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School of Social Science, Humanities and Creative Industries

BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting)

BA (Hons) Part-time 6 years, Full-time 3 years

The BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) is a long established and highly respected course with a team of Deaf and hearing staff from diverse backgrounds. 

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The BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) is a long established and highly respected course with a team of Deaf and hearing staff from diverse backgrounds. 

Award
BA (Hons)
Start date(s)
14 September 2026
UCAS Code
Q1AL
Course specifications
View course spec
Course length
Part-time (6 years),Full-time (3 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
School
School of Social Science, Humanities and Creative Industries
UCAS points calculator
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My time at university prepared me for my current role as I have gained an awareness of the Deaf community, their culture, and their language. From the ‘Consecutive’ and ‘Simultaneous’ interpreting modules, I developed the critical thinking skills to decipher a speech in order to translate meaning accurately. Before starting my course, I had minimal to no BSL ability, I only knew the alphabet, but through the completion of my studies I have achieved Level 6 proficiency.
BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) Graduate

Why choose this course?

Change lives through the power of communication with the BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) at the University of Wolverhampton. One of the UK's longest-established and most respected BSL interpreting degrees, this specialist course will empower you to become a confident, highly skilled interpreter, working alongside experienced Deaf and hearing lecturers who bring a wealth of professional expertise to your learning. As one of the few dedicated degrees of its kind in the UK, it provides a recognised pathway towards becoming a Trainee or Registered Sign Language Interpreter.

Through engaging modules in interpreting practice, Deaf culture, linguistics, ethics and professional communication, you'll develop the knowledge and confidence to bridge communities and create meaningful connections. Real-world placements, live interpreting experiences and close engagement with the local Deaf community ensure you graduate with the practical skills employers value and the confidence to thrive.

Whether you aspire to work in healthcare, education, legal services, media, public services or the charity sector, you'll leave ready to build a rewarding career that breaks down barriers, champions inclusion and transforms lives through communication.

Experience visits to industry, such as this 2026 trip to BBC Wales, where final year students on the BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) programme at the University recently concluded their studies with an educational visit to BBC Wales, gaining valuable insight into professional interpreting within broadcast media.

This course will give you the skills to explore a career in broadcasting, like 2026 alumni Olivia Jordan-Caws a Level 6 Interpreting Pathway student who excelled during her professional work placement with Red Bee Media in London.

Olivia stands on the right of a large screen showing skiing at the Milan Cortina Games. She is using British Sign Language to interpret the commentary.

The BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) is a long established and highly respected course with a team of Deaf and hearing staff from diverse backgrounds. 

It is one of the few courses of its kind in British Sign Language (Interpreting) in the UK. The award offers the potential to lead to Trainee interpreter or Registered Sign Language Interpreter status recognised by the professional registration body - the NRCPD. 

The lecturing team have a variety of national and international expertise in teaching and professional qualifications and have experience working for a diverse range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations. The team believes in interactive learning and encourages full participation from all our students: external examiners have consistently highlighted our innovative learning, teaching and assessments regimes as a major strength. 

During your studies you will have access to a range of learning environments and technology to support your learning.  These include, film studio, social work flat, mock hospital ward, collaborative classroom spaces and other areas to enhance your learning.  

Your studies will culminate in an opportunity to prepare you for working as an interpreter. This is done through practical application of learning through a well-established work placement component in the final year. To date, upon graduation, students have found a high level of employability success. 

What's unique about this course?

  • The course makes use of innovative teaching and learning practices in simulated learning environments.  

  • Throughout the years, staff have been nominated for various awards in recognition of support for students and innovation in teaching. 

  • External examiners through the years have commented on the high standard of teaching and varied assessment.  

What happens on the course?

Our BA British Sign language (Interpreting) course provides a unique course which engages with the local community to provide students with current research and good links with the deaf community. Our ongoing research within the team feeds directly into and informs our teaching on the programme.   

Subject Areas: 

Modules across the programme are designed to introduce you to the topics of linguistics, language, culture, deaf history, deafblindness, interpreting, translation and the wider deaf community and its heritage.  Modules are designed to help you develop a range of study related skills, such as research, communication, essay writing and presentations. 

Work Placement Experience:  

The course has links with a range of organisations, educational establishments, and freelance interpreters across the country who offer opportunities to our BA (Hons) Interpreting Students each year. 

Facilities:  

A range of environments are used for our teaching. These include traditional style classrooms as well as other environments for simulated learning experiences.  You will also have access to information for your subjects via our virtual learning environment – Canvas

Assessments: 

You will be assessed in many different ways, through academic assignments such as essays and case studies, presentations, observations, reflective/critical writing and presenting a portfolio of work as part of your work placement experience. 

Links and collaborations: 

We work closely with other subject areas, e.g. nursing and social work to create authentic interpreting scenarios. We have many links with local organisations and strongly encourage students to take up volunteering opportunities with organisations such as Zebra Access, Sandwell Deaf Association, BID, Deafblind UK, NDCS to name but a few.  

Placements on the course

We’ve built professional placements into every degree, every student will be guaranteed a professional placement. Our placements give you the real-world exposure and proven experience your CV needs, while building the industry networks essential for your career.

