2.1 Applying to the Interpreter Education Program
The
program requires that if you are not RID certified, one of your previous
degrees (either your associate’s or bachelor’s) must be in Interpreting.If you are certified (CSC, CI
and CT, NIC, NAD V), you can be admitted with a degree in another field. The
program accepts applications for fall semesters only, and the deadline for all
materials to be in the Graduate School is July 1.
Graduate School Application
Requires:
NOTE: All these materials are submitted
directly to the Graduate School and must be received by July 1 for
consideration for Fall admission.
- Application Form (please access on the admissions webpage)
- Letter of intent addressed to
Dr. Sherry Shaw that includes a YouTube link to your resume or CV produced in ASL. (Do not provide a
document version of your CV.)
- Two letters of recommendation
from people familiar with your academic background and aptitude for graduate
work, specifying in detail your capabilities for future performance and
scholarship. At least one letter from a college/university professor is
preferred.
- Written Statement (500-1000
words): What are your professional goals and how will UNF’s Interpreter
Education Program help you attain your goals?
- Official Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, quantitative, and writing)
- Official transcripts of
undergraduate and graduate study
- Application Fee
- For applicants without RID
certification (optional—faculty determine need for samples):
Make
arrangements to access a computer with webcam for recording interpreting
samples. Source texts are provided once all other application materials are
received and eligibility for admission is determined.
GPA and GRE Requirements
- GPA of 3.0 in last 60 hours of
undergraduate study
- GRE scores are competitive in
all three domains:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Analytical Writing
Send transcripts, letters of recommendation, application fee, and written statement in one package (if possible) to the Graduate School. Request that your GRE scores be sent to UNF.
At the
time you take the GRE, unofficial Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning
scores are provided for you. Official scores with your Writing Analysis results
usually take 2-3 weeks to arrive at UNF. There are good GRE study materials
available on the ETS website.
Once
the Graduate School receives all materials, the COEHS Academic Advising office
reviews them and eligibility for admission is verified. Then, the electronic
files of all your materials become available to the Interpreting Program
Director for final decision about admission. When approved, the student
receives an official letter of admission (and email message), which is then
provided to the respective states for Academic Common Market processing.
All
questions regarding admission may be directed to the Graduate School.
NOTE:
The program welcomes applicants who are Deaf and aspire to become Certified
Deaf Interpreters and teach in Interpreter Education Programs.
2.2 Graduate Programs in ASL/English Interpretting
-Master of Education in Special Education
The Master of Education in American Sign Language (ASL)/English
Interpreting, is designed to meet the needs of students who are
interested in becoming nationally certified sign language interpreters.
The program consists of 43 semester hours that include prerequisites,
core and major requirements.
If an applicant is not certified by the Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., the program requires one previous
degree to be in Interpreting (either associate's degree or bachelor's
degree) except for deaf applicants.
If applicant is nationally certified (CSC, CI and CT, NIC, NAD, V), a degree in another field is acceptable for admission.
2.3 Master of Education in ASL/English Interpreting Program Description
The
program currently consists of 42 graduate credit hours, which includes a
6-credit Internship as the capstone course. Nationally certified interpreters
(CSC, CI/CT, NIC, NAD V—not EIPA) are exempt from Internship.
Degree Requirements
Grades of “B” or better are required in all graduate courses.
- Core requirements: 6 hrs of Foundations
- Major requirements: 30 hrs of Content Specialization
- Internship 6 hrs
Degree Evaluation
Major: Special Education
Concentration: ASL/English Interpreting
Degree: Master of Education
Core Requirements (6 hrs)*
Grades of "B" or better are required in all graduate courses.
Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.
