Overview

Students in this program will take courses that cover the fundamentals of American sign language, including vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills. In addition to learning how to sign, students will explore deaf culture, history, and the social aspects of the deaf community. These topics help students build respectful and meaningful communication skills, while also expanding their understanding of diversity and inclusion.

Studying this program at GVSU is a great opportunity since ASL is becoming increasingly important in many fields, including health care, education, and public service. This badge not only gives students a basic ability to communicate with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, but also shows future employers or graduate schools that the student values accessibility and inclusion. It’s a meaningful way to stand out and make a positive impact in both professional and community settings.

A digital badge, or badge, is a record of achievement that recognizes a student's completion of a coherent and meaningful academic experience. GVSU offers both credit and non-credit bearing badges as digital credentials. Credit-bearing badges include anywhere from 0.5 to 15 academic credits and may include additional noncredit criteria. Credit-bearing badges are also posted to the academic transcript.

Admission Information

Admissions to complete a digital badge is open to both degree and nondegree seeking students. If you are not currently a Grand Valley student, start your application here.  

For current GVSU students:

• Declare your badge via myBanner. Login to Banner Self-Service, click on Student, Student Records, Add a Certificate or Badge to your Program, Select the appropriate badge from the drop down list, and click Submit.
• Speak with the appropriate badge coordinator to ensure criteria are being met. You will be able to track your progress toward the badge in myPath as well!
• Once you are done with the requirements, apply to receive the badge via myBanner.
• Once the completion of your badge has been verified, the badge will be posted to your student record and will be viewable on your transcript. In addition, your digital badge will be posted on Credly.com.