American Sign Language: AA

Associate of Arts | 61 credits minimum

Program Website
Academic Advising

Program Description
The American Sign Language program offers courses in language, literature, and culture, and prepares students to function effectively in the Deaf community. Students acquire expertise in American Sign Language while developing important intercultural competencies. Many required and elective classes are designated as General Education courses that enable students to explore a variety of fields and to demonstrate proficiency in English, mathematics, etc. This means that this program is also a vehicle for students to broaden their perspectives and deepen their understanding of the world around them while also providing an AA that includes the prerequisite courses and a pathway for the ASL English Interpreting AAS.

Career Opportunities
Upon the completion of the ASL Program, students will have a strong foundation in American Sign Language and Deaf culture and will be well suited for complementary studies in Deaf Education, Deaf Studies, medical fields, sales fields, acting, and ASL/English Interpreting. Students may apply for the AAS degree in ASL-English Interpreting program, without the need to complete any additional requirements. ASL-English interpreters are certified professionals who are needed in many fields. Students who complete the AAS in ASL/English Interpreting can decide to pursue a BS degree at USU, which has a special agreement with the ASL/I Program.

Gainful Employment
ASL-English interpreters are certified professionals who are needed in many fields.

Transfer/Articulation Information
Please refer to the Student Resources section of the SLCC University Transfer webpage.

Estimated Cost for Students
Tuition and Fees: http://www.slcc.edu/student/financial/tuition-fees.aspx
Course Fees: $25
Other: $60 (An online video recording tool)

Note: Fees vary based on specific registration and are subject to changes.

General Education Requirements

Complete all General Education courses. Refer to Notes for program specific requirements and recommendations.

Associate of Science (AS) / Associate of Arts (AA) Degree General Education Requirements

Program General Education Notes

The following courses are recommended to fulfill the requirements for EN, QL, FA, and CM.

RECOMMENDED:

Composition (EN): ENGL 2010

Quantitative Literacy (QL): MATH 1030

Communication (CM): COMM 2150

Fine Arts (FA): THEA 1033

A.A. Degree Language Requirement

The A.A. language requirement (LN) is satisfied upon completing the program’s core requirements through any one of the following courses:

ASL 1020 - Beginning American Sign Language II (LN)
ASL 2010 - Intermediate American Sign Language I
ASL 2020 - Intermediate American Sign Language II
For students intending to transfer into a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program, the language requirement may be satisfied by completing four progressive semesters of language courses (“LANG” 2020) or an equivalent assessment. ASL 2020 qualifies as a “LANG 2020” course. Meet with an academic advisor to determine the B.A. requirements specific to the intended transfer institution.

Program Requirements (24 Credit)

Complete the following required categories: Level 1, Level 2, Proficiency Development, and Program Electives.

Level 1 - Beginning/Novice (8 Credits)

Complete both required courses.

ASL 1010 - Beginning American Sign Language I
ASL 1020 - Beginning American Sign Language II (LN)
The Level 1 program requirement may be partially or fully satisfied with a proficiency exam, assessment, or interview (i.e., “testing out”), prior learning, other comparable coursework, etc. Meet with a program advisor to explore these options.

Level 2 - Intermediate (8 Credits)

Complete both required courses.

Proficiency Development (4 Credits)

Complete the required course.

ASL 2100 - Proficiency Development
May be taken during the same semester as ASL 2020 .

Program Electives (4 Credits)

Take any combination of the following courses to reach a minimum of four (4) credit hours.

ASL 1300 - Conversation I
ASL 1900 - Special Studies in ASL
ASL 2030 - ASL Fingerspelling & Numbers
ASL 2040 - ASL Depiction/Visual Gestural Communication
ASL 2300 - Conversation II
ASL 2700 - Introduction to ASL Literature
ASL 2900 - Special Topics
INTR 1000 - Introduction to Interpreting
Students who have been accepted into the ASL/English Interpreting AAS program may use the following courses as program electives:
INTR 1100 - Connections to Community I
INTR 1110 - Connections to Community II
INTR 1500 - Comparative Linguistics
INTR 2100 - Connections to Community III

Supplemental Program Electives (if needed)

Supplemental program electives are for students who have partially or fully satisfied the Level 1 program requirements through an alternative proficiency assessment (i.e., “tested out”).

For students who test out of ASL 1010: Choose any combination of courses to reach a minimum of four (4) credit hours.
For students who test out of ASL 1020: Choose any combination of courses to reach a minimum of eight (8) credit hours.

Take additional courses from the program electives list.

Program Notes

ASL 1300 , ASL 1900 , ASL 2300 , and ASL 2900 may be repeated for credit.
If students intend to enter the ASL/English Interpreting (ASL-I) program, a “B-” grade or better is required in ASL 2010 and ASL 2020 courses. See the ASL-I program website for more information or contact an academic advisor or the ASL-I program coordinator.
Students already fluent in ASL, or have previous interpreting experience, may be eligible to enter the American Sign Language/English Interpreting program without taking ASL coursework at SLCC. For more information, contact the ASL/English Interpreting coordinator.
In the event a student can document a hearing loss and demonstrate ASL as their first language, they may take an additional ENGL 2000+ course after ENGL 1010 and ENGL 2010 to count towards the A.A. degree language requirement.
In the event that a student satisfies “Level 1 Program Requirements” through alternate means (proficiency or challenge testing, prior course or professional work, or other means), they must take 4-8 credit hours of supplemental program electives (depending on the course tested out of).
THEA 1033 or COMM 2150 may be used to satisfy supplemental program elective credits under the conditions that:

The substitution is made with permission from the program coordinator; and
The courses do not already fulfill General Education requirements.

General Electives (minimum 3 Credits)

Choose any combination of courses 1000-level or above from any discipline to reach the minimum credit hours needed for an Associate of Arts degree.

The following courses are recommended if not already used to fulfill General Education or ASL program requirements:

Time to Completion & Graduation Map

American Sign Language AA: Full-time
If students follow the suggested sample schedule, completion time is four semesters.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcome alignment with

Student Learning Outcomes

in brackets.

Use American Sign Language with sufficient structural accuracy to communicate in most formal and informal conversations regarding social and professional topics, and day-to-day activities. [1,2]
Use American Sign Language for descriptive, expository, dialogical, procedural, informational, persuasive, and narrative discourse. [1,2]
Act with respect, knowledge, and understanding of Deaf people and ASL, with an appreciation for their linguistic and cultural diversity, values, and customs.[1,6]
Demonstrate an understanding of Deaf people from diverse backgrounds, including differences in language use, communication modes, age, gender, and ethnicity. [6]
Identify their own cultural values and social customs to compare and contrast them with those of the Deaf community in the United States and other cultural groups. [6]
Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of cultural differences, such as collectivism and individualism, and high and low-context cultures. [6]
Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will aid in continual language development, cultural competencies, and lifelong learning. [6]