BS in American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is a language used by large numbers of people in the United States and Canada. By mastering ASL, students gain both access to the culture of Deaf America and insights into features of spoken language that are often taken for granted. Learning a modally different language gives students a new sense of the power of language and an appreciation of how it shapes their world. In this way, the mastery of ASL sharpens critical-thinking skills. The goal of the program is to provide a firm foundation in language, linguistics, culture, and interpreting, plus a broad-based liberal arts education. ASL courses are integral to degrees in human services with a specialization in Deaf studies and in linguistics with a focus on ASL. Opportunities for ASL–English interpreters continue to increase, due to federal and state legislation. Graduates work as interpreters in such diverse areas as higher education, business, social service agencies, advanced technology, and theatre. Northeastern’s National and Regional Interpreter Education Centers seek to enhance the skills of interpreters currently working in the field and to increase the supply of competent interpreters throughout the United States.