NEWS! Program receives award of excellence
The Sorenson Video Relay Services (SVRS) Interpreter Education Program Award of Excellence went to WOU's ASL/English Interpreting Program at the Conference of Interpreter Trainers held in October. The honor recognizes WOU's ongoing efforts to enhance and broaden communication with the deaf community and includes $10,000 for curriculum and training: read more
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Program description
The American Sign Language/English Interpreting major at Western Oregon
University 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.
Program prerequisite courses are distributed over the freshman and sophomore
years. These include: ASL I-III (ASL 101D, 102D, 103D) or equivalent skill,
ASL IV-VI (ASL 201D, 202D, 203D), ASLVII - IX (ASL 301D, 302D, 303D), Introduction to the Profession of Interpreting
(INT 254), and Comparative Linguistics: ASL/English (INT 253).
Program course work is completed during the junior and senior academic years.
The major culminates in a 12-credit, 10-week internship during spring quarter
of the senior year. Internships are available locally as well as throughout
the U.S. Faculty advisors 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)
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Scope of the program
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 education that
provides the foundation for professional study and lifelong learning. The
interpreting curriculum includes classes in 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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Admission
requirements
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 their 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: March 15
Applications received on or before March 15 are given preference. Click
here for a printable application form.
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
Admission to the ASL/English Interpreting program is a 6-step process
Step 1
Print and complete the ASL/English Interpreting Program application form.
(The form is revised annually; please check with the coordinator for current
form.)
Step 2
Include unofficial copies of all previous transcripts. Send official copies
of these transcripts to the Admissions Office as part of your University
application.
Step 3
Send the recommendation forms to three people of your choice. You are encouraged
to contact people who have knowledge of your interpreting, American Sign
Language, 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. You 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 4
Complete an academic writing sample. A description of its content is included
on the application.
Step 5
Complete an admissions recording using DVD format. You must complete a short
recording using DVD format demonstrating your spoken English and American
Sign Language skills. A description of the recording content is included
in the application materials.
Step 6
After the initial application screening, interviews will be scheduled.
Those applicants that pass the initial screening will be invited and scheduled
for an interview by April 15.
A complete application includes the admission form, unofficial copies of
all transcripts, three recommendations, academic writing sample, and DVD
recording.
Members of traditionally under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.
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
received by March 15 are given preference.
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Course of study
Prerequisite courses: freshman level
ASL 101D American Sign Language I (4 credits)
ASL 102D American Sign Language II (4 credits)
ASL 103D American Sign Language III (4 credits)
(These prerequisites may
be met by demonstration of
equivalent skill)
Prerequisite courses: sophomore level
ASL 201D American Sign Language IV (4 credits)
ASL 202D American Sign Language V (4 credits)
ASL 203D American Sign Language VI (4 credits)
INT 254 Introduction to the Profession of Interpreting (3 credits)
INT 253 Comparative Linguistics: ASL/English (3 credits)
Prerequisite courses: junior level
ASL 301D ASL VII (4 credits)
ASL 302D ASL VIII (4 credits)
ASL 303D ASL IX (4 credits)
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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
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Program courses: junior level
INT 330 Theory and Process of Interpreting I and Lab (4 credits)
INT 340 Ethics and Decision Making for Interpreters (3 credits)
INT 341 Theory and Process of Interpreting II and Lab (4 credits)
INT 342 Theory and Process of Interpreting III and Lab (4 credits)
INT 365 Interpreting in Community Settings (3 credits)
INT 420D Deaf History: Social and Cultural Issues (3 credits)
Program courses: senior level
INT 441 Theory and Process of Interpreting IV and Lab (4 credits)
INT 442Theory and Process of Interpreting V and Lab (4 credits)
INT 465 Current Issues in Interpreting (3 credits)
INT 467 Interpreting in Educational Settings (3 credits)
INT 468 Specialized Interpreting Techniques (2 credits)
TPD 456 First and Second Language Acquisition (3 credits)
TPD 492 Language and Communication in the Classroom (3 credits)
INT 410 Internship (12 credits)
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Financial
aid
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 all students accepted into the interpeting program. To be eligible
for a scholarship, you must be enrolled full-time in the interpreting program
and be a U.S. citizen or in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen.
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:
-
Upon graduation from WOU's ASL/English Interpreting program,
secure employment in an educational setting serving students from 0 to
21 years of age.
-
In that employment, work two months for every month of
scholarship assistance in order to waive the total amount received while
in WOU's ASL/English Interpreting program. The program typically takes
18 months to complete, so 36 months employment would be required in an
appropriate special education setting. Click here for more
information on the post-graduation employment obligation.
