Bachelor of Arts - American Sign Language - Interpreting

St. Kate's offers students a nationally recognized education in ASL-English interpretation. As an interpreter, students will need excellent analytical skills, ethical decision-making skills and communication skills, as well as in-depth cultural and linguistic knowledge. A strong liberal arts background is also crucial in order for students to develop the knowledge and competencies they will need to work in the interpreting field.

The interpreting major helps students develop a specialized ability to support communication access for the Deaf community, with the goal of passing the national interpreting certification exam. As an interpreting major, students will be constantly striving to increase their language proficiency and range, both in ASL and English. All courses students take with an ASL prefix will be taught in ASL, without the use of spoken English. Majors are also encouraged to pursue a minor in language studies and/or participate in a study abroad program to further their knowledge of language and culture.

The push for greater access for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people has increased the demand for well-educated, professional interpreters. When students graduate with a major in interpreting, they may find career opportunities in a variety of settings. Interpreters are needed in many situations, including professional meetings, prenatal classes, medical appointments, parent-teacher conferences, counseling, job interviews, concerts, theater and city council meetings. There is also a rapidly expanding job market for video relay interpreting.