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American Sign Language
Minor

Program Overview

Looking for a valuable skill that helps people? With a minor in American Sign Language (ASL), you will gain conversational skills and better understand the way the Deaf community lives, thinks and communicates. The ASL minor is designed to expand your language skills and cultural knowledge to enhance other majors and fields of study.

ASL Mission Statement:
The mission of the American Sign Language (ASL) minor at Central Michigan University is to provide student-centered and community-relevant learning opportunities that prepare individuals to positively and effectively interact with members of the Deaf community. Our program strives to assist students in acquiring competence in ASL, promote understanding of historical and current issues within the Deaf community, and positively impact society by spreading awareness and understanding of ASL and Deaf culture.

Program Snapshot

Program Type: Full-Time, Part-Time
Location: On Campus
Program Length: 5-6 semesters
Credit Hours: 24

Why This Program & What You'll Learn

The American Sign Language (ASL) minor offers you the knowledge and skills you need to interact with the Deaf community positively and effectively.

You will gain competence in ASL. You'll help promote an understanding of historical and current issues within the Deaf community. Best of all, you'll enhance the awareness and knowledge of ASL and Deaf culture in our society.

Outside of the classroom, service-learning opportunities offer you the chance to provide ASL instruction, social interaction, classroom support, and other community-based services to children and adults. In addition, the ASL minor offers students two opportunities for faculty-led study abroad: A Deaf culture course in France and a service-learning course in Jamaica. Both courses are taught in ASL and include short-term trips abroad.

The ASL minor pairs well with majors such as linguistics, communication sciences and disorders (speech-language pathology and audiology), journalism, business, education, theater, social work, psychology, and health sciences.

Courses What Will Transfer Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders

Program Highlights

With an American Sign Language minor, you'll:

  • Learn from and work with the Deaf community across Michigan.
  • Have the opportunity to join student organizations like the American Sign Language Society.
  • Gain not just language skills, but an understanding of how people in the Deaf community live, think and communicate.
  • Take courses that meet University Program Group IV requirements for Studies in Discrimination, Culture, and Diversity.
  • Have the opportunity to take online and summer courses.

Careers & Outcomes

With this minor, you can prepare for a career where you'll use ASL, or transfer your language skills and cultural understanding to numerous other fields.

Career Projected Salary
Audiologist $82,680
Interpreter or Translator $53,640
Child/Family/School/General Social Worker $50,820
Hearing Screener $40,326
Patient Advocate/Navigator $43,548

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