2024-2025
Interdisciplinary Studies - Policy and Entrepreneurship for American Sign Language-English Interpreters
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Applied Science: American Sign Language, English Interpretation (Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway))
Associate degree
Associate of Applied Science: American Sign Language, English Interpretation and American Sign Language CSC
Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.
Program description
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies: Policy and Entrepreneurship for American Sign Language-English Interpreters focus is designed to provide a pathway to a bachelor’s degree for American Sign Language-English Interpreters who intend to seek advanced workforce credentials. The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies is an individualized and interdisciplinary program for students who wish to create an individualized curriculum not available in traditional curricular pathways within existing VCU degree programs. This pathway provides an individualized route for aspiring interpreters who want their ASL/IE expertise to be informed by coursework in finance, policy, educational issues, and other topics relevant to the deaf community and the work our students will do after graduation. In our increasingly complex global economy, 21st-century professionals need to have creative and entrepreneurial skills and be agile learners who can navigate the pace of career changes with confidence. The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree is one way to hone those skills as you explore the academic areas that match your passions and future plans.
Career opportunities
A majority of full-time ASL-English Interpretation positions in the Commonwealth are found in the K-12 public school setting. The minimum requirement to work as an ASL-English Interpreter in the K-12 setting in Virginia is a VQAS Level III, an EIPA of 3.5 or higher, or National Interpreting Certificate (NIC) certification. Those interpreters who attain NIC certification may also consider freelance and contract interpreting opportunities, including the expanding fields of video relay service (VRS) and video remote interpreting (VRI), which both utilize interactive video technology via the Internet.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Court Interpreter
- Disability Advocate
- Educational Interpreters
- Freelance/Community Interpreter
- Medical Interpreters
- Sign Language Interpreter
- Video Relay Interpreter
Graduate and professional level job titles
- N/A
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
No guaranteed admission, but successful applicants will have:
- Completion of associate degree
- Minimum GPA of 2.5
- All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
- Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2024-2025
Interdisciplinary Studies - Policy and Entrepreneurship for American Sign Language-English Interpreters
Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Science: American Sign Language, English Interpretation)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Apply to the Reynolds Pathways Program.
- Use Navigate to schedule an advising appointment to map out your associate degree course plan.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Schedule an appointment with the ASL&IE Program Head each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Register for SDV 100.
- Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
- Attend Reynolds orientation (SOAR).
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Explore the VCU Interdisciplinary Studies department website.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Join a cultural organization: Virginia Association of the Deaf, Deaf Grassroots Movement.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
- Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
- Browse careers related to ASL and English Interpretation through the Virginia Wizard.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
- Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Meet with the ASL&IE Program Head.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Join a professional organization related to ASL/IE: Virginia Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Registry for Interpreters for the Deaf.
- Apply to VCU.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Interdisciplinary Studies department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
- Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
- Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
- Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
- Run for leadership in your student organization.
- If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
Recommended courses
2024-2025
Interdisciplinary Studies - Policy and Entrepreneurship for American Sign Language-English Interpreters
Reynolds Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Science: American Sign Language, English Interpretation)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| INT 105 | Interpreting Foundations I | TREL 1XX | 4 | Elective |
| INT 106 | Interpreting Foundations II | TREL 1XX | 4 | Elective |
| ASL 100 | Orientation to Acquisition of ASL as an Adult | TREL 1XX | 2 | Elective |
| ASL 101 | Beginning American Sign Language I | FRLG 101 | 4 | General education |
| ASL 102 | Beginning American Sign Language II | FRLG 102 | 4 | Elective |
| ASL 125 | History of the U.S. Deaf Community | FRLG 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 201 | Intermediate American Sign Language I | FRLG 201 | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 202 | Intermediate American Sign Language II | FRLG 202 | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 208 | ASL for Classroom Settings | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| INT 107 | Translation Skill | TREL 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| INT 133 | ASL to English Interpretation I | TREL 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| INT 134 | English to ASL Interpretation I | TREL 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
| INT 130 | Interpreting: An Introduction to the Profession | TREL 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| INT 233 | ASL to English Interpretation II | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| INT 234 | English to ASL Interpretation II | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| PSY 230 | Developmental Psychology | PSYC 304 | 3 | Major |
| INT 280 | Interpreter Assessment Preparation | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 220 | Comparative Linguistics: ASL and English | FRLG 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 261 | American Sign Language V | FRLG 3XX | 4 | Major |
| INT 237 | Interpreting ASL in Safe Settings | TREL 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| INT 250 | Dialogic Interpretation I | UNIV 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ASL 262 | American Sign Language VI | FRLG 3XX | 4 | Major |
| ASL 225 | Literature of the Deaf Community | FRLG 3XX | 4 | Major |
| INT 290 | Coordinated Internship in Interpreter Education | UNIV 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| Reynolds credits transferred to VCU | 85 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNIV 200 | Inquiry and the Craft of Argument | 3 | General education |
| IDST 301 | Interdisciplinary Theory and Practice | 3 | Major |
| IDST 303 | Interdisciplinarity in the Professional World | 3 | Major |
| IDST 492 | Independent Study (e.g., Interpreter Observation Hours) | 3 | Major |
| IDST 493 | Internship (Mentoring Internship) | 3 | Major |
| IDST 499 | BIS Senior Capstone | 3 | Major |
| Five pathway elective courses (select 5 from the following list; substitutions can be made with IDS program approval): ANTH 328, BUSN 323, BUSN 329, EDUS 300, EDUS 301, EDUS 305, FIRE 301, MGMT 321, POLI 310, PSYC 340, PSYC 410, URSP 306. | 15 | Major | |
| Open electives | 2 | Elective | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Credits completed at VCU | 35 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||