College for Women | School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences
Do you want to work with the Deaf community in support of communication access? When pursuing the interpreter degree on our St. Paul, Minnesota campus, students will gain the skills and experience needed to become competent ASL/English interpreters. Students will also prepare to pass the national interpreting certification exam.
Program Details
Take 32 credits per year to finish your ASL interpreter degree in four years.
Get Experience Through Internships and Service-Learning
With a major in interpreting, you will study:
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American Sign Language
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American Deaf culture
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Ethics and decision-making
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ASL and English text analysis
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Fingerspelling
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Healthcare interpreting
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Educational interpreting
You’ll have the opportunity to engage in service-based learning, volunteering with organizations like the Metro Deaf School, Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Thompson Hall Deaf Club, and many after-school programs.
In your senior year, you will complete a community-based internship, which may take place in a variety of settings, including education, healthcare, government, nonprofit, rehabilitation, or human services. Interpreting students help determine their placement and have completed their internships in agencies in locations across Minnesota as well as in California, Arizona, Washington state, and Washington D.C.
After earning an interpreting degree, graduates find themselves in high demand! Employers say our students are critical thinkers, effective communicators and self-driven in their career paths. Graduates with degrees in interpreting work in a variety of settings, including
- business meetings
- prenatal classes
- medical and mental health appointments
- parent-teacher conferences
- job interviews
- theater and concert performances
- government meetings
Program Accreditation
The Department of American Sign Language (ASL) and Interpreting at St. Kate's is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education.