Dickinson Hall, Room 515 | (501) 916-6258 | fax (501) 916-3129 | ualr.edu/hhps

The School of Counseling, Human Performance & Rehabilitation (CHPR) provides quality education to a heterogeneous student body at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The school is oriented to meet the personnel needs of educational institutions and service providers in Arkansas and the nation by offering a strong emphasis on professional education with a practical application in each program.

The school offers undergraduate degree programs that prepare community ASL-English interpreters for persons who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing The Health Education and Performance and Sport Management undergraduate and graduate degree programs educate students as health professionals in community health agencies, health maintenance organizations, business and industry, wellness programs, and also to prepare students for a K-12 teaching licensure in Physical Education and Health.

Graduate programs in Adult and Professional Learning, Counseling Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Rehabilitation of the Blind, including graduate certificates in Adult Education, Orientation and Mobility, and Rehabilitation Counseling, provide professionals for schools, organizations, industries, and communities.

Undergraduate Program

The School of CHPR offers four undergraduate degrees, five academic minor programs of study, and seven graduate degrees. The undergraduate degrees are:

• Associate of Science in American Sign Language Studies  
• Bachelor of Arts in Interpretation: ASL/English  
• Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion  
• Bachelor of Science in K-12 Health and Physical Education (licensure program)  

The Minors are:

• Educational Interpreting  is designed and required for students who are majoring in Interpretation
• Sign Language Studies  is designed for students who are not majoring in Interpretation.
• Health Sciences Minor  
• Health and Exercise Science  
• Sport Management  
• Add-on Licensure program: Arkansas K-12 Coaching Endorsement  

Graduate Programs

Health Education and Performance (HHPS)

Admission Requirements

Students selecting Health Education and Promotion  or K-12 Health & PE  as a major must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or greater. The K-12 Health & PE licensure program  requires an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.75.

BS in Health Education and Promotion

This course of study is designed to prepare students as health professionals in community health agencies, health maintenance organizations, as well as business and industry wellness programs. It is also designed to assist entry-level health educators in taking the National Health Education Credentialing examination. This degree requires a minor course of study.

This degree is offered in online course delivery (U indicator in the schedule), Web-based, hybrid modalities. For information concerning the online Bachelor of Sciences emphasis in Health Education and Promotion degree reach out to the Program Coordinator here.

BS K-12 Health and Physical Education (licensure program)

The K-12 Health and Physical Education licensure program  prepares students to become licensed teachers in the area of Physical Education and Health K-12. Students earning this degree will also complete the courses necessary to obtain a K-12 coaching endorsement. Licensure Requirements for this program can be found in the Department of Teacher Education in this catalog. Contact the Health, Education, and Human Performance Program Coordinator at (501) 916-3169 for advising as early as possible to reduce any possible delays in progress toward this degree. The K-12 Health & PE licensure program  requires an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and passing the Praxis Core, Content, and PLT test.

Interpreter Education, American Sign Language Information

Interpreter Education, American Sign Language (ASL)/English

The Bachelor of Arts degree requires 120 hours and includes an 18-hour minor in Educational Interpreting. Students develop entry to mid-level interpreting skills to advance their careers in interpretation and the field of deafness. This program is designed to develop the interpreting skills necessary for interpretation between individuals who are hearing and individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing, in the public and private sectors, educational institutions, business and industry, the arts, and the community at large throughout Arkansas and the country. Coursework provides students with the knowledge of cultural diversity and interpretation skills necessary for the practical application of the theories of second language learning and interpretation.

The program includes instruction in American Sign Language, English-based sign systems, interpretation theory and process, the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture, and the profession of interpreting. Beginning and advanced interpretation and transliteration techniques with practice in American Sign Language, spoken English, and an English-based sign system, as well as techniques for interpreting for individuals who are oral, who are deaf-blind, and who are from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Bicultural and multicultural sensitivity training and techniques for producing linguistic and cultural equivalents. Three hundred clock hours of supervised internship in interpretation settings. Internship sites may include in-state and out-of-state placements depending on students’ abilities and/or interests. Internship sites in Arkansas may include but are not limited to, the Arkansas School for the Deaf, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, independent school districts throughout central Arkansas, the UA Little Rock community, and the community at large.

The Interpreter Education Program maintains a sign language laboratory of instructional materials for student use. All American Sign Language and Interpreting Methods sections require a minimum of one hour of lab per week. Students must attain an overall GPA of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University and attain a grade of C or greater in each of the ASL and interpretation courses. Courses in the Bachelor of Arts degree program prepare students for the Mid-America Quality Assurance Screening State Test (QAST), the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Certification Written Tests (RID), and the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA).

The Interpreter Education: The American Sign Language/English program prepares individuals in the field of deafness who wish to specialize in interpreting and transliterating for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind in educational, medical, mental health, and other community settings. UA Little Rock provides a core curriculum program of general education and specialized instruction in American Sign Language, signed English systems, and manipulation of two languages during the interpretation process. Extensive studies in the areas of deafness; the profession of interpreting; and the Deaf Community and Deaf Culture are included in the Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts curriculum.

Admission to the B.A. program is determined by grades of B or greater in ASL I, II, and III, and an Intermediate level on the SCPI. Upon completion of the first interpreting series, students must achieve a Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) Level I/I before proceeding to upper-level interpreting courses. Please contact the Interpreter Education Program at 501-916-6254 for more information.

Second Language Requirement for Selected Other Degrees

ASL or demonstration of the equivalent proficiency meets the second language requirement.

