Undergraduate Bulletin > Specialized Education Services > Concentrations > Interpreter Preparation

Interpreter Preparation Concentration

(125 semester hours)

The Interpreter Preparation concentration provides training at the undergraduate level to prepare students to work as interpreters for Deaf and Hard of hearing individuals in the community as well as in educational settings. Internships take place in inclusive settings in the public schools, post-secondary institutions, and in the community.

Students desiring to pursue a degree in interpreting must:

• have adequate visual and auditory abilities necessary to interpret in a variety of settings (exceptions include Deaf individuals training to work as interpreters in specialized settings).
• have time available in their schedules for the purpose of interacting with the Deaf Community and completing their observation, community service, and interpreting hours.
• be physically capable of completing all movements that occur in the production of American Sign Language that is conveyed via hands, mouth, morphemes, eyebrows, torso, eyes, and facial expressions.
• have reliable transportation to and from practicum and/or observation sites.

Student Learning Goals

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic level of proficiency in interpreting consecutively and/or simultaneously from the source language to the target language via American Sign Language or various forms of English.
• Incorporate various interpreting and facilitation techniques with regard to the setting and the age, gender, ethnicity, and special needs of the clients involved.
• Articulate the roles and responsibilities of the interpreter/transliterator as well as the Code of Ethics, health issues, certification process, and best practices established by the profession.
• Discuss the audiological, social, emotional, linguistic, cultural and academic implications for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and their impact on the interpreting process.
• Utilize the broad spectrum of information learned through various liberal arts, communication, and educational courses to enhance their ability to interpret general discourse within several fields.
• Assess their interpreting/transliterating performance and develop a plan for continued professional growth.

Admission Process

1. Meet with a Professions in Deafness advisor and complete forms outlining Technical Standards, Dispositions, and Program Requirements
2. Overall GPA of 2.50 or higher

Progression Requirements

1. Satisfactory progress on Dispositions Review each semester
2. Continued demonstration of required competencies outlined in the Technical Standards
3. Passing score on the Professions in Deafness screenings
4. Achievement of a B- (2.70) or higher in SES courses
5. Achievement of an ADVANCED rating or higher on the SLPI:ASL (taken after ASL III)
6. Overall GPA of 2.50 or higher

Program Requirements

I General Education Core Requirements (GEC)

See complete GEC requirements and approved course listings for all categories.

Core Category	S.H.
Students may select courses for:
Literature (GLT)	3
Fine Arts (GFA)	3
Philosophical, Religious, Ethical Principles (GPR)	3
One additional GLT, GFA, or GPR course	3
Historical Perspectives on Western Culture (GHP)	3
Mathematics (GMT)	3
Natural Sciences (GNS) one must be a laboratory course; each must have a different departmental prefix	6–7
Department specifies courses for:
Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) ENG 101 or FMS 115 or RCO 101; and CST 1051.	6
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GSB) required: PSY 121 and SES 240	6

 

 1CST 105 fulfills one SI requirement.

II General Education Marker Requirements

See details and courses. It is possible to meet all GE Marker Requirements while completing the GE Core requirements or courses required by the major/concentration.

 

III Major Requirements

Language Requirements

SES 100, 101, 102, 203, 204, 305, 306, 366, 369, 370, 380

Core Requirements

SES 240, 245, 357, 411, 462, 463, 477, 478, 480, 4862, 487, 488, 496, 578

2SES 486 fulfills the departmental SI and WI requirements.

IV Related Area Requirements

CST 105; HDF 211, 212, or 302

V Electives

A minimum of nine (9) s.h. from the following:

ATY 385; CSD 334; CST 207, 337; ELC 381; ENG 111, 262, 321; HEA 201; PSY 121, 341; SES 200, 250, 252, 270, 333, 400, 445, 460, 495, 497, 498, 499; SOC 101; STA 108