This program provides students with knowledge in the area of deafness and Deaf Culture, as well as skills in American Sign Language (ASL), other sign language systems, methods of interpreting/transliterating and ethical aspects of the interpreting field. The curriculum is divided into two areas of study - Advanced American Sign Language and Interpreter Training. Sign Language courses will provide the knowledge of ASL as a foreign language and English-based sign systems, while DIS courses provide the interpreting/transliterating skills necessary for students to seek K-12 state licensure upon graduation and National Interpreter Certification (NIC) after gaining experience working as an interpreter. Graduates of the program may work as an interpreter in a myriad of community-based settings, specializing in the areas of medicine, business, vocational, educational and/or a variety of other settings. Graduates would be employed either as a freelance provider or an agency employee. Other career opportunities include video relay interpreting (VRS) and K-12 educational interpreting.
This program is no longer accepting students. Students currently in the program have through Summer 2022 to complete this program. If you are interested in a career in Deaf Interpreting, please see our Associate of Arts in American Sign Language program.
This program is no longer accepting students. If you are interested in a career in Deaf Interpreting, please see our Associate of Arts in American Sign Language program.
Program Learning Outcomes
This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- Interpret in American Sign Language (ASL).
- Transliterate in English-based sign systems.
- Speak as native English user while interpreting for a person who is deaf.
- Conduct yourself professionally and ethically according to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Code of Professional Conduct.
- Be eligible for K-12 state licensure from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).
- Possess the foundational knowledge and skill-based tools for the NAD-RID National Interpreting Certification (NIC) and understand the process for taking the exam.
This program is no longer accepting students. If you are interested in a career in Deaf Interpreting, please see our Associate of Arts in American Sign Language program.
MATH-1140, MATH-1141, MATH-1200, MATH-1270, and MATH-1280 can no longer count towards fulfilling the college-level mathematics requirement. These courses were re-classified as developmental mathematics by the state of Ohio in 2016. Tri-C established a 5-year transitioning window for students who had completed these courses prior to 2016 to apply them towards meeting graduation requirements, which expired in Summer 2021. It is highly recommended to see a counselor to determine the appropriate math required for your current major.
Suggested Semester Sequence
| First Semester | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ASL-1001 | Fingerspelling | 2 |
| ASL-1100 | Deaf Culture | 3 |
| DIS-1300 | Interpreting Fundamentals | 3 |
| PHIL-1000 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| Honors College Composition I | ||
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ASL-1030 | Classifiers/Depicting Verbs | 2 |
| ASL-2412 | Advanced American Sign Language I | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Speech Communication | ||
| Honors Speech Communication | ||
| DIS-1310 | Interpreting I | 2 |
| THEA-1500 | Acting I | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| ASL-2420 | Advanced American Sign Language II | 4 |
| DIS-2300 | Transliterating | 2 |
| DIS-2310 | Interpreting II | 2 |
| DIS-2320 | Educational Interpreting | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 11 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| DIS-1402 | American Sign Language Linguistics | 3 |
| DIS-1740 | Field Experience Lab I | 1 |
| DIS-1940 | Field Experience I | 1 |
| DIS-1971 | Field Experience Seminar I | 1 |
| DIS-2410 | Voicing | 2 |
| EDUC-1011 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Medical Terminology I | ||
C&CR-1350 | ||
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| DIS-2420 | Advanced Voicing | 2 |
| DIS-2740 | Field Experience Lab II 1 | 1 |
| DIS-2940 | Field Experience II 1 | 1 |
| DIS-2971 | Field Experience Seminar II | 1 |
| EDUC-1411 | Individuals with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| MATH-1xxx | 1000-level MATH course or higher | 3 |
| PE-1430 | Physical Relaxation Techniques | 1 |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 65 | |
| 1 | To satisfy the program requirements and earn the Associate of Applied Science degree, all students pursuing an AAS degree for Deaf Interpretive Services, are required to have earned a grade of a “C” or higher in DIS-2940 Field Experience II and its companion lab course, DIS-2740 Field Experience Lab II. Pass/No Pass grades will not be accepted. |