UNC plans new bachelor's degree in ASL Studies

The University of Northern Colorado says a new bachelor's degree in ASL Studies will soon be available for students seeking advanced ASL proficiency without specifically pursuing interpreter careers.

The idea for the degree came partly from Melinda Kisling's experience seeing interest in ASL classes among students outside the ASL program, UNC said. “It might be because people are seeing sign language more around campus through our students, through interpreters or however else, and become interested that way,” Kisling said.

UNC says faculty members are looking to develop new offerings for students in the coming years. The university says it is developing two professional certificates: Leadership and Supervision for Interpreters and Legal Interpreting.

UNC's article says demand for ASL interpreters is at an all-time high. The ASL-English Interpretation program welcomed its largest student cohort in UNC history in 2026, which UNC says reflects growing demand for trained ASL interpreters and the university's effort to meet that demand. UNC says its Teaching ASL master's program welcomed its largest cohort in four years in 2026, with enrollment more than doubling from 2025.

Randy Thuesen said there is no detailed federal definition of what makes an ASL interpreter qualified. He said each state has its own standards for interpreters, and a professional qualified in one state might not be able to get a job in another. UNC says its English Interpretation programs aim to educate students to the highest level and use the strictest standards for preparing professional signed-language interpreters. “If someone accepts a job as an interpreter without appropriate skills or credentials, they can have a huge impact on a deaf person’s life — or a hearing person’s, for that matter,” Thuesen said.