American Sign Language
- Career Studies Certificate (C.S.C.)
Program Snapshot
Your Learning Options
In-person, Hybrid, 100% Online
26 Credit Hours
Estimated Time to Complete
1 year (2 full-time semesters)
In-State Tuition Per Credit Hour
$176.00 | Calculate your costs
Why American Sign Language?
Embark on a journey of language and culture that offers a rich learning experience that goes beyond mere language acquisition.
- Study in a program that offers flexibility, with face-to-face, Zoom, and fully online options.
- Prepare for language screenings such as the SLPI:ASL, to pave the way for future opportunities in interpreting and teaching ASL.
- Satisfy prerequisites for advanced studies in ASL interpretation, opening doors to fulfilling and rewarding career paths.
Paying for College
We are committed to using all of the available funds to help you gain access to a college education. In fact, more than 91% of our students graduate without any educational debt. In 2023, Reynolds Community College students received over $21 million dollars in grants, loans, work-study and scholarships with the average aid awarded totaling over $4,000 per student.
Payment plans are offered to break down tuition payments. Textbook Assistance and Laptop Lending Programs are also available. Be sure to explore all the types of financial aid available as well!
Why Reynolds?
We are more than a community college.
Reynolds is the key that unlocks the door to your academic and professional success. Here you will find a safe place to start. We will help you explore, dream, succeed, try, and try again. Our amazing faculty and highly personalized advisors, your Reynolds Navigators, are well known for guiding you to discover that "aha moment.” That means an outstanding college experience, less debt, more freedom, and a solid start on your future.
Learn in student-focused courses that are led by experienced instructors and faculty who are passionate about ASL and the deaf community. Through a combination of face-to-face, Zoom, and online options, students immerse themselves in ASL, building conversational fluency and cultural awareness that extends beyond the classroom.
Tailor your learning experience to fit your schedule and preferences seamlessly and experience flexibility providing both traditional face-to-face instruction and fully online options. With the convenience of completing the entire program online, accessibility to education is never compromised.
Whether you aspire to become a classroom aide, teacher assistant, sign language interpreter, ASL instructor, or pursue further study in linguistics and Deaf studies, our program provides the foundation you need to succeed. Additionally, for those seeking foreign language credits or individuals experiencing hearing loss who want to learn ASL, our program offers valuable skills and knowledge.
Does he have a quote to go with this picture?
Bruce Sofinski
ASL Adjunct Faculty, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Class Highlights
ASL 101 - American Sign Language I
Learn the fundamentals of American Sign Language (ASL) used by the Deaf Community, including basic vocabulary, fingerspelling, and grammatical non-manual signals.
ASL 125 - History and Culture of the Deaf Community I
Study the various aspects of Deaf culture, including educational and legal issues. Examines the history of the Deaf Community.
ASL 220 - Comparative Linguistics: ASL and English
Describes spoken English and American Sign Language on five levels: phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic, and discourse.
Program Roadmap
Get all the details on our American Sign Language program, including class sequences, admission requirements, financial considerations, and more.
Additional Program Information
PURPOSE: This curriculum prepares individuals to communicate in American Sign Language (ASL), primarily with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Students also study the U.S. Deaf community from a cultural perspective.
OCCUPATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The American Sign Language Career Studies Certificate (CSC) leads to employment opportunities primarily as a classroom aide or teacher assistant in “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” K-12 programs. The content learned and skills attained may also form a foundation for further study in numerous careers, including the following: sign language interpretation, teacher of “Deaf and Hard of Hearing” children, American Sign Language instructor, linguistics, and Deaf studies.
Preparation to become a sign language interpreter, as opposed to engaging in direct communication using ASL, is facilitated through completion of the American Sign Language - English Interpretation AAS degree. Completion of the ASL CSC by May along with placement in ENG 111 satisfies the prerequisites to begin the ASL - English Interpretation AAS in spring/summer annually.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission.
PROGRAM NOTES: Students must take SDV 101 - Orientation to American Sign Language and Interpreter Education during the first semester of study. Students must also begin language study with ASL 101 (ASL I), unless placed into a more appropriate level by the ASL and IE coordinator via the ASL placement test. Students must attain a grade of “C” or better as a final grade in a prerequisite ASL course before enrolling in a more advanced ASL course.
The ASL CSC is a five-semester program of part-time study designed to develop intermediate fluency in conversational ASL and a working understanding of Deaf people as a cultural group. Designed to begin in fall with SDV 101 and ASL 101, the first four semesters are each comprised of two courses (6-7 credits) leading to completion in 21 months during the spring semester when successful students may begin Interpreter Education coursework, while completing the final ASL/INT elective (2 credits).
