American Sign Language Interpreting

American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) Program Overview

The University of Houston American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) program is designed to prepare students to effectively interpret with 75% or more degree of accuracy between American Sign Language and English (spoken and written). Sign Language interpreters work in a vast array of settings such as: social service agencies, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, courtrooms, hospitals, television programs and video relay services (VRS telephone calls).

To be successful students must possess the following requisite abilities:

• Typical hearing, vision and speech capabilities, manual dexterity, limb, face and head movements, dual limb coordination, and physical stamina;
• Cognitive skills: critical thinking, selective attention, auditory and visual attention, mental stamina, short-term memory retrieval, information ordering, deduction of pattern inference, and fluent delivery of message details;
• Cultural and linguistic knowledge (knowledge and mastery of both spoken and written English, knowledge and fluency in American Sign Language, knowledge and fluency Contact Signing, understanding of norms and values of both the English-speaking community and the Deaf community); and
• Professional attributes (such as social perceptiveness, independence, interpersonal skills, adaptability in the workplace, emotional control and stability, problem-solving, conflict resolution, time management, ethical behavior). {For more information, see the Texas Board for Evaluators of Interpreters (BEI) Study Guide - "Essential Functions of a BEI Certified Interpreter". Further information may also be obtained from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Standard Practice Paper "Professional Sign Language Interpreting"}.

American Sign Language courses are taught by Deaf professors so that students experience both a cultural and linguistic immersion in the classroom setting. Throughout the 4-year program of study, students will interact with professional interpreters and members of the Deaf community. Interpreting courses are taught by professors who have expertise in training individuals to meet state and national certification standards. Successful graduates of the ASLI program are fluent in both English and American Sign Language, demonstrate an understanding of the profession and its ethical principles and will complete all University of Houston requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The goal of the program is for graduates to be qualified to pass the entry-level Board of Evaluation of Interpreters certification exam.

Use ApplyTexas or the Common App to apply. Submit just one application. The application is where you’ll indicate to be reviewed with or without ACT or SAT test scores. Be sure to complete the short admissions essay and tell us about your achievements and extracurricular activities. Pay the $90 Application Fee for international students ($75 for U.S. applicants) when you submit your online application.