Since 1864, we have been investing in and creating resources for deaf and hard of hearing children, their families, and the professionals who work with them.
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Professional Studies and Training (PST) ASL online courses are offered for non-degree credit by the Center for Continuing and Online Education. The ASL Professional Studies Online courses (ASL I - ASL V) are offered two times per semester during Fall and Spring and ASL I and ASL II courses are offered one time during the Summer. These 8-week accelerated courses are self-paced, but are not the "softer, easier way" to learn! The courses are rigorous in nature. Weekly deadlines have been set to ensure that students have adequate time to complete all assignments within the current session. Students have structured opportunities to meet and exercise their language skills with multiple signing partners through ASL Pals as part of their interactive activity requirements. Online lessons, assignments, and activities are posted online through Blackboard and students are required to log in to submit video assignments electronically and participate in language sessions. Basic computer and Internet literacy is required and students are responsible for establishing their own Internet access, web camera, and GoReact account.
See the minimum computing guidelines to find out what you need to enroll in a course. Then to gauge your online learning readiness, please complete this brief Online Learning Readiness Inventory. Your responses will help identify strengths and weaknesses for success in the online learning environment.
*Courses are not available for audits **Online courses are reserved for external students
This course focuses on the application and expansion of classifiers. Rules will be provided for classifier use in various contexts, emphasizing how the signer’s perspective influences the selection of the appropriate classifier. This course is designed to help students develop comprehension and pro fingerspelling skills used in American Sign Language. Within a range of contexts and using a variety of topics, the instructor will guide the students through extensive fingerspelling drills that emphasize clear form and transitions. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.Pass/fail grading basis. Prerequisite: Completion of ASL II or permission of the department. Tuition: PST: $316 Course Materials: None
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
Intermediate Fingerspelling (1 credit)
This course expands the emphasis on using fingerspelled and abbreviated words as well as lexicalized signs in ASL within a range of contexts. The instructor will guide the student through dialogues and short stories that emphasize clear form and transitions. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class. Pass/fail grading basis. Prerequisite: Completion of ASL III or permission of the department. Tuition: PST: $316 Course materials: None
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
Special Topic: Classifiers I
This course introduces the students to basic classifiers. Skill-building activities are included. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.Pass/Fail grading basis. Prerequisite: Completion of ASL I or permission of department. Tuition: PST: $316 Course materials: None
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
Special Topic: Classifiers II
This course focuses on the application and expansion of classifiers. Rules will be provided for classifier use in various contexts, emphasizing how the signer’s perspective influences the selection of the appropriate classifier. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class. Pass/Fail grading basis. Prerequisite: Completion of ASL III or permission of department. Tuition: PST: $316 Course materials: None
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
Visual Gestural Communication (3 credits)
Students will develop capabilities in non-verbal communication and visual-gestural communication, studying gestures as a form of communication and a basis for visual language. Emphasis is on learning to think in pictures and building production and comprehension communication skills. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class. Prerequisite: None Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: None
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
ASL I (3 credits)
This course introduces the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) and is designed for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. Readiness for learning will be approached via visual-gestural communication techniques, visual discrimination, and visual memory exercises. ASL questions, commands, and other simple sentence structures are introduced to develop rudimentary conversational skills in ASL. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be introduced. Prerequisite: None Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus. 2) GoReact($29.99) Syllabus:ASL I (Online) - PDF Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
This course is designed to continue the development of American Sign Language (ASL) skills with a primary focus on refining the use of basic ASL sentence types. Pronominalization, classifiers, spatial referencing, pluralization, and temporal and distributional aspects are introduced. Students will learn routine communicative functions of the language: asking, requesting, providing clarification, giving and asking for directions. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included. Prerequisite: ASL I with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator. Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at Course Materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus. 2) GoReact($29.99) Syllabus:ASL II (Online) - PDF Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
This course builds on skills learned in American Sign Language (ASL) II, adding more complex ASL grammatical features and vocabulary, short stories, narratives, and dialogues. The course will include a description of general surroundings, appropriate sequencing, temporal aspects, and conditionals. Information about the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture will be included. Prerequisite: ASL II with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator. Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) 2) GoReact($29.99) Syllabus:ASL III (Online) - PDF Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
This course expands on the development of American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary and grammar, including the use of two to three character role shifts. Students describe settings and explain or discuss everyday objects and their use, step-by-step processes, cause and effect, and culturally significant topics relating to the Deaf Community. Prerequisite: ASL III with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator. Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus. 2) GoReact($29.99) Syllabus:ASL IV (Online) - PDF Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
This course applies knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) grammar and vocabulary to the description of increasingly complex constructs, processes, and situations. Students incorporate multiple character role shifting into medium-length stories, narratives and the discussion of hypothetical issues. Information on cultural values and attitudes as they relate to the Deaf Community is also examined. This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class. Prerequisite: ASL IV with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator. Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) Purchase textbook(s) at eCampus. 2) GoReact ($29.99) Click to view ASL V Syllabus in PDF format for more information. Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
This course is synchronous. Meeting times and days will be determined on the first day of class.
ASL VI (3 credits)
This course applies knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) grammar and vocabulary to the description of increasingly complex constructs, processes, and situations. Students incorporate multiple character role shifting into medium-length stories, narratives and the discussion of hypothetical issues. Information on cultural values and attitudes as they relate to the Deaf Community is also examined. Prerequisite: ASL V with a grade of "B" or better, or equivalent and permission of program coordinator. Tuition: PST: $950 Course materials: 1) None 2) GoReact($29.99) Syllabus:ASL VI - PDF Note: Payment must be received to finalize your course registration.
