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NEWS!
Our new Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies is now accepting applications.
The BA/BS in American Sign Language/English Interpreting degree program earned full national accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education on March 31, 2010. The CCIE accreditation process is rigorous yet voluntary. With it, WOU joins only a handful of qualifying institutions located around the U.S. Read more.
Check out WOU in the new Oregon University System viewbook. On page 9 T.J. Nettles is featured, a major in our American Sign Language/English Interpreting program.
The American Sign Language/English Interpreting major is designed to prepare graduates to enter the interpreting field as professionals who make significant contributions to the service delivery team. The program combines classes in language development, linguistics, sociology, anthropology, education and professional practices, as well as interpreting theory, technique, and the application of knowledge and skills to interpreting performance. Courses are taught by highly qualified instructors, both deaf and hearing, and students interact with professional interpreters and consumers throughout their term of study.
Discover Interpreting - Jump to the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers.Prerequisite courses are distributed over the freshman, sophomore and potentially junior years. These include: ASL I-III (ASL 101D, 102D, 103D) or equivalent skill, ASL IV-VI (ASL 201D, 202D, 203D), ASL VII - IX (ASL 301D, 302D, 303D), Introduction to the Profession of Interpreting (INT 254), and Linguistics of ASL (INT 353).
Program course work is completed during the final two academic years prior to graduation. The major culminates in a 12 credit, 10 week, 350-hour internship during spring quarter of the final year. Internships are available locally as well as throughout the U.S. Faculty advisers work with students to select internship placements that reflect students’ individual abilities, career interests and professional goals.
Link to: American Sign Language/English Interpreting Field Study Manual (requires Adobe Reader)
The interpreting profession
Interpreters are professionals who interpret between people who do not share a common language. ASL/English interpreters are professionals who are proficient in both languages (ASL and English) and in the process of interpretation. They work in a variety of settings including business, education, social service, government agencies, the justice system, medical/mental health environments, and video relay services/video remote interpreting.
Today’s interpreters work with a variety of deaf consumers: those who acquired ASL as their first or second language, those who communicate through a form of ASL influenced by English, and those who use a contact variety of English and ASL. Interpreters also work with a variety of hearing consumers, from those who are familiar with American deaf culture and the process of interpreting to those who are communicating with a deaf person for the first time.
Nationwide, the need for qualified interpreters exceeds the supply and the demand for interpreting services continues to rise. Graduates of the WOU program become professionals who provide direct interpreting services to meet this demand, work as effective members of service delivery teams, and participate in state and national professional development organizations.
WOU’s major in ASL/English Interpreting
Since 1976, WOU has been preparing students to meet the growing demand for professional interpreters. In 1993 WOU began to offer a bachelor's degree in Education (non-teaching) with a major in American Sign Language/English Interpreting. The program offers a broad-based liberal arts foundation for professional study and lifelong learning. The interpreting curriculum includes theory, skill development, and professional application. By selecting a minor to support the interpreting major, students have the opportunity to add depth and breadth to their base of knowledge while specializing in specific content areas that are congruent with their professional interpreting goals. Some students accomplish double majors at the undergraduate level to prepare for future graduate study.
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Application procedure: Applications are welcomed each winter. Application files are reviewed by the admission team and interviews are scheduled, after which students are notified in writing of program acceptance. Depending upon application scores, some students may be placed on a waiting list; as program space is made available, these students are notified of their acceptance into the program.
Some students, by virtue of class standing, interpreting experience, language proficiency and/or transfer status, may be admitted to the major prior to completion of all prerequisites. As part of the admission process, students may be asked to take ASL and/or interpreting placement exams. Some students may be required to continue ASL study after acceptance into the program.
Transfer students work with the Admissions Office to determine transfer credits from other institutions that apply to WOU’s liberal arts core curriculum and/or minor requirements. Students work with the program coordinator to determine transfer credits from other institutions relative to the interpreting major.
The program is committed to recruiting students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and students from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Priority application deadline: Applications received on or before March 15 receive preference.
Link to printable application form. More information: specialed@wou.edu.
Admission to the university: Applicants must be admitted to WOU as well as to the ASL/English Interpreting major. For more information and a current copy of the university catalog contact:
Office of Admissions
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR 97361
wolfgram@wou.edu
Step 1: Complete the ASL/English Interpreting Program application form.
Step 2: Unofficial Transcripts of all previous college course work are required as part of this application. This is separate from any official transcripts required for admissions into the University. Official transcripts should be sent to the Admissions Office as part of your University application.
Step 3: Include your resume and a letter of intent. Letter of intent will be evaluated as a Professional Language sample and should include a response to the following prompt:
Why are you interested in the field of interpreting, why at WOU, and why should the screening committee pick you for the program?Prepare a Professional Language sample in ASL in response to the following prompt (will be included on the application DVD):
In what ways have you been involved in and contributed to the community at large – deaf and hearing, in organizations, service, and/or work experience.
