This concentration is available to students starting 2023-2024 but will not be listed in the USM catalog until 2024-2025. For this reason, please view course descriptions here.
Program Requirements
Minimum total number of credits required for graduation is 120, by satisfying the following:
Core Curriculum requirements are listed below. In some cases, these requirements can be met by
courses also required for the major or for teacher education (usually pre-candidacy courses). In
those cases, the specific course is listed. Recommended courses also are listed for some
requirements.
USM Core Curriculum (including pre-internship education courses)
Major Requirements: Linguistics with Concentration in ASL Linguistics
Total number of credits required for the major: 43
Required Coursework
Note on Language Component
Students pursuing the ASL Linguistics Concentration must have taken two semesters of ASL
(ASL 101 and ASL 102) or have attained a level of proficiency equivalent to two semesters.
These courses (or the equivalent) do not count as credit toward the major but are prerequisites to
upper-level ASL courses.
Note on grade requirement for LIN 185 – Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to Linguistics
Students must receive a grade of B or higher in LIN 185 before enrolling in certain upper-level
LIN courses, including LIN 313 – Syntax. LIN 185 may be repeated at most one time. Students
for whom American Sign Language is their first language may consult with the department about
alternative pathways for satisfying this requirement.
Honors for ASL Linguistics Concentration
Linguistics majors who do outstanding work in the major can graduate with honors in linguistics.
Requirements for Honors for students majoring in the ASL Linguistics Concentration are the
following:
Notes on Core Curriculum Requirements
In addition to completing a major, students must satisfy USM’s Core Curriculum requirements
and earn a total of at least 120 credits to graduate. The following information outlines core
requirements that overlap with the major in Linguistics with a Concentration in ASL Linguistics
or core courses recommended for students majoring in this concentration.
Quantitative Reasoning: Students must fulfill this requirement with a statistics or MAT course.
One requirement for Honors in Linguistics is LIN 490 – Introduction to Language Research. This
course has a statistics course (MAT 120 – Introduction to Statistics or PSY 201 – Statistics in
Psychology) as a prerequisite. Therefore, students should take a statistics course to meet this
requirement if they are considering pursuing Honors in Linguistics. If not, students can take any
MAT course in the Quantitative Reasoning category.
Cultural Interpretation: Each of ASL 101 – Beginning American Sign Language I, ASL 102 –
Beginning American Sign Language II, ASL 201 – Intermediate American Sign Language I, and
ASL 202 – Intermediate American Sign Language II (as well as other language courses at these
levels) fulfills this core requirement.
Socio-Cultural Analysis: LIN 185 – Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to
Linguistics and LIN 203 – Introduction to the Deaf World meet this requirement.
Science Exploration: LIN 185 – Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to
Linguistics meets this requirement if LIN 186 – Introduction to Linguistics: Lab (the one-credit
lab associated with LIN 185) is taken as well.
Culture, Power, and Equity: LIN 185 – Language, Mind, and Society: An Introduction to
Linguistics and LIN 203 – Introduction to the Deaf World also meet this requirement.
Engaged Learning: ASL 201 – Intermediate American Sign Language I, ASL 202 – Intermediate
American Sign Language II, ASL 401 – Advanced American Sign Language I, and ASL 402 –
Advanced American Sign Language II meet this requirement.
Writing, Reading, and Inquiry 3: LIN 317 – Two Languages, One Mind: Introduction to Second
Language Acquisition and Bilingualism meets this requirement.
Capstone: ASL 416 – ASL Linguistics in ASL in ASL is a capstone course.
Several linguistics or language courses that are not required for the major fulfill core
requirements:
International: LIN 112 – The Birth of a Language, FRE 202 – Intermediate French II, GER 202 –
Intermediate German II, ITA 202 – Intermediate Italian II, SPA 202 – Intermediate Spanish II
Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship: LIN 410 – Ethical Decision Making in
ASL/English Interpreting (Note: Students who have not taken ASL or interpreting courses can
request permission from the Department to take this course, if they demonstrate experience in an
area involving ethical reasoning.)
Secondary Teacher Education (6-12) Requirements
The Secondary Teacher Education Pathway is designed to prepare middle and high school
teachers, grades 6-12 (PreK-12 for world language teachers) who are knowledgeable of the
content they will teach and who have the skills to apply that knowledge to classroom teaching.
Secondary education students major in the discipline they plan to teach and take a series of
teacher education courses that satisfy their University Core Curriculum requirements as well as
fulfill the requirements for Maine teacher certification in their discipline. These courses
introduce students to aspects of teaching and learning and provide hands-on field experiences in
schools and community agencies where they can make connections between theory and practice.