Credit Validation

Students who have acquired ASL skills before enrolling at UA Little Rock may take the ASL Placement Test. If placed in ASL II-V, students may request credit validation for lower-level ASL course(s) upon completion of the placement course with a B or better. Students must request retroactive credit from the program coordinator. Up to twelve hours of credit may be obtained in this manner. Students may request an ASL placement test by contacting the program office at (501) 916-6254 to identify at what level they should enroll.

Admission and Exit Requirements in Interpreter Education

Students pursuing the Associate of Science degree in American Sign Language Studies  must complete three (3) hours of ASL (INTR 1320 - American Sign Language I ), with a grade of B or greater, or demonstrate equal proficiency (see ASL Placement Test), or obtain permission from the program coordinator, Dr. Meagan Beatty at (501) 916-6254, before admission to the program. Students must make an appointment with a program advisor for advisement. To complete the A.S. degree program, students must attain a grade of C or greater in each of the major courses, and meet all other associate degree requirements. See “Associate Degree Requirements ” elsewhere. Required Benchmark: An SCPI Intermediate Level is required for continuation into the B.A. program in Interpretation: ASL/English.

Students declaring the Bachelor of Arts degree in Interpretation: ASL/English  as a major must complete nine (9) hours of American Sign Language courses (INTR 1320 , INTR 1321 , and INTR 2320 ) with grades of B or greater in each course, or demonstrate equal proficiency, or obtain permission from the program coordinator for admission to the program. Students must attain an overall GPA of 2.0 in all work attempted at UA Little Rock, a grade of C or greater in each of the interpretation courses, demonstrate proficiency, or complete nine (9) hours of second language requirements (ASL satisfies the language requirement), achieve an SCPI Intermediate Level, take the state-administered Mid-America Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) for interpreters, and must meet all other baccalaureate degree requirements. See “Baccalaureate Degree Requirements ” elsewhere. Required Benchmarks: A QAST Level I/I is required before continuation into the fourth-year courses.

Leisure Science Program: (LESC)

The Health, Human Performance, and Sport Management program offers one-hour leisure science fitness courses to help students develop appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of the importance of exercise in daily living. Leisure science fitness courses enable students to develop a satisfactory level of skill in leisure time activities. Emphasis is placed on developing an individual lifetime activity program to improve health-related fitness components.

Speech-Language Pathology 

The Speech-Language Pathology program offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders    (CSD; i.e., Speech-Language Pathology) and a post-baccalaureate course sequence (sometimes referred to as “leveling” courses) for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in another field and are interested in pursuing a career in Speech-Language Pathology. Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major may also earn a Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor .

The B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders provides the pre-professional coursework needed to pursue graduate education in speech-language pathology. The B.S. in CSD is viewed as a “pre-professional” program because an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) is required to practice as a speech-language pathologist, along with National Certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and State Licensure.

Students interested in additional information and/or enrolling in the B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders, the post-baccalaureate course sequence (for Speech-Language Pathologists), or the minor are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator, Dr. Stephen Kintz at sgkintz@ualr.edu or 501-916-3154.

General Information and Program Requirements 

Bachelor of Science Degree 

Students interested in enrolling in the B.S. degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders  (Speech-Language Pathology) are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator. Students may be pre-admitted or admitted to the B.S. program.

Admission requires:

• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (which includes all college coursework taken)

• Completion of approximately 50 hours of college coursework.

Major coursework typically includes four semesters, with a minimum of 41 credit hours (students may pursue the coursework full or part-time). Each course is offered once per year; many of the courses have required major prerequisites. No required courses are offered during the summer months. In addition to the M.S., the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires four non-major bachelor’s level courses for those pursuing a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist. These courses are not required for the B.S. degree but must be completed before beginning practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Post-Baccalaureate Course Sequence 

Students interested in enrolling in the Post-baccalaureate (PB) Course Sequence  are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator.

• Admission requires an earned bachelor’s degree. The PB includes a minimum of 10 courses (30 hours), which are typically completed in two semesters beginning in the fall semester.

Students may pursue the coursework full or part-time; however, each course is offered only once per year. Many of the courses have required major prerequisites. No required courses are offered during the summer months. In addition to the M.S., the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires four non-major bachelor’s level courses. These four courses do not have to be completed before beginning most M.S. programs, but they must be completed before beginning practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Minor

Students interested in pursuing a minor in Speech Pathology are encouraged to contact the Program Coordinator. The Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor  requires a minimum of 18 hours of coursework including the following courses AUSP 2360 , AUSP 3350 , AUSP 3360 , AUSP 3361 , AUSP 3363 , AUSP 3366 .

Students interested in completing a minor should contact the program coordinator.

Freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students interested in this major should first contact the Center for Career and Student Services at ualr.edu/cbhhs/advising. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 15 hours of CSD coursework to earn a B.S. degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Programs

• American Sign Language Studies, A.S.

• Interpretation: ASL/English, B.A.

• Communication Sciences and Disorders, B.S.
• Health Education and Promotion, B.S.
• K-12 Health and Physical Education, B.S.

Get a head start on your graduate studies while completing your bachelor’s degree in:

• Health Education and Promotion, B.S. to M.S.

• Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor
• Educational Interpreting Minor
• Exercise Science Minor
• Health Sciences Minor
• Sign Language Studies Minor
• Sport Management Minor

• K-12 Coaching Endorsement for Arkansas

• Communication Sciences and Disorders, B.S., Post-Bac Sequence

• Communication Sciences and disorders Post-Baccalaureate, Advanced Certificate