Health care interpreting (HCI) is designed to give bilingual (English and Spanish) students the awareness, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as entry-level interpreters and translators in health care settings, including hospitals, clinics, medical offices and similar environments. Program completers should be eligible for employment as salaried or on-call staff interpreters, or as self-employed freelance interpreters. Employment opportunities may also be available with professional interpreting and translating service companies. Although the emphasis of the program is medical interpreting, the skills gained could be applied to other interpreting and translating settings in the community, such as conference and escort interpreting and translation of written documents.

The health care interpreting program is a 20-credit hour vocational program leading to a certificate of completion. It is designed to be completed in three semesters, although there is enough flexibility in the curriculum to extend the time period for several additional semesters, if the student prefers a slower pace. The program is organized in a progression of courses leading the student from general concepts to increasingly complex skills and knowledge, culminating in a comprehensive skills exam and a professional practicum. It includes five courses developed specifically for the program plus two courses offered through other departments. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the program's courses to continue in the program. The latter two courses, AAC 130, Medical Terminology, and HC 101, Introduction to Health Care Delivery, do not have prerequisites and could be taken at any time prior to completion of the program. Students must have all course work but the HC 101 course completed before beginning HCI 180, the medical interpreting practicum.

The HCI program is organized as part of the JCCC interpreter training program, although it has its own unique course prefix (HCI) and curriculum. Other courses in the interpreter training program emphasize deaf communication and sign language. HCI students should enroll only in courses with the HCI prefix, plus AAC 130 and HC 101.

Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all coursework and be able to demonstrate at least 85% accuracy in both English and Spanish while interpreting.

(Major Code 4390; CIP Code 16.0103)

Interpreter Training

Career Certificate

Fall Semester

HCI  110  Introduction to Interpreting*........................3
HCI  120  Interpreting Skills I*...............................3
          Total Semester Credit Hours..........................6

Spring Semester

HCI  130  Interpreting Skills II*..............................3
HCI  140  Spanish Medical Interpreting*........................3
AAC  130  Medical Terminology..................................3
          Total Semester Credit Hours..........................9

Fall Semester

HCI  180  Medical Interpreting Practicum*......................2
HC   101  Introduction to Health Care Delivery.................3
          Total Semester Credit Hours..........................5
          TOTAL PROGRAM CREDIT HOURS..........................20
*Prerequisite/Corequisite required