Step 4: Send the provided recommendation forms to three people of your choice. Applicants are encouraged to contact people who have knowledge of your interpreting, American Sign Language, or English proficiency and/or your work with the Deaf Community. If these individuals are not available to you, you are encouraged to contact people who are familiar with your work as a student and/or employee, and who can address your potential success both as a student and as a professional interpreter. Applicants may want to follow-up on recommendation requests to ensure that they are sent directly to the program office in a timely manner. All three recommendations must be received by the deadline.
Step 5: Complete academic language samples using DVD format. Applicants must complete a short recording using DVD format demonstrating their spoken English and American Sign Language skills. A description of the recording content is included in the enclosed application, see number 9.
Step 6: Applicants will be notified regarding acceptance status prior to the need to register for Fall term courses.
Admission deadlines: Students are encouraged to apply to Western Oregon University as soon as possible. The university begins to accept students as early as January of each year. Completed applications to the ASL/English Interpreting major must be received by March 15. A complete application includes the application form, letter of intent, resume, transcript copies, language samples, and letters of recommendation. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Housing: Residence halls are located on the north side of campus within easy walking distance of classes. Link to the housing application form. This website includes a listing of off-campus housing referrals.
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The ASL/English Interpreting program is a full-time commitment equivalent to a full-time job. In addition, students are required to complete an intensive, 350-hour internship during their final term, which requires an average 35 hours per week of work. Please consider this carefully when deciding about outside commitments (work, clubs, coursework, etc.).
Prerequisites - These may be met by demonstration of equivalent skill
Fall Winter SpringFreshman level
ASL 101D ASL I (4)
ASL 102D ASL II (4)
ASL 103D ASL III (4)
Freshman/sophomore levelASL 201D ASL IV (4)
ASL 202D ASL V (4)
ASL 203D ASL VI (4)
Sophomore/junior levelINT 254 Introduction to the Profession of Interpreting (3)
ASL 302 ASL VIII (4)
INT 353 Linguistics of ASL (3)
ASL 301 ASL VII (4)
INT 407 Pre-Interpreting Skills (3)**
ASL 303 ASL IX (4)
*May be taken before entering the program.
** Elective
Admission FAQ
Formal admission to the major at the junior level:
1.) 2.75 GPA
2.) Completion of program prerequisites
3.) Completion of WOU admissions procedure; notification of acceptance to the university
4.) Completion of major admissions procedure; notification of acceptance to the major
Program requirements (as of Fall 2011)
Fall Winter SpringINT 330 Theory and Process of Interpreting I (3)
INT 341 Theory and Process of Interpreting II (3)
INT 342 Theory and Process of Interpreting III (3)
INT 330L Theory and Process of Interpreting I Lab (1)
INT 341L Theory and Process of Interpreting II Lab (1)
INT 342L Theory and Process of Interpreting III Lab (1)
INT 340 Ethics and Decision-Making for Interpreters (3)
INT 465 Current Issues for Interpreters (3)
INT 467 Interpreting in Educational Settings (3)
TPD 456 First and Second Language Acquisition: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (3) INT 492 Language and Communication in the Classroom (3) INT 365 Interpreting in Community Settings (3)*INT 420D Deaf History (3)
INT 470 Deaf-Blind Interpreting (3)**
Senior 2012 level (final year in the program)INT 441 Theory and Process of Interpreting IV (3)
INT 407 National Interpreter Certification Preparation (1)**
INT 410 Internship (12)
INT 441L Theory and Process of Interpreting IV Lab (1)
INT 442 Theory and Process of Interpreting V (3)
INT 466 Interpreting in Postsecondary Settings (3)
INT 442L Theory and Process of Interpreting V Lab (1)
INT 468 Specialized Interpreting Techniques (2)
INT 470 Deaf-Blind Interpreting (3)**
*May be taken before entering the program.
** Elective
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You can investigate sources of financial support by contacting the WOU Financial Aid Office. The WOU Registrar's Office can provide current information concerning tuition and fees. Other student costs include books and related materials.
Federally funded scholarships
Through a U.S. Department of Education grant, the ASL/English Interpreting program offers federally supported scholarships during the regular academic year to students accepted into the interpreting program. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be enrolled full-time in the interpreting program, be a U.S. citizen or in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, and be minoring in Special Education/Rehabnilitation Counseling.
Each student who accepts this scholarship must enter into an agreement with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) section of the U.S. Department of Education to do the following:
Amanda R. Smith, program coordinator and assistant professor
Division of Special Education . 503-838-8650
Dr. Elisa Maroney, division chair and associate professor
Division of Special Education . 503-838-8735
Pamela Cancel, adjunct instructor
Division of Special Education . 503-838-8803
Regional Resource Center on Deafness
ASL/English Interpreting Program
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-8444 V/TTY
interpretingprogram@wou.edu
Division of Special Education
phone: 503-838-8322
e-mail: education@wou.edu
Elisa Maroney, Ph.D., Chair
Division of Special Education
CI&CIT, NIC, Ed:K-12, ASLTA Qualified
maronee@wou.edu . 503-838-8735
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