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; national certification exceeds
this requirement. Those interpreters who attain national certification
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 fall semester with programmatic content provided year-round until
completion. The program consists of 18 credits in general education
requirements and 47 credits in American Sign Language and Interpreter Education (ASL&IE).
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” career studies certificate and successful
completion of the following courses with a “C” or higher: ASL 125,
ASL 220, and ASL 261. Fluency in ASL may also be demonstrated
through a placement interview with the American Sign Language and
Interpreter Education program head.
As part of the ASL-English
Interpretation curriculum, students are prepared to sit for the National
Interpreting Certification (NIC) evaluation. Successful completion of
this 3-step 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,
2008, individuals are required to have an associate degree, or
equivalent as determined by the National Council on Interpreting (NCI),
in order to sit for the NIC evaluation. On July 1, 2012, the
requirement to sit for the NIC evaluation becomes a bachelor's degree. For more information on the NIC,
please visit http://www.rid.org.
The student must receive a passing score on either the VQAS or NIC
written assessment portion of a "C" or higher in INT 130 prior to initiating INT 280, “Interpreter
Assessment Prep,” offered during spring semester, year 2. It is typical
for students to sit for the VQAS performance exam during the spring or summer
semesters, year 2. Initiation of the INT 290 ASL-English Interpretation
internship during the summer of year 2 is typical. Students are also prepared to take the Virginia Quality Assurance
Screening (VQAS). Successful completion of this 2-step process results
in a state screening level, which is valid for three (3) years by which
time the interpreter must be screened again. 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) at 1-800-552-7917 [V/TTY].
Financial Requirements:
|
Books and Supplies |
$400 first semester; $200 for all other semesters |
|
Certification/Testing Fees
|
Contact
RID for NIC fees; Contact VDDHH for VQAS 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.
