American Sign Language

Unlock a new language with UB’s ASL Program!

American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most studied world language in American colleges and universities. The University at Buffalo’s ASL Program is led by a dedicated full-time faculty and supported by skilled instructors, all of whom are Deaf. This ensures an authentic full-immersion experience, with classes conducted exclusively in ASL.

Why choose an ASL minor?

UB’s ASL Program offers a minor in ASL, which can complement your major and especially useful to fields such as communication, health and human services, law, nursing, occupational science/occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, public health, sociology, speech and hearing science and theatre.

By pursuing an ASL minor, you will learn about the language, literature, culture and community of people who use ASL in the United States. ASL has a distinct grammatical and syntactic structure that is not derived from any other language, whether spoken or written and it is also distinct from other sign languages of the world. Additionally, you will develop comprehension and construction skills in ASL and gain a deeper understanding and respect for ASL communities and other cultural and linguistic minorities in the U.S. and around the world.

While an ASL minor itself does not lead to interpreter certification, it lays a strong foundation for those aiming to enter ASL-English interpreting programs in the U.S.

Course offerings

  • ASL 111: First-Year American Sign Language 1st Semester (3 credits)
  • ASL 112: First-Year American Sign Language 2nd Semester (3 credits)
  • ASL 203: Second-Year American Sign Language 1st Semester (3 credits)
  • ASL 204: Second-Year American Sign Language 2nd Semester (3 credits)
  • ASL 211: Introduction to Deaf Studies (3 credits)
  • ASL 305: Third-Year American Sign Language 1st Semester (3 credits)
  • ASL 306: Third-Year American Sign Language 2nd Semester (3 credits)

(ASL 111 and ASL 112 are offered both online and in-person, with availability during summer sessions.)

Start your journey today.

Learn ASL and broaden your academic and professional horizons. For more information on the minor and degree requirements, visit the Department of Linguistics.

For any questions regarding courses and placement, contact ASL Program Director Andrew Byrne at abyrne@buffalo.edu.