Rio Hondo College is proud to offer two Associates of Arts degrees and one Certificate of Achievement for students interested in American Sign Language. These degrees have been designed to align with the goals of the students in mind. We offer a Certificate of Achievement in American Sign Language, an Associate of Arts Degree in Deaf Studies, and an Associate of Arts Degree in Foundations of Interpreting. It is possible to achieve both degrees and certificates by completing just 43 units of study or a single degree with just 32 units in 2 years.
You may be wondering if you are even able to learn American Sign Language (ASL). The fact that you are reading this message means you have already proven your ability to learn a language. Our program will lead you along the same path you took while you acquired your first language. Don’t worry, you can do it!
* Certificate of Achievement in American Sign Language
* Associate of Arts Degree in Deaf Studies
* Associate of Arts Degree in Foundations of Interpreting
* How to Complete Both Degrees
* Contact ASL Faculty
This certificate requires the completion of just four classes in ASL and totals 18 units of coursework. This program can be completed in as little as three semesters depending on course availability. This certificate is intended for those who wish to become involved in American Sign Language and the Deaf culture. After achieving this certificate, the student will be able to converse socially in ASL with others in the community. You can use this certificate as evidence of your intermediate knowledge in ASL; with some employers this may increase your pay.
If your interest is to learn ASL and be able to function in social situations or talk about things you know well, then this is the degree for you. This is the beginning of your journey into the Deaf world.
You will need to complete the following courses
| Class Name | Subject and Course Number | Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| American Sign Language Level I | ASL 101 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level II | ASL 102 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level III | ASL 201 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level IV | ASL 202 | 4.5 |
According to the Modern Language Association, ASL was first offered for college credit in 1990. Most classes and programs were focused on training those interested in becoming sign language interpreters. At that time, students seeking mastery of the language were left with only one option, to complete an interpreting program. These days, however, if your interest is in the Deaf world and mastering American Sign Language fluency, then Deaf Studies is the program for you.
With the Deaf Studies A.A. degree, you will receive more than 1,700 hours of language exposure and interaction. We guide you on your pathway to becoming fluent in the same way you acquired your first language. This goes by different names such as TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), TPS (Total Physical Response), and the Natural Language Approach. The bottom line is you will be fully immersed in ASL for all of your ASL classes here at Rio Hondo. More than 75% of our instructors are Deaf and we work as a team to bring you a unified, coherent program during your time at Rio Hondo College.
You should be able to complete this degree in 2 years with 32 units of classes. Upon completion of the degree, you will be able to communicate in ASL on a variety of topics, both known and unknown. You will be able to learn new things about the world with ASL as the instructional medium. Future employment opportunities include: credentialed teacher for Deaf or Hard of Hearing students or ASL instructor, School Psychologist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Social Worker, or anything involving Deaf people. This degree is intended to prepare you to transfer to a 4-year institution to further your knowledge in Deaf Studies.
To receive this degree, you need to complete the following courses:
| Class Name | Subject and Course Number | Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| American Sign Language Level I | ASL 101 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level II | ASL 102 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level III | ASL 201 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level IV | ASL 202 | 4.5 |
| Introduction to Deaf Studies | ASL 120 | 3 |
| Deaf Culture | ASL 124 | 3 |
| ASL Linguistics | ASL 250 | 3 |
| ASL Literature | ASL 270 | 3 |
| ASL Storytelling (Capstone) | ASL 280 | 2 |
According to the Greater Los Angeles Association of the Deaf, there are 800,000 Deaf or Hard of Hearing people in the Greater Los Angeles Area. There are less than 300 nationally certified sign language interpreters in all of Southern California (according to RID – Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). This means that there is a very high demand for qualified ASL interpreters in this area. A Baccalaureate degree is required before you are permitted to sit for the national exam. This program will start you on the path to achieve the necessary degree and skill set for the national certification. If your goal is to have a diverse and interesting career path in professional ASL-English interpreting, then this is the right place to begin.
The Foundations in Interpreting A.A. degree provides students with the core knowledge and applicable skills needed in the professional field of American Sign Language-English interpreting. Students who complete this degree will have a solid, in-depth understanding of the history of ASL-English Interpreting in America and internationally, the role of the Interpreter, the business market and trends for interpreters, specialty/niche-market venues, translation & cognitive processing skills, as well as intermediate-to-advanced ASL & English interpretation process skills (receptive and expressive ASL & English). The bottom line is, with your previous ASL studies, you will be exposed to and challenged by multiple opportunities to enhance your foundational knowledge, in preparation for transfer to a 4-year ASL-English interpreting program with internship and practicum coursework. Our interpreting instructors are professional ASL-English interpreters with many years of experience in the field. We work as a team with the ASL and Deaf Studies Programs to bring you a unified, coherent program during your time at Rio Hondo College.
You should be able to complete this degree in 2 years with 32 units of classes. Upon completion of the degree, you will be able to communicate in ASL on a variety of topics, both known and unknown. You will have a foundational level knowledge of interpreting theory and practices needed to begin practical application at baccalaureate-granting institutions.
(See a counselor for major preparation for a specific university).
To receive this degree you need to complete the following courses:
| Class Name | Subject and Course Number | Number of Units |
|---|---|---|
| American Sign Language Level I | ASL 101 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level II | ASL 102 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level III | ASL 201 | 4.5 |
| American Sign Language Level IV | ASL 202 | 4.5 |
| Language structure and Language use: Introduction to Linguistics | ENGL 127/127H | 3 |
| Deaf Culture | ASL 124 | 3 |
| Introduction to Interpreting + Ethics I | ASL 211 | 3 |
| Introduction to Interpreting + Ethics II | ASL 212 | 3 |
| Pathways to Interpreting (Capstone) | ASL 220 | 2 |
We understand it is difficult to choose between Deaf Studies or Foundations of Interpreting. We respect your time and commitment to your education. Either degree can lead you to success in multiple fields of study when taken independently. If you wish to earn both degrees here at Rio Hondo College, we will do our best to make that a possibility for you. There are only 11 units unique to each degree, which equate to only 4 classes. When we schedule these classes we keep this in mind. The degree-specific classes will be offered so that they do not overlap in time. This will allow a student to successfully complete both degrees simultaneously. Below we have a chart highlighting the different courses to help guide you.
To complete both degrees, these are the additional classes you need to take:
| Class Name | Subject and Course Number | Degree Assigned To |
|---|---|---|
| Language structure and Language use: Introduction to Linguistics | ENGL 127/127H | Foundations of Interpreting |
| Introduction to Interpreting + Ethics I | ASL 211 | Foundations of Interpreting |
| Introduction to Interpreting + Ethics II | ASL 212 | Foundations of Interpreting |
| Pathways to Interpreting (Capstone) | ASL 220 | Foundations of Interpreting |
| Introduction to Deaf Studies | ASL 120 | Deaf Studies |
| ASL Linguistics | ASL 250 | Deaf Studies |
| ASL Literature | ASL 270 | Deaf Studies |
| ASL Storytelling (Capstone) | ASL 280 | Deaf Studies |
