Also see Associate of Arts - American Sign Language.
Because of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is currently a national and statewide shortage of interpreters. Moreover, the quality as well as the quantity of the interpreters that the market demands is increasing.
The Interpreter Preparation Program / Deaf (IPPD) provides a focused and balanced education for students who desire to become sign language interpreters. With an emphasis on receptive skills, the program concentrates on synthesizing the study of American Sign Language (ASL), Deaf Culture and interpreting as a profession. Interpreting requires excellence in ASL and a thorough knowledge of oneself and one’s ethics because interpreters are privy to confidential information.
Collin’s IPPD program has a greater number of deaf teachers and ASL assistants than non-deaf teachers and ASL assistants, which allows students the opportunity to become fluent in ASL and to develop culturally appropriate behaviors and responses.
Students planning to transfer to a college or university should check with the Collin academic advisor prior to beginning this program to verify course transferability.
PASS / FAIL OPTION
Non-degree-seeking students may take a sign language class as pass / fail. Degree-seeking students should not pursue this option. The pass / fail option will not satisfy the degree-seeking transfer requirements.
Note: Students may not convert a pass / fail grade to a letter grade. Foreign language classes, including sign language, cannot be audited.
Career Options
The career opportunities for persons with an IPPD Associate of Applied Science degree and appropriate certification are broad and varied and include educational and community-based employment. In addition, many interpreters are self-employed and work as independent contractors.
Career opportunities for persons with an Interpreter Trainee certificate are more limited.
AAS – Interpreter Preparation Program / Deaf
68 credit hours
| FIRST YEAR | ||
| First Semester | ||
| COSC | 1300 | Computers and Technology |
| ENGL | 1301 | Composition / Rhetoric I |
| MATH | 1332 | College Mathematics 1 |
| SGNL | 1401 | American Sign Language (ASL): Beginning I + |
| SPCH | 1311 | Fundamentals of Speech Communication |
| Second Semester | ||
| SGNL | 1402 | American Sign Language (ASL): Beginning II |
| SLNG | 1311 | Fingerspelling and Numbers |
| SLNG | 1447 | Deaf Culture |
| PHED / DANC | Any activity course | |
| Technical Core # | ||
| Summer | ||
| PHIL | 2306 | Introduction to Ethics 3 |
| SGNL | 2301 | American Sign Language (ASL): Intermediate I + |
| SECOND YEAR | ||
| First Semester | ||
| BUSG | 2309 | Small Business Management |
| PSYC | 2302 | Applied Psychology |
| SGNL | 2302 | American Sign Language (ASL): Intermediate II + |
| SLNG | 1321 | Introduction to the Interpreting Profession |
| Technical Core # | ||
| Second Semester | ||
| SLNG | 2266 | Practicum I - Sign Language Interpretation and Translation |
| SLNG | 2301 | Interpreting I |
| Technical Core # | ||
| Summer | ||
| SLNG | 2267 | Practicum II - Sign Language Interpretation and Translation (Capstone) |
| SLNG | 2311 | Interpreting in Specialized Settings |
| SLNG | 2331 | Interpreting III |
Note: Preferred core choices are underlined. See other options in AAS core, unless otherwise noted.
| 1 | May substitute MATH 1324 or MATH 1314 (recommended for transfer students) |
| 2 | PHED 1338 is recommended for IPPD majors |
| 3 | PHIL 2306 is recommended for IPPD majors |
| # | Technical Core: Students MUST select 3 of the following courses (9 credit hours), including no more than 3 credit hours of CRIJ or SOCI, with the approval of the Department Chair to complete the Technical Core: ANTH 2351; BMGT 2309; BUSI 1307; CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306 or CRIJ 1313; DRAM 1351; ENGL 1302; SLNG 1391; SOCI 1306 or SOCI 2319; SRGT 1301 |
| + | American Sign Language courses are also transfer courses and may be used, at some institutions, to satisfy a Foreign Language requirement. |
CERTIFICATE
Interpreter Trainee Certificate
34 credit hours
| FIRST YEAR | ||
| First Semester | ||
| SGNL | 1401 | American Sign Language (ASL): Beginning I + |
| SLNG | 1447 | Deaf Culture |
| Elective * | ||
| Elective * | ||
| Second Semester | ||
| SGNL | 1402 | American Sign Language (ASL): Beginning II + |
| SLNG | 1311 | Fingerspelling and Numbers |
| PHED / DANC | Any activity course | |
| Elective * | ||
| Summer | ||
| SGNL | 2301 | American Sign Language (ASL): Intermediate I + |
| SECOND YEAR | ||
| First Semester | ||
| SGNL | 2302 | American Sign Language (ASL): Intermediate II + |
| SLNG | 1321 | Introduction to the Interpreting Profession (Capstone) |
| 1 | May substitute PHED 1338 |
| * | Electives (9 credit hours): ANTH 2351, BMGT 2309, BUSG 2309, BUSI 1307, DRAM 1351, ENGL 1301, ENGL 1302 |
| + | American Sign Language courses are also transfer courses and may be used, at some institutions, to satisfy a Foreign Language requirement |
Note: The second digit in a course number indicates the number of credit hours
for that course.
