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 certification. 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 spring 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, EIPA or NIC written assessment portion or a "C" or higher in INT 130 prior to initiating INT 280, Interpreter Assessment Preparation, offered during spring semester, year 2.  It is typical for students to sit for the VQAS or EIPA performance exam during the spring or summer semesters, year 2.  Initiation of  INT 290, ASL-English Interpretation Internship, during the fall 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.  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]. The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) is administered by Boys' Town. For more information, please visit www.classroominterpreting.org.

Financial Requirements:

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.