- EDF 6607 Education in America Online or Transfer 3 credits
- EDF 6480 Found Ed Research Online or Transfer 3 credits
* core requirements will change once the new MS becomes effective (anticipated Fall 2012)
Major Requirements (30 hrs)
- INT 5457 Interp. for Diverse Populations Online 3 credits
- INT 6911 Appl. Research in Interpreting Online 3 credits
- INT 5990 Services Learning Online (+ project) 3 credits
- EEX 5595 Interpreting in Healthcare Online (+1 weekend online, varies by semester) 3 credits
- EEX 5991 Int Process/Skill Dev II: Mentoring Online 3 credits
- INT 6276 Adv. Int Proc/Skill Dev I: Teaching Cognitive Processing Online (+1 weekend onsite, varies by semester) 3 credits
- INT 6277 Adv. Int Proc/Skill Dev II: Mental Health Interpreting Online (+1 weekend) 3 credits
- ASL 6619 Adv. ASL Conversation Summer Institute (4-5 days)
- TSL 6525 Cross Cult. Comm/Know* Online (+1 weekend; substitute w/Interpreting in Mental Health Settings) 3 credits
- INT 6932 Special Topics: Legal Interpreting Online (may have 1 weekend) 3 credits
*TSL 6525 will be removed once the new MS becomes effective (anticipated Fall 2012). It may be substituted for a course that is related to interpreting or has indirect application to interpreting, such as courses in Adult Education (for students interested in teaching interpreting), Child Development (for students interested in working with young children), Cultural Anthropology, Gender Studies, Sociology, Psychology, and Linguistics. Approval for a course substitution must be approved by the Program Director prior to taking the course. Interpreting in Mental Health Settings is available for substitution.
Capstone (6 hrs)
Students with RID NIC, CI/CT, CSC or NAD V are exempt from internship. Pre-certified students must provide proof of passing the NIC Written Examination prior to graduation.
- INT 6944 Internship Field Placement/Online Seminars 6 credits
Accommodations
Students who require accommodations under the ADA or Section 504 should contact Dr. Kristine Webb as soon as possible after admission.
2.4 Course Listings/Descriptions
Interpreting
for Diverse Populations (3 credit hours)
This course explores
interpreting with diverse populations, including individuals from diverse
racial, ethnic, cultural, economic, religious, and social backgrounds. Students
identify the role and function of interpreters when working with these populations
within the context of ethnographic research and assimilate methods for applying
cultural and linguistic competence to a variety of settings. Writing
requirement: Ethnography of a non-dominant cultural group.
Applied Research in
Interpreting (3
credit hours)
This course introduces students to current research in the field
of spoken and signed language interpretation and directs students in
conceptualizing research projects. Informed Consent and other requirements of
the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process for research approval at UNF are
covered. Students are mentored through topic investigation, problem
identification, research design, literature review, and IRB application
development. Writing requirement: Literature Review and IRB Application, including
project design.
Service-Learning in the Deaf Community (3 credit hours)
This course is designed to
strengthen the student's ability to (a) acculturate to the rich linguistic and
cultural values of the Deaf community through community based learning, and (b)
acknowledge personal responsibility as an ally of the Deaf community. Students
will contribute to empowerment of the Deaf community and participate in
structured experiential settings that are identified using an asset mapping
approach to community need identification.
Teaching
Cognitive Processing (3
credit hours)
This course presents interpreting process from the perspective of
interpretation pedagogy and introduces students to the key concepts of
comprehension, working memory, self-assessment of fidelity, cognitive capacity,
language availability, and effort models. The course prepares students to
integrate interpreting theory into interpreter education through personal skill
acquisition and curriculum development.
Interpreting in Healthcare Settings (3 credit hours)
In
this course, students will develop a knowledge base of biological and
institutional systems encountered in healthcare settings as well as demonstrate
an understanding of the legal provision of interpreters and the application of
HIPPA requirements. Students will apply this foundation to equivalent
linguistic and cultural interpretations in specific healthcare settings with
emphasis on substance abuse and addiction, gender-specific health topics, cross-systemic
health conditions and end-of-life palliative care.
Mentoring in Interpreter Education (3 credit hours)
This course explores profiles of
successful mentors and how to establish a mentoring program, including when,
how, and why mentoring supports best practices for job training and career
development. Participants will learn the dynamics of a successful mentor
relationship and analyze a variety of interpreting work samples to accurately
identify patterns of strengths and weaknesses to incorporate into feedback and
skill enhancement activities.
ASL Expansion and Compression Technique (3 credit hours)
Students will apply the advanced
ASL techniques of expansion and compression for the purpose of analyzing
discourse patterns and producing target messages that represent source messages
with absolute fidelity. Students will learn how to recognize cues that identify
when these techniques are called for in the interpreting process.
Advanced ASL Description and Concepts (3 credit hours)
This course focuses
on the advanced ASL skills needed to depict complex concepts specific to
medical, mental health, social, and legal situations. Students will learn how
to visualize information and use classifiers to describe procedures,
conditions, activities, and the environment for persons whose first language is
American Sign Language.
