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The American Sign Language Studies Program offers an array of courses to prepare students to work with the Deaf community. Students completing this program will have a deeper understanding of American Sign Language (ASL), Linguistics, Deaf History, Deaf Literature and Deaf Culture with an emphasis on the rich language and cultural diversity of the Deaf community as well as the social justice issues impacting their lives.

Developing fluency in a language requires a multifaceted approach. In addition to excellent classroom instruction and socializing opportunities in the community, the ASL Studies program also has a language lab. Students in ASL V and VI, as well as any interpreter training students, can access the ASL Lab for advanced homework assignments and projects.

The lab is unique, because it’s staffed entirely by Deaf individuals. Two language mentors are also available to advanced students. Language mentoring is a key component to advancing in ASL fluency. Our mentors collaborate with lecturers and staff to guide students in their development.

Program Requirements

A major in ASL Studies provides students a strong language foundation to pursue careers in which they will work directly with Deaf people. In addition to their GERs, an ASL Studies major requires a minimum of 45 credits in these areas:

ASL courses (ASL I-VI): 18 credits

Deaf Culture & Deaf History: 6 credits

ASL linguistic studies and advanced skills courses: 18 credits

Students who choose the ASL Studies major are required to complete service-learning experiences in the Deaf community and will learn of the value in gaining citizenship into the community of people who use ASL as their primary language. These service-learning components also bring to light social justice issues that impact the community.