BA: ASL-English Interpretation
ASLEI BA Program offered ONLINE or ONSITE at the
UNC Denver Center-Lowry
Check back in September 2013 for the application for the next academic year of 2014-2015!
CCIE Accreditation!
We are proud to announce that the distance-delivered UNC ASL-English Interpretation program is the 13th program to be accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE). In round figures there are about 150 interpreter education programs across the nation and approximately 80% are 2-year degree programs. There are nine BA programs accredited at this time out of about three-dozen baccalaureate programs in the US – and the UNC ASLEI program is the only distance-delivered program on that list!
Read on for more information about the online program:
The UNC DO IT Center's American Sign Language-English Interpretation program is an accredited online (with summer onsite requirements), or onsite,11-semester, baccalaureate degree program that prepares majors to provide competent interpreting services between individuals who are deaf and use ASL as their primary means of communication and individuals who are not deaf and do not know sign language. This Bachelor of Arts in American Sign Language-English Interpretation is designed as a comprehensive 4-year degree program for an individual who is starting at the beginning of his/her academic work with the goal of becoming a highly qualified interpreter. The field of interpreter education, however, is currently housed primarily in two-year institutions of higher education and therefore many individuals are looking for avenues to build on their two-year degrees and earn their BA. Additionally, some individuals have gained professional credentials through various life experiences, and are now looking to achieve their academic credentials. Every effort will be made to support such academic goals.
It is important to understand that coursework already completed at a previous college or university will need to “fit” in the design of this curriculum. For example, the UNC ASL-English Interpretation program does not have courses in deaf culture/community or Manually Coded English systems, and our internship experiences are at a 400- not a 200- level. Such issues are a challenge when transferring existing coursework to any university. Given this reality, it is unlikely that everything you have previously taken will be able to transfer into the curriculum requirements of the program. Additionally, no student is allowed to begin beyond the 3rd semester of the sophomore year, though individuals who can demonstrate mastery of upper division competencies can, with faculty advisement, challenge specific courses.
The ASL-English Interpretation program is unique in two primary ways: a) it has been initially designed for the purpose of preparing confident interpreter candidates to achieve national certification and to enter the profession as a competent, autonomous practitioner based on the newest research available with input from multiple, expert sources, and b) it has been designed for distance delivery to impact the national need for highly qualified ASL-English interpreters.
This degree program:
- Is a CCIE accredited interpreter training program (on ground program pending)
- Is based on a state-of-the-art curriculum designed with input from national experts in the field.
- Addresses 34 competencies distributed over five domains necessary to become a competent and autonomous practitioner.
- Has developed three emphasis areas, e.g., community, educational, legal.
- Has a nationally recognized instructional staff that includes both deaf and hearing members.
- Prepares graduates to confidently approach a national evaluation system within approximately 12 months of program completion.
