AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AA: 608
608
Program Description
The associate of arts degree program in American
Sign Language is a transfer-degree program designed
for students who plan to enter fields in which they
would work with Deaf people on a daily basis. The
program fosters the acquisition of the language and
culture of the Deaf in the United States and Canada.
Following the national standards established by the
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages, the program focuses on communication
through the study of semantics, syntax, pragmatics,
and culture. Following program completion, students
would transfer to a four-year degree program
majoring in American Sign Language, Deaf studies,
Deaf education, interpreter education, or social work.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of this program a student will be
able to:
Demonstrate an appreciation of the culture and
cultural practices of the Deaf community and
support ASL as the visual language of the Deaf
community.
Effectively utilize signed communicative and
interpreting skills learned in the classroom in
general situations in and out of the Deaf
community.
Achieve an overall proficiency rating in all skill
areas, both linguistic and pragmatic, of 2.5 on the
MC Sign Language Proficiency Interview (MC-
SLPI) in all skills areas.
Program Advisors
Do you have questions about your academic plan or
would you like to learn more about the American
Sign Language AA program? Our ASL advisors
are eager to talk with you! Feel free to contact ASL
advisors by mail or phone. Please include "ASL
Advising Request" as the subject of your email to
help advisors respond to you more quickly. They
would be happy to answer your questions about the
program and work with you on the development of
an academic plan
Ro
ckville
P
rof. Cristina Daley Butler
240-567- 7389
Cristina.butler@montgomerycollege.edu
F
or more information please visit:
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/asl
Online Advising
For more information about the American Sign
Language program, please review our
ASLP
General Advising Module and complete the ASLP
Advising Feedback Form to receive more
information.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AA: 608
Total Credits: 60
Catalog Edition: 2018-2019
2018-2019
First Semester (Starting in Fall)
ASLP 100 ASL I
3 semester hours
ASLP 105 Visual Gestural Communication
3 semester hours
ASLP 106 Fingerspelling and Number Use
3 semester hours
ENGL 101 Introduction to College Writing
3 semester hours
PSYC 102 General Psychology (BSSD)
3 semester hours
Second Semester
ASLP 110 ASL II
3 semester hours
ASLP 121 Intro to Deaf Community and
Culture
3 semester hours
English foundation
3 semester hours
Mathematics foundation
3 semester hours
Natural science distribution with lab
4 semester hours
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Associate of Arts: 608
Third Semester
ASLP 200 ASL III
3 semester hours
ASLP 205 Structural ASL I
3 semester hours
ASLP 222 Deaf History and Culture
3 semester hours
Arts distribution
3 semester hours
Natural science distribution without lab
3 semester hours
Fourth Semester
ASLP 206 Structural ASL II
3 semester hours
ASLP 207 ASL Translation and
Interpretation
3 semester hours
ASLP 210 ASL IV
3 semester hours
ASLP 269 Independent Study in ASL
1-4 semester hours
HLTH 105 Personal and Community
Health
3 semester hours
Suggested Course Sequence
A suggested course sequence for full-time students follows. All students should review this advising
guide and consult an advisor.
Advising Notes
ASL courses offered only in Fall: ASLP 200, 205, 222
ASL courses offered only in Spring: ASLP 206, 207, 210, 269
Total Credit Hours: 60
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE A.A. (R): 608
Total Credits: 60
Catalog Edition 17-18
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Course Hours Grade
ENGL 101 or ENGL 101A (if needed for ENGL102/103 or Elective)* 3
SL 105/ASLP 105 3
SL 106/ASLP 106 3
SL 200/ASLP 200 3
SL 205/ASLP 205 3
SL 206/ASLP 206 3
SL 207/ASLP 207 3
SL 210/ASLP 210 3
SL 222/ASLP 222 3
May be taken for 1-4 hours (Need 2 hours to complete 60 credits)
SL 269/ASLP 269
Overall GPA of 2.0 is required to graduate
Last Modified: July 2018
Total Credits:
American Sign Language Website
GENERAL EDUCATION: DISTRIBUTION COURSES Course Hours Grade
Arts Distribution (ARTD)
Humanities Distribution (HUMD)
SL 100/ASLP 100
Behavioral & Social Sciences Distribution (BSSD)
SL 121/ASLP 121 3
Behavioral & Social Sciences Distribution (BSSD)
PY 102/PSYC 102 3
Natural Sciences Distribution with Lab (NSLD)
4
Natural Sciences Distribution without Lab (NSND)
3
General Education Institutional Requirement (GEIR)
SL 110/ASLP 110 3
General Education Institutional Requirement (GEIR)
HE 101/HLTH105 3
GENERAL EDUCATION: FOUNDATION COURSES Course Hours Grade
English Foundation (EN 102/ENGL 102 or EN 109/ENGL 103)
3
Math Foundation (MATH 110, 115, 117, 120, 130, 150, 165, 170, or 181)
CONSULT COUNSELING FACULTY/FACULTY ADVISOR ABOUT CHOICE
The Associate of Arts degree program in American Sign Language is a transfer-degree program designed for
students who plan to enter fields in which they would work with Deaf people on a daily basis. The program fosters
the acquisition of the language and culture of the Deaf in the United States and Canada. Following the national
standards established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the program focuses on
communication through the study of semantics, syntax, pragmatics, and cultures. Following program completion,
students would transfer to a four-year degree program majoring in American sign language, Deaf studies, Deaf
education, interpreter education, or social work.
