American Sign Language/English Interpreting - B.S.

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 500 hours of practicum and experience with interpreter mentors.

Graduates may apply for licensure from the State of Ohio to interpret from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. They also have preparation toward the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA).

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 http://ode.state.oh.us 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 two background checks.  Also, if a student is placed out of state, s/he may need to get a background check completed in that respective state according to the requirements of that state.

Fully Offered At:

• Kent Campus

Admission Requirements

Admission to the American Sign Language/English Interpreting 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.

The College of Education, Health and Human Services considers a student to have established a Kent State University GPA after the student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours. Undergraduate students who have not completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours will be evaluated for admission into programs, advanced study and professional phase based on their high school GPA for new freshmen or transfer GPA for transfer students. Once a student has successfully completed a minimum of 12 Kent State University credit hours, only the student’s Kent State overall GPA will be considered for admission into the program and professional phase.

For more information on admissions, visit the admission website.

English Language Proficiency Requirements for International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education’s admission website.

Program Learning Outcomes

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

1. Possess commensurate competency in spoken and written English, American Sign Language, mainstream culture and Deaf Culture.
2. Effectively interpret diverse texts, across a variety of genres and language preferences between English and American Sign Language.
3. Appreciate the diverse consumers with whom they work, as well as the languages and cultures involved.
4. Make appropriate, ethical and effective decisions, both in practical and authentic interpreting situations.
5. Be motivated, teachable and willing to adapt to changing situations.
6. Have a clear grasp on theory and practice.
7. Understand different specializations of interpreting.

University Requirements 

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE:  University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Major requirements

[EH-BS-ASEI]

Progression Requirements

To be eligible for the professional phase of the program (typically, students must apply for the professional phase by the end of the second week of the fourth semester), students must have the following:

• Minimum 3.000 major GPA
• Minimum 2.750 overall GPA
• Minimum C grade in ASEI 43102, ASL 19201, ASL 19202, ENG 11011 and ENG 21011 (or their equivalents)
• Minimum B- grade in ASEI 43100
• Passing score on the portfolio interview after ASL 29202 (students who are placed directly into an advanced ASL course are not required to complete the portfolio interview)

Graduation Requirements

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.