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AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND DEAF STUDIES

College of Education-Undergraduate Studies in Education

• COMPLETE COURSE LISTING
• BACHELOR OF ARTS
• MINOR
• CAREER POSSIBILITIES
• FACULTY
• CONTACT

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

American Sign Language and Deaf Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in American and world society. The program promotes the understanding of deaf people as a linguistic and cultural group and encourages students to analyze existing stereotypes and policies relating to deaf and hard-of-hearing people in order to work both within their own communities and others in affecting change for the betterment of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

With an ASL and Deaf Studies Minor, students may obtain entry-level jobs in settings working with the deaf such as residential supervisor, classroom aide, vocational trainer, and much more. Students may also combine an ASL and Deaf Studies Minor with a related major field of study such as education, counseling, audiology and speech therapy for a more well-rounded grounding in the issues relating to the deaf and hard-of-hearing in their field. Students in fields which are not specifically deaf-related such as nursing, law, computer engineering, and many more may also experience an edge in gaining employment, whether in deaf-related settings or not, with a minor in ASL and Deaf Studies compared to those without similar coursework or experience.

Further, students having completed the ASL and Deaf Studies Minor may be able to waive similar coursework at other universities with specialized fields of study relating to deafness that may not be offered in the Sacramento region.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Units required for Major 41-44
Minimum total units required for the BA: 120

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

Requirements - Bachelor of Arts - American Sign Language/Deaf Studies

Required Courses (41-44 units)

(3)	DEAF 51	American Sign Language 1
(3)	DEAF 52	American Sign Language 2 (DEAF 51 or equivalent)
(4)	DEAF 53	American Sign Language 3 (DEAF 52 or equivalent)
(1)	DEAF 56	ASL Fingerspelling and Numbers (DEAF 52)
(2)	DEAF 57	ASL Classifiers (DEAF 53; may be taken concurrently)
(3)	DEAF 60	Introduction to Deaf Studies
(4)	DEAF 154	American Sign Language 4 (DEAF 53 or equivalent)
(4)	DEAF 155	American Sign Language 5 (DEAF 154 or instructor permission)
(3)	DEAF 161	Deaf History (DEAF 60; may be taken concurrently)
(3)	DEAF 162	Deaf Culture and Community (DEAF 60; may be taken concurrently)
(3)	DEAF 163	American Sign Language Literature (DEAF 57, DEAF 60, DEAF 154, DEAF 161, DEAF 162, DEAF 164)
(3)	DEAF 164	Sign Language Structure and Usage (DEAF 154 or instructor permission)
(2-5)	DEAF 165	Seminar: Current Issues in the Deaf World (DEAF 60, DEAF 154, DEAF 161, DEAF 162)
(3)	DEAF 166	Experiences in the Deaf Community (DEAF 155, DEAF 161, DEAF 162, DEAF 164)

Requirements - Minor - American Sign Language/Deaf Studies

American Sign Language (ASL)/Deaf Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in American and world society. The program promotes the understanding of deaf people as a linguistic and cultural group and encourages students to analyze existing stereotypes and policies relating to deaf and hard-of-hearing people in order to work both within their own communities and others in affecting change for the betterment of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

With an ASL/Deaf Studies Minor, students may obtain entry-level jobs in settings working with the deaf such as residential supervisor, classroom aide, vocational trainer, and much more. Students may also combine an ASL/Deaf Studies Minor with a related major field of study such as education, counseling, audiology and speech therapy for a more well-rounded grounding in the issues relating to the deaf and hard-of-hearing in their field. Students in fields which are not specifically deaf-related such as nursing, law, computer engineering, and many more may also experience an edge in gaining employment, whether in deaf-related settings or not, with a minor in ASL/Deaf Studies compared to those without similar coursework or experience. Further, students having completed the ASL/Deaf Studies Minor may be able to waive similar coursework at other universities with specialized fields of study relating to deafness that may not be offered in the Sacramento region.

Required Courses (23 units)

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

(3)	DEAF 51	American Sign Language 1
(3)	DEAF 52	American Sign Language 2 (DEAF 51 or equivalent)
(4)	DEAF 53	American Sign Language 3 (DEAF 52 or equivalent)
(3)	DEAF 60	Introduction to Deaf Studies
(4)	DEAF 154	American Sign Language 4 (DEAF 53 or equivalent)
(3)	DEAF 161	Deaf History and Education (DEAF 60: may be taken concurrently)
(3)	DEAF 162	Deaf Culture and Community (DEAF 60; may be taken concurrently)

Career Options

Deaf Studies majors and minors can enter careers in both public and private sectors. Students may combine an ASL/Deaf Studies Major with a related Minor field of study such as Education, Counseling, Audiology, or Speech Therapy. Deaf Studies will provide students with a well-rounded grounding in the issues relating to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in their fields. Students pursuing careers in the areas of health services, legal advocacy, and social services may also experience an edge in gaining employment.

Possible Careers

•Administrative Assistant • Community Advocate • Corporate Support Staff • Community Relations Specialist • Educational Paraprofessional • Human Resources Officer • Legal/Political Professional • Vocational Training Paraprofessional

With Additional Training, Students Can Pursue the Following Careers

•ASL Instructor • Counselor: Resident, School, Youth • Sign Language Interpreter • Social Worker • Teacher K-12

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