Gallaudet University is the only university in the world that offers both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in ASL-English Interpretation. Gallaudet provides a unique opportunity for interpretation majors to live, study, and interact with Deaf people from the United States and around the world.

The B.A. in Interpretation (BAI) program consists of a comprehensive, sequenced, and integrated series of courses and experiences that are intended to provide students with knowledge, fieldwork, techniques and interpreting skills in interactive interpreting in education, medical, business and government settings. The interpreting internship varies from student to student. The BAI program mainly is in a four-year format and consists of 36 credits in the major, which includes coursework, fieldwork and field internship. Students take supporting courses in ASL and Deaf studies, biology, business, communication studies, linguistics and psychology, Part-time study is also available.

Deaf and hard of hearing prospective students must first be accepted through Undergraduate Admissions in order to apply for the BAI program. The process for declaring your major in BAI will begin upon arrival of your first semester and you will work with your Academic Advisor at this time. Contact admissions@gallaudet.edu for information about undergraduate admissions requirements.

Hearing prospective students who want to apply for the BAI program should contact the BAI/HUG Admissions Counselor at bai.hug@gallaudet.edu. For those who are current HUG students interested in applying for the BAI program, please reach out to Dr. Steven Collins, Coordinator of the BAI program, at steven.collins@gallaudet.edu.

For the current Deaf students, please download and print the application form from this link. Send the completed application form with required documents to Dr. Steven Collins, BAI Coordinator at HMB 1405.

To see two-year, three-year and four-years plans, click the following links.
1. two-year target goals
2. three-year target goals
3. four-year target goals

Gallaudet University's BA in Interpretation program has an articulation agreement with the following community colleges' interpreter education programs:

  • Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Austin Community College, Austin, Texas
  • Front Range Community College, Westminster, Colorado
  • Ohlone College, Fremont, California
  • John A. Logan College, Carterville, Illinois
  • Northern Virginia Community College, Springfield, Virginia
  • Western Piedmont Community College, Morganton, North Carolina

With the articulation agreement, some interpretation courses are transferable to the Gallaudet BAI program. Contact these community colleges with the articulation agreement and Gallaudet undergraduate admissions for further information.

Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Interpretation Program apply academic, professional and world knowledge to the choices and decisions they make while interpreting.

  1. Graduates of the Interpretation Program apply academic, professional, real world and current events knowledge to the choices and decisions they make while interpreting.
  2. Graduates of the Interpretation Program demonstrate an understanding of multi-cultural approaches to the work of interpretation, and are able to demonstrate effective bi-lingual and bi-cultural practice within their work and with diverse populations.
  3. Graduates of the Interpreting Program assess and analyze their own competencies for interpreting in relation to a variety of interpreting settings and in relation to a variety of participants in interpreted interactions.
  4. Graduates of the interpreting program effectively interpret face-to-face encounters in dialogic/one-on-one, small group and low-risk monologic settings with a variety of participants.
  5. Graduates of the interpreting program apply professional standards, practices, and ethics, not limited to the tenets of the Code of Professional Conduct, to their work.
  6. Graduates of the interpreting program effectively conduct a small research project on topics related to interpretation.
  7. Graduates of the interpreting program demonstrate professional boundaries with consumers, with respect and tact.
Interpretation
Department Courses

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