ASL & English Interpretation

The goal of the Interpretation B.S. program is to prepare students to become professional interpreters who are language mediators between people who do not share the same language (between ASL signers and English speakers). Interpreters must remain neutral and do not actively advocate for the ASL community nor express their own thoughts while performing their duties. 

National accreditation.  As an indicator of the high quality of our program, we are nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education.  There are only 15 CCIE accredited programs in the United States.

It is not offered online. Our Interpretation B.S. program (ITP for short) is a traditional Face-to-Face program.  

Program length: 4 to 5 years.  Our ITP program runs on a two-year cycle, which means that students may be here a total of 4 years or 5 years depending on the year of entry and the number of transfer credits. Because many of our classes are skill-based, they must be taken in a strict sequence.  Additionally, some of our classes are only offered once every two years.  See the bottom of this page for a suggested program sequence depending on which year you enter EKU.

ASL foundation & Gen Eds.  Developing fluency in ASL as a second language is a considerable challenge and takes years of language immersion and education. Students begin taking the first of many ASL skill-based classes during their first semester along with the General Education curriculum. It is also recommended that students constantly use ASL outside of the class/lab and be involved in the ASL Living Learning Community, the ASLA student organization, and other Deaf community events in Kentucky.

Pre-ITP major.  All students who are admitted to EKU and declare their major in our program begin as Pre-ITP students and must apply to the full ITP major after completing the ITP admission prerequisites.  During the first 1 - 3 years, students work on developing the foundation of their ASL fluency along with completing the General Education classes required for a bachelor’s degree. 

Applying to the full ITP major.  We currently accept students into the full major on a two-year cycle (e.g. 2024, 2026, etc.).  Applications are accepted in the spring of even-numbered years through a form that will be available in January of that year. The next group of applicants will apply in Spring 2024.

ITP Full Major Admission Criteria

• Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher by the end of the semester preceding application, and

• ASL 106 with a grade of “Satisfactory”, and

• ASL 201 and 202 with a grade of “B” or higher, and

• ITP 215W and 220 with a grade of “C” or higher, and

• Completed the Degrees of Reading Power Language Test, and

• Letters of Recommendation, and

• Completed admission interview by the ITP Interview Committee.

Application to the program does not guarantee admission.  Admission to EKU as a Pre-ITP major is not synonymous with admission to the ITP.  Due to accreditation requirements and available resources, this program has limited enrollment (around 20 students). Each application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and the student will be notified of the committee's decision.

Progression and Retention in the Program

• Grade of “C” or higher is required for all ITP and lecture-based ASL courses (ASL 225, 325, 390, 425), and

• Grade of  “B” or higher is required (with the exception of no more than one grade of “C”) for all skill-based ASL courses (ASL 301, 302, 305, 306), and

• Maintain a 2.75 GPA in the major.

Please refer to the full program information and course descriptions in the official online EKU Undergraduate Catalog.

Contact. If you have any questions, please contact the department at (859) 622-4966 or email aslie@eku.edu. Thank you for your interest in the EKU Interpreter Training Program.

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