American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Ready to explore a captivating new language and culture? Look no further than Kent State University's American Sign Language bachelor's degree program. With an innovative curriculum and endless opportunities to connect with a vibrant community, your journey toward fluency starts today.

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Program Information for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in American Sign Language presents American sign language as a culture- and community-based language that interacts with other world languages. Through techniques — including immersion and bilingual-bicultural comparison classes, community interaction, research, lab activities and use of digital video technology — students gain documented proficiency in American sign language, validity within the deaf community and networking within the professional community.

Admissions for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

Participate in informal conversations with other speakers of American sign language.
Engage in some formal conversations in American sign language in workplace settings.
Watch films, plays and other multimedia presentations in American sign language with minimal need to use closed captions.
Interact in American sign language in culturally-appropriate ways.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Prerequisite Requirements ¹
ASL 19201	ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I
ASL 19202	ELEMENTARY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II
Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
ASL 29201	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I	3
ASL 29202	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II	3
ASL 39201	ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I	3
ASL 39202	ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II ²	3
ASL 39223	SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY (WIC) ³	3
or ASL 49309	INTRODUCTION TO DEAF STUDIES (ELR) (WIC)
or SPED 43309	INTRODUCTION TO DEAF STUDIES (ELR) (WIC)
American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division Electives (40000 level only)		6
American Sign Language (ASL) Electives, choose from the following:		6
ASL 29212	APPLIED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE GRAMMAR
ASL 29213	FINGERSPELLING, NUMBERS AND DEPICTION
Any American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Major Electives, choose from the following:		6
ANTH 48214	POLITICS OF CULTURE (ELR) (WIC) ³
ASEI 43100	SURVEY OF THE INTERPRETING PROFESSION
ASL 19401	EXPLORATION OF DEAF CULTURE
ASL 29212	APPLIED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE GRAMMAR
ASL 29213	FINGERSPELLING, NUMBERS AND DEPICTION
MCLS 30420	FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND CULTURE STUDIES
MCLS 40095	SELECTED TOPICS
MCLS 40096	INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION
SOC 32570	INEQUALITY IN SOCIETIES (DIVD)
SPED 43306	FUNDAMENTALS OF AUDIOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WITH HEARING LOSS
SPED 43307	LISTENING, LANGUAGE AND PHONEMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS
Any American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
Kent Core Composition		6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning		3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)		9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)		6
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)		6-7
Kent Core Additional		6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)		50
Minimum Total Credit Hours:		120

¹: Students with previous study in American sign language should take the American Sign Language Placement Test and enroll in the correct course based on their score. Students who must enroll in any of the prerequisite courses based on their placement test score will earn general elective credit hours toward the degree.
²: Students should show documentation of a proficiency level of intermediate or above on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (administered off-site) upon completion of ASL 39202.
³: A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements Summary
Minimum Major GPA	Minimum Overall GPA
2.000	2.000

To earn the degree, students must successfully show documentation of a proficiency level of either (a) Intermediate or above on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI); or (b) a 2+ on the ASL Proficiency Interview (ASLPI); or (c) a PASS on the Ohio American Sign Language (ASL) Assessment for Teachers of World Languages (Subtests I and II).

Program Note

Some courses in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies are offered on a rotating basis, and course availability may change at any time. Please see the program coordinator or your academic advisor for course planning.

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the following:

Elementary I and II of any language (or equivalent) and
One of the following options:
1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
2. Elementary I and II of a second language
3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  1. Intermediate I of the same language
  2. One to two college-level course(s) completed outside the United States
  3. Courses: ARAB 21401, ASL 19401, CHIN 25421, MCLS 10001, MCLS 20001, MCLS 20091, MCLS 21417, MCLS 21420, MCLS 22217, MCLS 28403, MCLS 28404

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer courses. This may be accomplished in one of three ways:

Passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level
Receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University
Demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language

