College for Women | School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences
Are you passionate about promoting communication equity and fostering cultural competence within the Deaf* community? Our ASL and English Interpreting degree is tailored to nurture such aspirations. With this degree, you will be equipped with the necessary skills and practical experience to evolve into proficient ASL/English interpreters and emerge as agents of change in the field.
Program Details
Take 32 credits per year to finish your ASL interpreter degree in four years.
Cultivate Career Competence Through Critical Service Learning and Internships
As part of our community-centered approach, fostering social justice and communication equity, you will have the unique opportunity to engage in critical service-based learning, collaborating with organizations such as the Metro Deaf School, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Thompson Hall Deaf Club, and numerous other community partners.
In your senior year, you will embark on a transformative community-based internship, immersing yourself in diverse settings that align with our values of education, healthcare, government, nonprofit, rehabilitation, or human services. As change agents, interpreting students actively participate in determining their internship placements, enabling them to contribute their skills and knowledge in locations not only within Minnesota but also across the United States.
This experiential learning opportunity empowers you to make a meaningful impact within the deaf community, fostering social justice, communication equity, and positive change. By engaging with various organizations and environments, you will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities, shaping your perspective and honing your interpreting skills in a real-world context.
Additionally, our curriculum is designed to prepare students to successfully undertake and pass the national interpreting certification exam, opening new avenues of opportunity and impact.
St. Kate’s is dedicated to supporting you throughout this transformative journey, ensuring that your internship experience aligns with your passions, career goals, and aspirations. Together, we will empower you to become a compassionate, culturally competent, and socially conscious interpreter, ready to advocate for social justice and communication equity in all your future endeavors.
Upon completion of their ASL and English Interpreting degree, graduates emerge as highly sought-after professionals in the field. Through a lens of social justice and equity, our graduates are recognized by employers as critical thinkers, proficient communicators, and self-directed individuals committed to their career progression. Armed with a degree in ASL and English interpreting, they venture into diverse professional environments, including but not limited to:
- Business Meetings
- Prenatal Classes
- Medical and Mental Health Appointments
- Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Job Interviews
- Theater and Concert Performances
- Government Meetings
These diverse settings exemplify the range of opportunities available to our interpreting graduates, all of which contribute to a more inclusive society and foster social justice by promoting equal access and participation.
It is our steadfast commitment to cultivating graduates who are not only proficient interpreters but also advocates for social justice, equity, and inclusivity in all aspects of their professional practice.
Program Accreditation
St. Catherine University's Department of American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Communities proudly holds full accreditation from the esteemed Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE).
Learn more about accreditation for this program
*The term deaf refers to various deaf simultaneous and intersectional identities and ways of being in this world. Intersectionality shows us that social identities work on multiple levels, resulting in unique experiences, opportunities, and barriers for each person.