Deaf Communication Studies: American Sign Language - CS
Certificate of Specialization| 24 credit hours minimum
Area of Interest: Communications, Design, and Creative Arts
Program Description:
The Certificate of Specialization in Deaf Communication Studies: American Sign Language teaches introductory and intermediate American Sign Language (ASL), the native, indigenous language of the North American Deaf community. Graduates of the ASL Certificate program will be able to carry on extended conversations in ASL on everyday topics, choose conceptually accurate signs to express their thoughts, articulate the signs correctly, order the signs into ASL sentence patterns, and receptively comprehend ASL at an equivalent level. The ASL Certificate is ideal for hearing people who have Deaf family members, friends, or co-workers, for those who serve Deaf clients, for Deaf individuals who want to learn to communicate in sign language, and for students who need to learn ASL before enrolling in the Interpreter Education Program.
Locations. This program is offered in its entirety at Florissant Valley and Wildwood.
Related Programs. The Deaf Communication Studies Department offers an associate in the following area:
Deaf Communication Studies: Interpreter Education, Associate in Applied Science
Cost of Attendance. For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES.
Program Career and Salary Information. Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at the following URL: https://scorecard.mo.gov/scorecard/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.
The following limitations to the data apply: Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.
Interested in this program? Start the enrollment process by visiting the Apply to STLCC page.
At the completion of the program, students are expected to:
- converse for five to ten minutes on everyday topics such as introductions, self-care, home, family, daily schedules and activities, interests, and simple stories.
- incorporate conceptually accurate intermediate ASL vocabulary including classifiers and idioms, spatialization, directional verbs, and role shifting to convey their thoughts.
- articulate signs on the hands, face, and body.
- construct a variety of ASL sentence types.
- demonstrate receptive and expressive fingerspelling.
- employ the standard basic terminology of ASL linguistics.
- demonstrate basic knowledge of the US Deaf community including origins of ASL, Deaf education, assistive technology, Deaf communication modes, and issues in Deafness.
Program of Study
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Requirements | ||
| DCS 104 | American Sign Language I (MOTR LANG 105) | 4 |
| DCS 105 | American Sign Language II (MOTR LANG 106) | 4 |
| DCS 107 | Fingerspelling and Numbers | 3 |
| DCS 108 | The Interpreting Profession | 2 |
| DCS 111 | American Sign Language Linguistics | 3 |
| DCS 115 | Introduction to Deaf Culture | 3 |
| DCS 116 | American Sign Language Semantics | 3 |
| DCS 124 | Concept Associations in American Sign Language | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |
Full-Time Academic Plan
PLEASE NOTE: If you originally enrolled at STLCC prior to Fall 2024, you may need to view an archived catalog for your correct program requirements. Please speak with an advisor or the program coordinator for more information.
| First Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| DCS 104 | American Sign Language I (MOTR LANG 105) | 4 | Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 111 | American Sign Language Linguistics | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in DCS 104 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 115 | Introduction to Deaf Culture | 3 | Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 124 | Concept Associations in American Sign Language | 2 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in DCS 104 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |||
| Spring | Credit Hours | Prerequisites | Milestones/Notes | |
| DCS 105 | American Sign Language II (MOTR LANG 106) | 4 | DCS 104 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 107 | Fingerspelling and Numbers | 3 | DCS 104 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 108 | The Interpreting Profession | 2 | Reading Proficiency | |
| DCS 116 | American Sign Language Semantics | 3 | Concurrent or prior enrollment in DCS 105 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |||
*Click on the hyperlinked course number to view additional information about the course.
**Students completing a course that has been assigned a MOTR number may transfer that course to any public institution in Missouri. Those who complete CORE 42 requirements will have that verification on their transcript.
*** It is your responsibility to verify that the courses listed above will transfer to the four-year institution of your choice. Maximize your transfer credits/classes by meeting with an academic advisor.