Sign Language Interpretation and Translation

Types of Degrees Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many sign language interpretation & translation graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	464
Bachelor’s Degree	336
Basic Certificate	305
Undergraduate Certificate	224
Master’s Degree	71
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to sign language interpretation and translation and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in sign language interpretation and translation should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Skills for Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to sign language interpretation and translation:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Majors

A major in sign language interpretation and translation will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Major?

People with a sign language interpretation and translation degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Interpreters and Translators	17.7%	$49,930

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Sign Language Interpretation and Translation?

The major attracts more women than men. About 90% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of sign language interpretation and translation majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	17
Hispanic or Latino	50
White	243
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	21

Geographic Diversity

Sign Language Interpretation and Translation appeals to people across the globe. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Sign Language Interpretation and Translation

Some careers associated with sign language interpretation and translation require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for sign language interpretation and translation careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	52.1%
Master’s Degree	25.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	8.9%

Online Sign Language Interpretation and Translation Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	40	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	92	3
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	5	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Sign Language Interpretation and Translation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to sign language interpretation and translation.

Major	Number of Grads
American Sign Language (ASL)	928
Linguistics of ASL & Other Sign Languages	8
Other American Sign Language	4

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By PsiДҐedelisto under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.