Associate Degree in
Associate in American Sign Language Degree Berkeley City College
Introduction
Berkeley City College’s ASL Program enables students to acquire the communicative competence in ASL and the cultural sensitivity needed to interact successfully with members of the American Deaf community. American Sign Language (ASL) is the fourth most used language in the United States. It is the major language that the American Deaf population uses.
Students who will benefit from this program include the following: those who wish to expand their language skills and cultural knowledge to enhance other majors (e.g., interpreting, education, social work, and psychology); those who need to fulfill a university foreign language requirement; parents of deaf children; and deafened adults. Students will develop skills that will also make them more marketable to potential employers who encounter the Deaf.
Program Outcome
Students who complete the program will be able to:
- Demonstrate expressive competence in ASL.
- Demonstrate receptive competence in ASL.
- Demonstrate awareness of and respect for the language, history, and culture of Deaf people, including their values, beliefs, and customs.
- Demonstrate appropriate cultural behavior at events where a majority of attendees are Deaf people and ASL native signers
Curriculum
Recommended Course Sequence
You can use the following pattern to complete an Associate in Arts degree or a Certificate of Achievement in American Sign Language. This is only one possible pattern. If you wish to earn an associate degree or certificate, you must participate in the Student Success Program (Matriculation), which includes assessing academic skills and developing a Student Education Plan (SEP) with a Counselor. This plan will map your sequence of courses to help you complete your degree regardless of the semester you begin classes.
1st Semester/Fall
- American Sign Language I
- History and Culture of Deaf People in America I
- General Education or Elective classes for AA
Total 15
2nd Semester/Spring
- American Sign Language II
- General Education or Elective classes for AA
Total 15
Summer Session
- Classifiers I
- Finger spelling and Numbers I
3rd Semester/Fall
- American Sign Language III
- Structure of American Sign Language
- Fingerspelling and Numbers II
- General Education or Elective classes for AA
Total 15
4th Semester/Spring
- American Sign Language IV
- History and Culture of Deaf People in America II
- Classifiers II
- Occupational Work Experience in American Sign Language
- General Education or Elective classes for AA
Total 15
*ASL 200A (Classifiers I, 2 Units) and ASL 202A (Fingerspelling and Numbers I, 1 Unit) are optional classes.