The new degree will be one of seven four-year degrees offered by the college
LAS VEGAS, August 1, 2018 – The College of Southern Nevada is pleased to announce a new bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies, designed to help overcome a critical shortage of nationally certified interpreters in the state.
Both the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents have approved the new degree.
“We are thrilled to add this important program that supports those with hearing disabilities in our region,” said CSN President Margo Martin. “This will help eliminate the shortage of interpreters for the deaf, who often need assistance with legal, medical, educational and social service matters.”
CSN was the first college in Nevada to offer a degree program for sign language interpreters back in 2002. The college has previously offered associate degrees in Deaf Studies and Interpreter Preparation. The interpreter degree will be replaced with the new Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Deaf Studies with an emphasis in American Sign Language/English Interpreting. To obtain national interpreter certification, interpreters for the deaf are required to obtain a bachelor’s degree prior to qualifying for testing. There are fewer than 100 nationally certified interpreters in Nevada to serve more than 39,000 people with hearing disabilities.
The new Bachelor of Applied Science degree program will launch this fall. It will be one of seven bachelor’s degrees offered at CSN, each of them in areas with high needs, including emergency services, dental hygiene, medical laboratory science, project management and cardiorespiratory science.