Portland Community College offers a Sign Language Interpretation Program (SLIP) designed to teach students the skills needed to become professional interpreters for the deaf and hearing-impaired. This two year program awards the student an associate of applied science degree and graduation requires the completion of an internship with a professional translator. The Portland Community College program prides itself on its connections to the Portland deaf community, offering ample opportunities for students to gain real-life experience working in schools and local businesses.
Western Oregon University, located in Monmouth, Oregon, confers a bachelor's degree in both American Sign Language Studies and ASL/English Interpreting, and has a wide variety of ASL classes available. Three years of ASL study are offered as well as classes on deaf culture, ASL literature, ASL linguistics, and teaching ASL. All courses are taught by fully qualified deaf faculty.
About 20 miles southwest of Portland in the town of Newburg, George Fox University, offers a year of American Sign Language instruction. Students may use ASL classes for their foreign language credit, but no degrees are conferred in ASL studies and there are no classes on deaf culture or interpretation. Those interested in ASL professionally are advised to look elsewhere.
The University of Oregon offers two full years of ASL instruction under the Special Education and Clinical Sciences Department. There is no option for a degree in ASL studies, but in addition to the two years of language instruction there is a class on deaf culture and two classes on American Sign Language for educators.