing the college’s computer competency exam administered in the testing centers on each campus, in which they will receive college credit for ITE 115 .Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only once.
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