Interpreter Education (American Sign Language)

Earn an Associate in Applied Science - Interpreter Education (ASL) or obtain a certificate in ASL only. If you plan to earn the associate degree, we do not recommend that you take summer ASL classes for course sequencing reasons.

The college catalog lists the interpreter education program options, courses, eligibility, and requirements currently available at Central Piedmont. 

If you would like information on opportunities to transfer associate degree credit to a four-year institution, please visit the Transfer Resource Center.

Because you have to first learn ASL to become an ASL interpreter, the associate degree typically takes four years of part-time study (9–11 credits per term) to complete. Most semesters, you will take between nine and 11 credits.

For detailed information on interpreter education program options, courses, eligibility, and requirements, visit the Central Piedmont Community College catalog.

Contact your advisor for help planning your courses.

ASL Course Placement

Even if you grew up as a heritage signer or interacting with Deaf family members, you will be required to take an ASL placement interview if you would like to place out of introductory ASL courses. Additionally, if it has been two consecutive terms or more since your last ASL course, you will need to demonstrate that you have retained the knowledge and skills necessary to move to the next level.

If you do not already have college level ASL credit, you do not need to schedule a placement interview. You can enroll in ASL 111/181 to begin your ASL learning experience.

Schedule a Placement Interview

In order to take the placement interview, you will need a student ID number. If you are not a current Central Piedmont student, please apply to the college. After you have enrolled at Central Piedmont, contact Donnie Dove to schedule a time for taking the interview. 

The ASL interview is administered in the ASL Lab on the third floor of the Cato III Building on Cato Campus. Be sure to bring your Central Piedmont student ID card and transcripts from your previous college/university with you to the ASL placement interview. Plan for two hours to complete all placement interview procedures. The interview may be in person, or you may also interview by Zoom if you have access to an appropriate computer, webcam, and high-speed internet service. All placement interview decisions are made jointly by the faculty and are final.

Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI)

To progress into interpreter training classes, you must take the sign language proficiency interview at the end of your ASL 212/282 course, passing at an intermediate level or higher. The cost of the interview is included in your ASL 282 lab fees. Sign language proficiency interview scores a year old or older are not valid.

ASL is the official language of the interpreter education program. At Central Piedmont, we want to create an environment that is as close to an immersion environment as possible. Once in the interpreter education program, you should use ASL, gestural, or written communication in the classroom, in the ASL lab, and when any Deaf individuals are in your presence. You are also strongly encouraged to continue to use ASL in the halls and public spaces of the college, when you are socializing and studying with your classmates, and with all faculty and staff in the program.

The purpose of this policy is to facilitate language development for all students as quickly as possible.

Foundational courses are typically offered both in the evenings and during the day at multiple locations to accommodate students taking ASL for modern language credit only. All other courses are offered only at the Cato Campus and during the day, as most interpreting work-based learning opportunities are available in the daytime.

ASL Lab (Cato III Building, Room 316)

Lab facilitators are Deaf native language users. They provide personalized assistance and provide clarification on assignments during lab hours. ASL tutoring is also available to students currently enrolled in the program. 

All labs are outfitted with state-of-the-art software and iMac workstations to foster language development and interpreting practice.

An ASL-English interpreter serves as an ally within the Deaf Community. They interpret utilizing cultural understanding, visual cues, and well-reasoned ethical and linguistic decisions.  

The state of North Carolina has very strict regulations regarding who may work as a sign language interpreter in exchange for compensation. For community interpreters, these regulations are overseen by the NC Interpreters and Transliterators Licensing Board under NC General Statute 90-D, which mandates that all interpreters working in community settings must be licensed by the State of NC to practice in the State.

Educational interpreters working in the K-12 setting must pass the Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment at a level 3.3 or greater. An Associate in Applied Science in interpreting is one of the steps to qualify for a provisional license. Provisional licenses must be renewed annually and then converted to a full license.

In order to convert from a provisional license to a full license, interpreters must obtain National Interpreter Certification (NIC) through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). In order to sit for the National Interpreter Certification exam, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any field of study or the equivalent of a bachelor's degree as described in the RID Alternate Pathway.

So, it is important to know, if you wish to become a community interpreter, you are ultimately making a commitment to obtain a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of 120 college level credit hours. Some of our students work on their bachelor’s degree concurrently to studying in our interpreter education program. Other students already have a bachelor’s degree when they enter the program and still others obtain their bachelor’s degree at other institutions after graduation from Central Piedmont with an associate degree in interpreting.

The associate degree usually takes four years part-time (9-11 credits per year) to complete.  Although most associate degrees typically require two years to complete, the Associate Degree in Interpreter Education requires four years so that students have sufficient time to develop their ASL skills before learning to interpret.  

Students are then eligible to get a provisional license and/or take the Educational Interpreters Performance Assessment to work in K-12 schools in North Carolina. Within four or five years, many graduates complete the National Interpreter Certification. A bachelor’s degree in any subject is required for this certification.  

Interpreters may work in the community, government, private industry, K-12 and post-secondary education, healthcare, video relay, and more. 

For up-to-date information on medical assistant salaries, please visit Central Piedmont's Career Coach.