AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE/DEAF STUDIES
Associate of Arts Degree American Sign Language · Rio Hondo College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Description
The Associate of Arts Degree in Deaf Studies is a foundational degree for those wishing to obtain mastery of American Sign Language (ASL). By completion of specific General Education courses, this program fulfills many of the requirements and foundation courses for transfer to baccalaureate Deaf Studies majors.
American Sign Language skills can be applied immediately to career choices in the fields of education, nursing, counseling, film, or any other area Deaf people live and work. Students can further their careers by pursuing degrees in Deaf education to be credentialed teachers to Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students. Students may also pursue a career in ASL pedagogy, to teach ASL in a secondary or post-secondary educational setting.
To acquire the Associate of Arts Degree in Deaf Studies, students must complete the required major courses below with a grade of "C" or better or of “P” if the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, along with either of the following: Rio Hondo College General Education (RHC GE) or California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC). California State University General Education-Breadth (CSU GE) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) may be used in some cases; please see a counselor for details.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 32 | |
| ASL 101 | American Sign Language I | 4.5 |
| ASL 102 | American Sign Language II | 4.5 |
| ASL 201 | American Sign Language III | 4.5 |
| ASL 202 | American Sign Language IV | 4.5 |
| ASL 120 | Introduction to Deaf Studies | 3 |
| ASL 124 | Deaf Culture | 3 |
| ASL 250 | ASL Linguistics | 3 |
| ASL 270 | ASL Literature | 3 |
| ASL 280 | ASL Storytelling | 2 |
| Total | 32 | |