The goal of the Interpretation B.S. program is to prepare students to become professional interpreters who are language mediators between people who do not share the same language (between ASL signers and English speakers). Interpreters must remain neutral and do not actively advocate for the ASL community nor express their own thoughts while performing their duties.
National Accreditation
As an indicator of the high quality of our program, we are nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education. There are only 15 CCIE accredited programs in the United States.
Program Length: 4 to 5 Years
Our ITP program runs on a two-year cycle, which means that students may be here a total of 4 years or 5 years depending on the year of entry and the number of transfer credits. Because many of our classes are skill-based, they must be taken in a strict sequence. Additionally, some of our classes are only offered once every two years. See the bottom of this page for a suggested program sequence depending on which year you enter EKU.
Pre-ITP Major
All students who are admitted to EKU and declare their major in our program begin as Pre-ITP students and must apply to the full ITP major after completing the ITP admission prerequisites. During the first 1 – 3 years, students work on developing the foundation of their ASL fluency along with completing the General Education classes required for a bachelor’s degree.
Not Offered Online
Our Interpretation B.S. program (ITP for short) is a traditional Face-to-Face program.
ASL Foundation and Gen Eds.
Developing fluency in ASL as a second language is a considerable challenge and takes years of language immersion and education. Students begin taking the first of many ASL skill-based classes during their first semester along with the General Education curriculum. It is also recommended that students constantly use ASL outside of the class/lab and be involved in the ASL Living Learning Community, the ASLA student organization, and other Deaf community events in Kentucky.
Applying to the Full ITP Major
If you are not currently an EKU student, you will first need to fill out the free online application.
We currently accept students into the full major on a two-year cycle (e.g. 2024, 2026, etc.). Applications are accepted in the spring of even-numbered years.
Please note, we are no longer accepting applications for the 2024 cohort.
ITP Full Major Admission Criteria
- Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher by the end of the semester preceding application, and
- ASL 106 with a grade of “Satisfactory”, and
- ASL 201 and 202 with a grade of “B” or higher, and
- ITP 215W and 220 with a grade of “C” or higher, and
- Completed the Degrees of Reading Power Language Test, and
- Letters of Recommendation, and
- Completed admission interview by the ITP Interview Committee
Progression and Retention
- Grade of “C” or higher is required for all ITP and lecture-based ASL courses (ASL 225, 325, 390, 425), and
- Grade of “B” or higher is required (with the exception of no more than one grade of “C”) for all skill-based ASL courses (ASL 301, 302, 305, 306), and
- Maintain a 2.75 GPA in the major
Please refer to the full program information and course descriptions in the official online EKU Undergraduate Catalog.
Application to the program does not guarantee admission. Admission to EKU as a Pre-ITP major is not synonymous with admission to the ITP. Due to accreditation requirements and available resources, this program has limited enrollment (around 20 students). Each application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and the student will be notified of the committee’s decision.
Departmental Credit by Examinations are offered for the following courses: ASL 101, 102, 201 and 202.