At the time of degree completion, students will have met the degree requirements for a major and
for initial teacher certification.
Program Declaration and Withdrawal
All students must formally declare their entry into a teacher education pathway by completing
the Declaration and/or Dropping of Undergraduate Teacher Education Pathway Form through
the registrar’s office. The form is located in the forms section of the Office of Registration and
Scheduling Services. https://usm.maine.edu/registration-services
Academic Requirements
The minimum academic requirements to be a student in good standing in the Secondary Teacher
Education Pathway are as follows:
Failure to maintain the above requirements may result in program dismissal. Appeals may be
made in writing to the Director of Educator Preparation.
Pre-Internship
Upon declaring the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, a student becomes a pre-intern. The
pre-internship phase of the program is the first three years of the program prior to the
professional internship. Pre-internship coursework is as follows:
Each of the courses with a * includes required service learning or practicum hours in a partner
school or community setting to give pre-interns hands-on experience with students and create
connections between theory and practice. These formal placements are arranged by the Field
Experience Coordinator in the Office of Educator Preparation. Other education courses may
require observation experiences in field settings that students arrange on their own. Students are
required to be fingerprinted prior to starting a course that includes a field experience placement.
For more information on the fingerprinting process see: https://usm.maine.edu/educator-
preparation
Recommended
Required
Progress Checks
Upon declaring their Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, pre-interns will have progress
checks completed to ensure adequate progression through the pathway. These progress checks
will be completed at the end of each academic year. Assuming a four-year program, the checks
will be as follows:
Please see the Maine Department of Education site for more information about
fingerprinting: http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/fingerprinting
Professional Seminar
When pre-interns have successfully completed their required coursework and are set to begin
their student-teaching internship the following Fall, they will enroll in the Professional Seminar.
Professional Internship
The professional internship is a full-year experience that fulfills Maine’s student teaching
requirement and provides secondary education teacher candidates the opportunity to apply what
they are learning in their teacher education courses in a more sustained and in-depth setting. The
first semester internship is the equivalent of 20 hours per week in a partner school district, and
the second semester internship is a full time, five days per week experience in a partner school.
Students take the following internship courses concurrently.
Required:
Content Area Methods Course-one of the following (3 cr):
Majors
The following majors have Secondary Teacher Education Pathway options:
Please see each major’s section of this catalog for their requirements.
Content Requirements
Secondary Teacher Education Pathway students (grades 6-12) need a minimum of twenty-four
credit hours in the content areas they plan to teach.
Content Recommendations
It is recommended that those interested in teaching at the middle level complete coursework in a
second content area (e.g. English, mathematics, social studies or science) to become highly
qualified to teach an additional content area. Students should consider taking additional
education courses, which will support them in becoming more well-rounded teachers, in topics
such as literacy and technology.
Tk20
Tk20 by Watermark is the comprehensive web-based, assessment management and reporting
system used by all students in Educator Preparation programs at USM. All undergraduate and
graduate students who matriculate into an Educator Preparation program at USM and are
accepted as a candidate for their internship/student teaching year are required to subscribe to
Tk20. Students use Tk20 to provide evidence that they have mastered state and professional
standards for their profession. There is a one-time subscription fee related to the administration
and assessment of the program that must be paid by each student before their internship begins.
For loan purposes, Tk20 is eligible for consideration as part of educational costs. Subscription
instructions (including the current fee) are posted on the Office of Educator Preparation page on
MyUSM at https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/usm/office-of-educator-preparation
Please note Professional Education Council Policy: In order for USM’s Education Preparation
Unit program completers to be recommended by the institution to the Maine Department of
Education for certification or licensure, the candidate must provide evidence of meeting all
certification requirements including proficiency on the standards relevant to their state-approved
professional program. This evidence must be compiled and assessed within the context of the
Unit’s data management system (i.e., Tk20).
Recommendation for Certification
Graduates who successfully complete all the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway
requirements are eligible for recommendation for teacher certification in Maine. In order to be
recommended for certification, students must complete the Recommendation for Certification
form. Students who fail to meet the academic or professional requirements for the Secondary
Teacher Education Pathway or choose not to pursue teacher certification may withdraw from the
pathway and graduate with their major.
NOTE–Course requirements are subject to change based upon changes in teacher certification
regulations.
USM Core Requirements
The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables
our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general
education degree requirements.
Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have
been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report
(DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access
the USM Core webpage.