PA ODHH requiring 2 year ITP degree?

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I've been working towards becoming an interpreter and have recently hit a small snag in my road to doing this - the road block as when I came upon the requirements in the PA Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing requiring an associates degree in an interpreters education program...

I want to be the best that I can be in the field, with all the respect to offer as well...

I can't seem to find any information around this conundrum; I have to say that after 2 tests, personal liability insurance, all of my clearance forms, etc. etc. etc. - it is a little discouraging to come upon this information.

Am I reading this wrong? Or, here in PA, am I going to require this associates degree to become a terp?
 
why don't you contact RID for following up on what you just told us?? i dont know what else to suggest you
 
RID has required college degrees for several years for NIC candidates.

RID - NIC Certification

http://www.rid.org/userfiles/File/EducationalRequirementsFAQ-11-9-12.pdf

Right now, a bachelor's degree is required before becoming eligible for taking the NIC test.

States may have additional requirements, such as licensure of interpreters. Also, each school district and employer may have their own requirements.

Here's the website for the Pennsylvania chapter of RID:

Pennsylvania Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Sign Language Interpreters - About PARID
 
Yes - these are things I know. I have a degree in English Literature, I have a certification in ASL/Deaf Culture; both from the Univ of Pittsburgh. I have my written exam from RID passed and am signed up, now, for the RID interview test.

I was surprised to find that the ODHH appears to require, specifically, an associates degree from an accredited Interpreter Education Program - this really sprung up on me out of the blue - really, I was very surprised by this information.

This post here is a curiosity - I can't find out how long this has been a requirement.

I have a full checklist from liability insurance to RID membership to my T/B test and my act 33/34 clearances - it's an exhaustive check list...

So, I was surprised as a I said to find that information.

Maybe I'm just in need of a good gripe and I ended up on the Alldeaf board... Sorry.
 
I will admit that I don't know anything about classes in accredited interpreting program you would have to take. Did you look into what classes you had to take? The chance is that you may have taken a lot of classes that were already needed for the program.
 
Yes - these are things I know. I have a degree in English Literature, I have a certification in ASL/Deaf Culture; both from the Univ of Pittsburgh....
Have you taken any interpreting courses?
 
I admit this will not make a difference to me personally one way or another. I don't even know ASL! (Took beginning twice in the 1980's and made no contacts to use it.)

I read this when I was surfing the forum and got to wondering why they require a bachelor's degree in any field. What is the point of one in a completely unrelated field? I would thing technical training in the field would make more difference than a piece of paper from a completely unrelated field.

RID has required college degrees for several years for NIC candidates.

RID - NIC Certification

http://www.rid.org/userfiles/File/EducationalRequirementsFAQ-11-9-12.pdf

Right now, a bachelor's degree is required before becoming eligible for taking the NIC test.

States may have additional requirements, such as licensure of interpreters. Also, each school district and employer may have their own requirements.

Here's the website for the Pennsylvania chapter of RID:

Pennsylvania Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Sign Language Interpreters - About PARID
 
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