These short-term, structured experiences include:

  • Short duration: condensed work-like experience in professional environments
  • Academic integration: always linked to coursework, assessments or professional development modules
  • Project-based learning: students work on specific tasks or research with an organisation
  • Flexible format: can be in-person, remote, hybrid or virtual
  • Skill development: enhances workplace skills like communication, teamwork and problem-solving
  • Experiential learning: helping to close the gap between knowledge gained and the skills needed to succeed

Employability on the course

Our courses are designed from day one to prepare you for your future career. You will benefit from:

  • Extended induction: a period to familiarise yourself with your new university
  • Structured learning pathways: courses are crafted with a focus on preparing students for future careers
  • Hands-on project experience: projects and practical activities designed around real-world activities
  • Embedded professional development: all courses are designed with workplace skills development and professional placements as part of the course
  • Industry-informed modules: course content is kept up-to-date with industry standards through our industry links, staff's research and work in the field
  • Placement opportunities: professional development placements for every student

Potential Career Paths

A BA degree in British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreting opens up a range of career opportunities in various sectors, such as:

  1. British Sign Language Interpreter
  2. Communication Support Worker
  3. Deaf Support Worker
  4. Video Relay Interpreter
  5. Sign Language Tutor
  6. Community Interpreter
  7. Educational Interpreter
  8. Sign Language Translator
  9. Freelance Sign Language Interpreter
  10. Access Coordinator
  11. Deaf Services Coordinator
  12. In-House Sign Language Interpreter
  13. Health and Social Care Interpreter
  14. Conference Interpreter
  15. Sign Language Advocacy Specialist
  16. Language Accessibility Specialist
  17. Courtroom Sign Language Interpreter
  18. Theatre and Arts Interpreter
  19. Deaf Awareness Trainer
  20. BSL Researcher

 

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The BA (Hons) British Sign Language (Interpreting) is one of the few in the country. 

The course is taught by a well-established and long-standing team of deaf and hearing staff from diverse backgrounds, with many years of experience and well known within their field. 

The course makes use of innovative teaching and learning practices in simulated learning environments.  

Throughout the years, staff have been nominated for various awards in recognition of support for students and innovation in teaching. 

External examiners through the years have commented on the high standard of teaching and varied assessment.  

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

Demonstrate advanced bilingual, bi-cultural skills and intercultural competence. 

Use a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake analysis of information, including your professional performance and be able to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis. 

Demonstrate the ability to apply the theories of linguistics, translation and interpreting to professional practice. 

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the well-established principles of your area(s) of study, and of the way in which those principles have developed with an understanding of the limits of your knowledge and skills, and how this influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge. 

Demonstrate the ability to apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including, where appropriate, the application of those principles in an employment context. 

Location Mode Sep intake Fee Year
Home Full-time £9535 per year 2025-26
Home Full-time £9790 per year 2026-27
Home Part-time £4768 per year# 2025-26
Home Part-time £4895 per year# 2026-27
International Full-time £15995 per year 2025-26
International Full-time £17600 per year 2026-27

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed.


If a tuition fee is not showing, we may not offer this intake for this course. Please check the start date information on the course finder for start dates.

# Undergraduate part-time fees for 50% rate of study

Typical entry requirement: 96 UCAS points

  • A Levels - grades CCC / BCD
  • BTEC L3 Extended Diploma or OCR Cambridge L3 Technical Extended Diploma - grades MMM
  • BTEC L3 Diploma - grades DD
  • Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (96 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at merit)
  • T Levels with an overall grade of Pass and a minimum grade of C in Core.

    • Use the UCAS Tariff calculator to check your qualifications and points

    • If you've got other qualifications or relevant experience, please contact The Gateway for further advice before applying.
    • International entry requirements and application guidance can be found here

     Other Requirements

    Students must have studied a minimum of two years post GCSE level. However, it is expected that some applicants will be mature students with work experience, who wish to further their career development. These applicants will be processed through standard procedures, which may involve an interview as part of the process. Please see http://wlv.ac.uk/mature for further information.

    An Enhanced DBS Police Check is required prior to attending the final year work placement modules. Your tutors will notify you when to start this process.

'I completed my studies in April 2022, since then I have worked several freelance bookings and in June 2022 I began working as an interpreter at an agency in London.  My time at university prepared me for my current role as I have gained an awareness of the Deaf community, their culture, and their language. From the ‘Consecutive’ and ‘Simultaneous’ interpreting modules, I developed the critical thinking skills to decipher a speech in order to translate meaning accurately. Before starting my course, I had minimal to no BSL ability, I only knew the alphabet, but through the completion of my studies I have achieved Level 6 proficiency.'

'In my final year, I was placed with two freelance interpreters in London, this experience allowed me to apply my theoretical knowledge, that I had learnt at University, to practical situations. I was able to analyse and justify the strategies used by my supervisors in order to convey the meaning of an utterance in the most effective way.  I received support from Sabrina Altariva from the Careers team. With her support, I was able to achieve the Gold Employability Award. '

Interpreting graduate, 2022

"National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people, the (NRCPD)"

Accredited by the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD) for the purpose of fulfilling the educational requirements to become a Registered Sign Language Interpreter.

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

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