Bachelor of Arts - American Sign Language

Interest in the study of American Sign Language (ASL) has increased steadily since the linguistic documentation of ASL as a legitimate language beginning around 1960. This growth corresponds with a 2016 survey by the Modern Language Association which found that “ASL has experienced a steady increase of advanced enrollments over an eight-year period” with the second-highest number of enrollments in world languages so that it is now the third most commonly studied language behind French and Spanish.  ASL courses at the University of Connecticut is another example of this growing trend, beginning in 1989, with our first ASL course, followed by an increasing number of sections and ultimately six levels of ASL.  In addition, we offer a variety of courses in Deaf studies, linguistics, and interpreting.  Most importantly, and continuing with the increasing interest and popularity in the study of ASL, beginning Fall 2020, UConn will offer a Bachelor’s Degree in ASL Studies, the first and only institution in Connecticut to offer this opportunity.