This degree is a career program and may not readily transfer to four year colleges/universities (except in special cases.) Visit transfer planning for more information.
This UNOFFICIAL document is for planning purposes ONLY and completion does not guarantee graduation.
Global Perspectives requirement:
Advising Worksheet Contact: Anthony Solano
See an advisor to submit an Application for Graduation the semester BEFORE you intend to graduate.
SL 121/ASLP 121
*
ENGL 101/ENGL 101A, if needed for ENGL 102/ENGL 103, or Elective
Name: Date: ID #:
2
3
3
3 or 4
M
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AA: 608
608
Transfer Opportunities
Montgomery College has partnerships with
multiple four-year institutions and the tools to
help you transfer. To learn more please visit:
http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/Transfer/
or
http://artsys.usmd.edu/
Get Involved at MC!
Employers and Transfer Institutions are looking
for experience outside the classroom.
MC Student Clubs and Organizations
https://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/plain.asp
x?id=2439
Related Careers
There are many promising career opportunities
for people who are proficient in American Sign
Language (ASL). The Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports that the demand for Sign
Language Interpreters is expected to grow 46%
from 2012 to 2022, which represents a surge of
29,300 jobs. The requirements for interpreters
vary from licensing, formal preparation
(Associates, Bachelors or Masters) to doctoral
degrees.
Being fluent in ASL can also open doors to
specialized careers in various fields, including
therapy, technology, education, health, tourism
and many other recreational services, to name a
few.
American Sign Language Mentoring
Program
Our ASL Mentoring Program creates opportunities
for ASL students to remain on course to complete
program requirements and to stay engaged in the
acquisition of language skills. If you have
questions that you want to ask an experienced or
native signer, or if you just want to practice ASL,
you can have free, one-on-one or group mentoring
sessions. For more information about ASL
mentoring, contact the Department of World
Languages and Philosophy (Macklin Tower 429;
240-567-5393).
Career Coach
A valuable online search tool that will give you the
opportunity to explore hundreds of potential
careers or job possibilities in Maryland and the
Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Get started
today on your road to a new future and give it a
try. Visit the website listed below:
https://montgomerycollege.emsicareercoach.com
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AA: 608
Important Facts
Why should I learn American Sign
Language (ASL) at MC?
Our students are motivated to study ASL for a
variety of professional and personal reasons.
Many of our students are interested in becoming
interpreters, so gaining fluency in ASL and
learning more about Deaf culture are integral
first steps. Others are pursuing fields like
education, speech-language pathology,
audiology, counseling, or social work, where
they will benefit from knowledge of ASL. Even
if their major does not explicitly require
knowledge of ASL, students in many different
service-related positions—childcare, retail, and
morediscover ASL to be an asset when
interacting with Deaf community members.
In addition to opening the door to many
professional opportunities, students often study
ASL for personal reasons. Many of our students
study ASL because they wish to communicate
with Deaf family and friends. Some of our
students are Deaf or hard of hearing themselves
and study ASL to learn more about the structure
and syntax of their own language; others are
international students who use different sign
languages and want to learn American Sign
Language as well. Regardless of your
motivation, you will find committed instructors,
relevant content, and engaged student peers in
our program.
Do you have prior experience with ASL?
The Department of World Languages and
Philosophy has an assessment instrument to
place students out of ASLP100. Please contact
us (Macklin Tower 429; 240-567-5393) if you
have prior experience with ASL, and we will
help you meet with the ASL coordinator or a
faculty member to evaluate your skills. Please
note, at this time we do not offer credit by
exam. If you are majoring or seeking a degree in
ASL, you must meet with the department chair
and/or an ASL advisor to discuss course
substitution to meet General Education
distribution requirements
.
Can I get both the AA and the
certificate?
Yes! In fact, we recommend that all students
pursuing the A.A. in ASL also declare their
intent to pursue a certificate as well. The
overlap in required courses means that you can
pursue both simultaneously and graduate from
MC with both a degree and a credential. If you
have declared your major and are currently
pursuing the AA but not the certificate, contact
an advisor today to add the certificate
.
Online Advising
For more information about the American Sign
Language program, please review our
ASLP
General Advising Module and complete the
ASLP Advising Form to receive more
information.