A Master's Degree For Teaching ASL in K-12 and Post-Secondary Settings

Admission Requirements

• Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from an Institutionally Accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.

• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.

  If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.

  If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.

• All applicants will be required to demonstrate ASL proficiency prior to acceptance to the TASL program.

• Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

Eligibility by State

At this time, the University of Northern Colorado can provide postsecondary distance education in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all major U.S. territories. We are continuing to monitor requirements in all U.S. jurisdictions and seek clarification from government agencies when needed. If you have questions about whether UNC can offer distance education where you are located, please contact us and we will gladly assist you.

Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.

K-12 Licensure Eligibility by State (for the World Languages Licensure Program)

All UNC professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure. However, since each state has their own educational preparation requirements, UNC's programs may or may not meet these requirements in each state. For a complete list of states where UNC has determined that this program will or will not fulfill educational requirements for licensure, please visit the UNC Licensure page.

UNC encourages all students entering a professional licensure program to understand licensure requirements in the state where they intend to seek employment. Please review the State Licensure Boards page to find contact information for licensing agencies in each state.

International Student Eligibility

International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency, or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.

This program requires occasional visits to the United States. You will need to submit financial documentation before you plan to arrive in the U.S. (and again each time you travel to the U.S.). The financial documentation needs to demonstrate that you can pay for the cost of tuition and living expenses for the days that you will be in the U.S.

Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements, financial documentation and applying as an international student.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

• We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
• There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry specific course fees to support additional services and materials.

Program tuition for the 2025-26 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $668 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year will be determined mid-June 2026.

Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications. For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while completing your program.

Financial Aid

Graduate Assistantships

The ASLIS department has Graduate Assistant positions available for some Teaching ASL MA students that include up to $14,000 a year in stipend and up to 10 credit hours a year tuition support, for a total of up to $20,000 a year in aid/compensation.

Graduate assistantships and scholarships for the UNC Teaching ASL master's program.

Federal Financial Aid

Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).

Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.

Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.

Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.

Student Health Insurance

The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended Campus Center, or Online.

Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.

Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.