Program Overview
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Site: Extended Campus/Distance
Mode: Distance-Online
Start term: Summer
Chair: Barbara Garrett, Ph.D.
Teaching ASL M.A. Program Manager: Pauline Ballentine
Location: McKee Room 525
Videophone: 970-373-4321
Telephone: 970-351-1060
Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/asl-interpreting/
The Teaching American Sign Language (TASL) M.A. Program is a distance delivered master’s degree with required onsite summer sessions which prepares instructors to teach American Sign Language (ASL) on the post-secondary level. The focus of this program is on pedagogical coursework as applicable to teaching ASL as a foreign or as a modern language, not learning or mastering ASL. Therefore, all students must demonstrate ASL proficiency through an informal screening prior to acceptance into the program.
Please note: The licensure option is available through the Teaching American Sign Language (TASL) M.A.: Licensure: World Languages (Grades K-12) Program.
Admission
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
Program Requirements:
Admissions requirements:
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 or better, on a 4.00 point scale, from the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
- International applicants must pass the TOEFL exam with a minimum score of 550 or 90 for the internet based exam.
Application requirements:
- Complete the online application for the UNC Graduate School and pay the graduate application fee.
- Send all official transcripts to the UNC Graduate School.
- Submit two letters of recommendation from supervisors/teachers who know the applicant’s work to the UNC Graduate School.
- Submit a 1-2 page statement of educational goals and philosophy to the UNC Graduate School.
- All applicants will be required to demonstrate ASL proficiency prior to acceptance to the TASL Program.
Application Deadline: February 15th for the following summer. However, applications will be accepted until all spots have been filled. Applicants will be notified no later than April 15th whether they have been accepted into the program or not.
Demonstration of ASL Proficiency.
Although all applicants will undergo an informal screening for the application process, all students will be required to submit the results of their American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) prior to the practicum courses, TASL 593 and TASL 594.
Degree Requirements — 30 Credits
Required Concentration Credits — 30 credit hours
| TASL 501 | First and Second Language Acquisition in ASL | 3 |
| TASL 502 | ASL Teaching Methods | 3 |
| TASL 503 | ASL Assessment and Testing | 3 |
| TASL 504 | ASL Curriculum Development and Design | 3 |
| TASL 505 | Teaching Deaf Community, Culture, and ASL Literature | 3 |
| TASL 506 | Contemporary Professional Issues in Teaching ASL | 3 |
| TASL 511 | American Sign Language Linguistics | 3 |
| TASL 593 | Practicum for ASL Teaching I | 3 |
| TASL 594 | Practicum for ASL Teaching II | 3 |
| TASL 600 | ASL Graduate Research | 3 |
All students are expected to complete 600 hours of ASL teaching practicum, a portfolio, and a research project as part of their graduation requirements.