Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Master of Science in Health Care Interpretation
Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
Blended
Key Summary
About: The Master of Science in Health Care Interpretation trains nationally certified sign language interpreters for medical settings. NTID’s Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education administers the program with coursework from RIT’s College of Health Sciences and Technology. The curriculum covers medical interpreting, patient communication, accessibility, and leadership. It responds to rising demand as more deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals enter health fields and aims to increase specialized interpreters in patient care.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work in health care, non-profit and education. Typical job titles include Manager of Interpreter Services, Sign Language Interpreter, Interpreter Educator, and Accessibility Coordinator roles.
The Master of Science degree program in health care interpretation is designed to meet the demands of nationally certified sign language interpreters desiring a master’s degree specific to working in health care environments. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf's Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education administers the program with some course work contributed by RIT’s College of Health Sciences and Technology. This unique program:
- This meets the growing demand for specialized sign language health care interpreters as more deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals enter medical/health care fields.
- Increases the number of specialized sign language interpreters working in patient health care settings.
- Prepares interpreters to work in leadership roles in the health care interpreting field.
The program begins with a one-week on-campus Professional Seminar held during the first week of June each year. This course consists of pre-readings, 40 hours of classroom instruction, and assignments to be completed after the on-campus sessions. The course is designed to deliver crucial introductory content and create connections that build trust and rapport among classmates. This initial connection promotes student engagement in the reflection-based components of the program. The Professional Seminar course establishes the theoretical parameters that you are expected to follow in case analysis and establishes a framework for conducting online discussions in safe and confidential ways.
The remaining coursework is taken online. It is estimated that each course will require 9-12 hours per week for class assignments. Course materials will be delivered via both synchronous and asynchronous methods. In your final semester, you will complete a capstone project consisting of either a research paper or a project.
The program may be completed on a full- or part-time basis: one academic year (with two summers) for full-time students or two academic years (with two summers) for part-time students.
Health Care Interpretation (full-time), MS degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- HCIA-610 Interpreting Research Settings (summer)
- HCIA-705 Professional Seminar (summer)
- HCIA-719 Theories of Translation and Interpretation (summer)
- HCIA-715 Human Body Systems/Diseases I*
- HCIA-720 Health Care Practical Interpreting I*
- HCIA-730 Human Body Systems/Diseases II**
- HCIA-740 Health Care Practical Interpreting II**
- HCIA-760 Research Methods in Interpreting
- HLTH Elective
Second Year
- HCIA-750 Health Care Interpreting Within a Diverse Deaf Community (summer)
- HCIA-770 Capstone Prof Proj/Rsrch Paper (summer)
*HCIA-715 and HCIA-720 are taken in session 1 (first 7 weeks) of the semester.
**HCIA-730 and HCIA-740 are taken in session 2 (last 7 weeks) of the semester.
Health Care Interpretation (part-time), MS degree, typical course sequence
First Year
- HCIA-705 Professional Seminar (summer)
- HCIA-719 Theories of Translation and Interpretation (summer)
- HCIA-715 Human Body Systems/Diseases I*
- HCIA-720 Health Care Practical Interpreting I*
- HCIA-730 Human Body Systems/Diseases II**
- HCIA-740 Health Care Practical Interpreting II**
Second Year
- HCIA-610 Interpreting Research Settings (summer)
- HCIA-750 Health Care Interpreting Within a Diverse Deaf Community (summer)
- HCIA-760 Research Methods in Interpreting
- HCIA-770 Capstone Prof Proj/Rsrch Paper
- HLTH Elective
*HCIA-715 and HCIA-720 are taken in session 1 (first 7 weeks) of the semester.
**HCIA-730 and HCIA-740 are taken in session 2 (last 7 weeks) of the semester.
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op
Cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study
Graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available yearly, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Industries
- Health Care
- Non-Profit
- Other Education
Typical Job Titles
- Manager of Interpreter Services
- Sign Language Interpreter
Most of our programs offer "rolling" application review - there is no specific deadline for applications; applications will be accepted and reviewed throughout the year.