Certain programs may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need a particular language proficiency.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
	Semester One		Credits
	UC 10001	FLASHES 101	1
!	Prerequisite or Major Elective or General Elective		3-4
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	16
	Semester Two
!	Prerequisite or Major Elective or General Elective		3-4
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Three
!	ASL 29201	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I	3
	Major Electives or General Electives		6
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Four
!	ASL 29202	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II	3
	Major Electives or General Electives		6
	Kent Core Requirement		3
	Kent Core Requirement		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Five
!	ASL 39201	ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I	3
	ASL 39223 or ASL 49309 or SPED 43309	SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY (WIC) or INTRODUCTION TO DEAF STUDIES (ELR) (WIC) or INTRODUCTION TO DEAF STUDIES (ELR) (WIC)	3
	Major Electives or General Electives		6
	General Elective		3
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Six
!	ASL 39202	ADVANCED AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II	3
	American Sign Language (ASL) Elective		3
	American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level only)		3
	Major Electives or General Electives		6
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Seven
	American Sign Language (ASL) Elective		3
	American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level only)		3
	General Electives		9
		Credit Hours	15
	Semester Eight
	General Electives		14
		Credit Hours	14
		Minimum Total Credit Hours:	120

Program Delivery

Delivery:
- In person
Location:
- Kent Campus

Accreditation for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Accreditation

The American Sign Language teacher licensure program (through this major and the Education minor) is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary

5.7%

faster than the average

30,600

number of jobs

$69,920

potential earnings

Interpreters and translators

20.0%

much faster than the average

77,400

number of jobs

$52,330

potential earnings

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

3.8%

about as fast as the average

1,050,800

number of jobs

$62,870

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

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Student voting in rec center

Voting is under way this Election Day, with students heading to the Beverly Warren Recreation Center, among other voting locations to cast their ballots on issues like reproductive health and the legalization of cannabis, as well as various school board and levy decisions.  For those still heading to the polls, read our story about what to know before you vote.  Samantha Hermann, a student in Kent State's College of Education, Health and Human Services, was interviewed by the Akron Beacon Journal while voting in Bath. Read more about her choice to vote yes on Issue 1 here.&...

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Step 4) Apply for the Kent State Florence program

After you have been admitted, you must apply for the Kent State Florence program using the online application system. You will be prompted to enter your Kent State credentials to log in.

Applicants must have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA and be in good standing at their home institution. Applications will not be considered for admission until all items have been submitted. Some cohorts and classes may have additional pre-requisites. 

Application Deadlines:

Read more about Step 4) Apply for the Kent State Florence program

Step 3) Log in to the Kent State student portal, FlashLine

Within 48-72 hours of receiving your acceptance e-mail, you will receive a second email with your Kent State credentials. You must log into your FlashLine account for the first time and establish a password.

Read more about Step 3) Log in to the Kent State student portal, FlashLine

Step 2) Email Education Abroad

After completing your Guest Student Application, you must email the program coordinator at edabroad@kent.edu.

Read more about Step 2) Email Education Abroad

Step 1) Apply online as a Kent State Guest Student (there is no fee to apply!)

When completing the Guest Student Application, please be sure to make the following selections: 

Select Student Type: Guest 
Select Campus: Kent Campus

In order to ensure your final Florence application is submitted by the application deadline. We recommend that you submit your Kent State Guest Student Application by the following deadlines:

Read more about Step 1) Apply online as a Kent State Guest Student (there is no fee to apply!)

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Photojournalism Minor

The Photojournalism minor teaches basic visual storytelling and photojournalism.

MINOR REQUIREMENTS & COURSES

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American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Contact Us

Program Information for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Program Note

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Roadmap

Roadmap

Program Delivery

Accreditation

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for American Sign Language (ASL) Degree – B.A.

User Experience Design Minor

Step 4) Apply for the Kent State Florence program

Step 3) Log in to the Kent State student portal, FlashLine

Step 2) Email Education Abroad

Step 1) Apply online as a Kent State Guest Student (there is no fee to apply!)

Expanding the Future of Aeronautics and Engineering

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Photojournalism Minor

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