- Link to stipend FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Faculty
Elisa Maroney, Program Coordinator
Associate Professor
Division of Special Education
503-838-8735 |
Carl Schroeder
Assistant Professor
Division of Special Education
503-838-8444 - mssg. V/TTY |
Amanda R. Smith
Assistant Professor
Division of Special Education
503-838-8650 |
Contact
information
Regional Resource Center on Deafness
ASL/English Interpreting Program
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-8444 V/TTY
E-mail: interpretingprogram@wou.edu
FAQ - Frequently Asked
Questions
What is the ASL/English Interpreting major?
WOU offers a 67-credit major in American Sign Language/English Interpreting
that leads to a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts degree in Education
(non-teaching). Prerequisite courses are taken during the freshman and sophomore
years. Major course work is completed during the junior and senior academic
years (fall, winter and spring quarters).
What other courses do I need for graduation?
To graduate from WOU, students must complete at least 180 credits; these
are distributed over the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum (LACC), the major,
the minor and electives. More information about undergraduate programs
is available in the Western
Oregon University catalog.
How many students are accepted into the major?
Each year the ASL/English Interpreting major accepts up to 24 students at the junior level.
When do I apply for the major?
Apply winter of sophomore year. Application to the university can begin
at any time. Students must be admitted to both the university and the
Interpreting major. Admission to the university does not imply that
a student has been admitted to the major, and admission to the major does
not imply that a student has been admitted to the university.
University admission procedures are described in the catalog.
To request a catalog, contact the Admissions Office at 503-838-8211.
Are there any prerequisites for this major?
Prerequisites for the major are ASL I-III (ASL 101D, 102D, 103D), ASL IV-VI (ASL 201D, 202D, 203D), and ASL VII-IX (ASL301D, 302D, 303D), which are taken during the freshman
and/or sophomore year (or demonstration of equivalent skill), Introduction
to the Profession of Interpreting (INT 254), and Comparative Linguistics:
ASL/English (INT 253), which are taken during the sophomore year.
Students must have a minimum 2.75 grade point average and successfully complete
the program application procedure. Some students by virtue of class standing,
interpreting experience, language proficiency, and/or transfer status may
be admitted to the major prior to the completion of prerequisite courses.
Students who have not completed all prerequisite courses and who are admitted
to the major will be required to take these courses during the junior year.
As part of the admission process, students may be asked to take ASL and/or
interpreting placement exams.
I'm a transfer student. What do I do about transferring courses?
A minimum of 45 of the last 60 credit hours must be completed on the
WOU campus. Transfer students work with the Admissions Office to determine
transfer credits from other institutions or earlier college course work relative
to the LACC. Transfer students work with the program coordinator to
determine transfer credits from other institutions or earlier course work
at WOU relative to the Interpreting major. Admission requirements for
transfer students are described in the university catalog.
I don't know how many credits I have. How do I know my standing?
Work with the Admissions Office to evaluate current class standing.
Call 503-838-8211 to begin evaluation of your transcripts.
I would like to achieve a double major. Is this possible?
Yes. Work with the program coordinators for both majors to design a double
major option.
I have a degree. May I get a second bachelor's degree in this major?
Yes. To earn a second degree you must fulfill all requirements for
the second degree; earn a minimum of 36 hours beyond the first degree if
the first degree was from WOU; earn a minimum of 45 hours beyond the first
degree if the first degree was from an accredited college other than WOU;
complete 75% of the additional hours at WOU; and take all second degree course
work with an A-F grading option. Second degree requirements are described
in the university catalog.
Where will I do my internship?
Sites are available locally as well as throughout the U.S. Faculty advisors
work with students in selecting internship placements that reflect individual
abilities, goals and career interests. Previous students have completed internships
in Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Texas, Arkansas,
Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and New York. The program
has a strong network of internships sites from which to choose and faculty
advisors will also work with students to develop new locations.
Where can I make my admissions DVD recording?
Most schools and libraries have digital cameras. You may be able to
prepare your DVD in their facilities or check out their equipment to
complete your recording at home. Make sure that you shoot your video in front
of a relatively plain background or a color that contrasts with what you
are wearing.
Who should I ask to complete my letters of recommendation?
These letters are to confirm your potential as a professional interpreter,
so ask someone who knows your interpreting, American Sign Language,
and/or English skills. If these people are not available, contact someone
who knows your work and/or academic capabilities.
What is the Western Oregon University campus like?
WOU has 5,000 students and is located in the quiet university town
of Monmouth (pop. 9,000) in the heart of the Willamette River valley. The
university is approximately 15 minutes from the Coast Range mountains, one
hour from the Pacific Ocean and dramatic Oregon Coast, and two hours from
the ski slopes of the Cascade Range mountains. The capital city of Salem
is 16 miles east and Oregon's largest city, Portland, is about 60 miles north.
Is there an active deaf community?
Each year, WOU has deaf and hard of hearing students on campus.
Deaf student tutors often work with interpreting students and the WOU ASL
Club and the Interpreting Club are active in university activities. The Oregon School for the Deaf is
located about 20 miles away in Salem and students participate in local deaf
community activities.
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