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OSU Led the Way to Learn American Sign Language With its ASL Bachelor’s Degree



If your desire was to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in the 1800’s fewer educational organizations could offer more value than Oklahoma State University. It has developed into one of the foremost land-grant universities in the United States, through its rich traditions and progressive academic culture.


The university’s forward-thinking attitude was also demonstrated when it helped tear down the language barrier for a significantly underserved group in our society: the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) population.


In the fall of 2021, OSU made its American Sign Language (ASL) major into a bachelor’s degree program, a crucial development for students who want to study signing and possibly teach ASL in the US or around the world.


Through the diligent and tireless efforts of Dr. Taylor Woodall-Greene, OSU has become the first university in Oklahoma to offer a bachelor’s degree in ASL. She would like to see more people in Oklahoma become fluent in sign language, and has worked for years to bring that about. She says that she hopes to strengthen support for the Deaf community in Stillwater and far beyond as she continues to try and grow the ASL bachelor’s degree program and encourage students to declare American Sign Language as their major.


Once accepted, required classes such as American Sign Language I, II, and III develop students' receptive and expressive skills in real-world situations and introduce various aspects of Deaf Culture, such as finger spelling, numbers, classifiers, and facial expressions. The various accents and idiomatic features of sign language are also taught. The subsequent courses in the program include Interpreting Concepts in American Sign Language, Linguistics of American Sign Language, and American Sign Language Poetry. All these help students learn more about ASL grammar, idioms, linguistics, as well as other topics.


Students majoring in ASL at Oklahoma State University can pursue a variety of academic and career paths after gaining a broad background in ASL through these courses. They can double major and work toward a job in a different field, such as electronic media, or they can become interpreters in the business world, the government, or other areas.


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