Mental Health Interpreting (3 credit hours)
In
this course, students will develop a knowledge base of diagnoses and
institutional systems encountered in mental health settings as well as
demonstrate an understanding of the legal provision of interpreters and the
application of HIPPA requirements and Code of Professional Conduct
expectations. Students will apply this foundation to the production of
equivalent linguistic and cultural interpretations in specific mental health
settings with emphasis on12-Step programs, individual, couples and group
counseling, and community-based and in-patient treatment.
Legal Interpreting (3
credit hours)
This course is an introduction to interpreting in legal
settings, including courtroom proceedings, attorney-client meetings,
dispositions, jury duty, and law enforcement venues. Students will develop
legal portfolios of qualification to work in these settings and study such
concepts as privileged communication and its extension to interpreters,
courtroom protocol, applicable laws to interpreter provision, and ethics-based
interpreting issues.
Interpreting
Internship (6 credit hours)
This
capstone course is field-based and requires supervised, mentored experiences
with a certified interpreter. Through this internship, students have ongoing
opportunities to apply classroom learning and theory with real-world
interpreting and experience interpreting in diverse settings. Course requires
200 hours of field-based experience under mentorship of a certified
interpreter. Course is waived for RID or AVLIC certified interpreters.
There are eight courses that are specific to the
Interpreting Pedagogy Concentration currently underway with VRSII:
Interpreter
Education: Past, Present and Future (3 credit hours)
Students
will review the history of spoken and signed language translator and
interpreter education from the 18th century, including key theories
and people in the field as well as the social, political and legal perspectives
that have influenced the development of interpreter education. They will assess
the current state of interpreter education in the U.S., identify current
issues, and vision together some strategies to move the field forward.
Distance
Learning in Interpreter Education (3 credit hours)
Students
in this course will examine current best practices in distance learning and
effective teaching skills for both distance and face-to-face instruction. Topics covered include online instructional design,
developing objective and measureable learning outcomes, techniques for
assessing student knowledge and skills and how to provide efficient and useful
feedback.
Adult
and Transformative Learning in Interpreter Education (3 credit hours)
Students
are introduced to the body of knowledge concerning adults as learners by
focusing on the principles of adult and collaborative education, determining
learning styles, and selecting appropriate instructional techniques. Students
will review variables that affect adult learning, motivation techniques,
appropriate training methodologies, reinforcement of learning, skill transfer,
and measurement procedures for identifying learner characteristics.
Mentoring
in Interpreter Education (3 credit hours)
Students
will explore their interpersonal and communication strengths and learn the
necessary dynamics of a successful mentor relationship, including the logistics
of mentoring and the challenges encountered. They will explore profiles of
successful mentors and identify goals for themselves as mentors. Students will
analyze a variety of interpreting samples to accurately identify performance
patterns and engage in dialogue with a mentee to determine which patterns
should be the focus of skill enhancement activities. They will practice
techniques for asking reflective questions so mentees can take the lead in
their professional development and skill enhancement activities.
Curriculum
Development and Revision (3 credit hours)
Students
will synthesize information from previous courses in the program by applying it
to curriculum development in interpreter education. Topics include curriculum
standards and maps, course goals and performance objectives, and student
evaluations, and lesson plans. Students will develop instructional methods and
strategies using role-plays, group activities, and case studies. Students will
utilize learning theory to develop a teaching module with instructor manual,
student materials, and media presentations.
Leadership
in Interpreter Education (3 credit hours)
This
course introduces the social, political, and economic context in which colleges
and universities operate. Historical perspectives on the development of higher
education provide students with a background for understanding characteristics
of our current system and future trends. A major focus is exploring how leaders
of higher education can apply current knowledge to renew their commitment to
student learning and more effectively achieve their department mission and
goals.
Internship
I (3 credit hours)
Students
with three years of interpreter education teaching experience at the
post-secondary level are exempt. This course mentors students through the
teaching experience and provides the opportunity to teach in seminars at VRSII
or at UNF during short-term institutes. Course requires onsite attendance in
Salt Lake City, UT or Jacksonville, FL for two days and includes online work
prior to and following the onsite component.
Internship
II (3 credit hours)
This
course is designed for experienced interpreter educators to further develop
skills in teaching the interpreting process, designing curriculum, and
assessing student outcomes. Students will gain mentored experience in online
teaching by working as a Teaching Assistant in interpreter education programs
that offer distance delivery of courses.
Click here for the current graduate catalog's complete course listings and descriptions
