Hours

Tracking and Submitting Your Hours

Beginning in Year 1, each student receives a personalized Field Experience and Practicum Timesheet to record approved observation, supervision, interpreting, and professional development hours. This Google Drive document will remain active for all four years of the program—please star or bookmark it for easy access. See the Timesheet Sample Template

During Years 1–3, students focus on Field Experience Hours—primarily observations and introductory interpreting-related activities. You should record your hours as you complete them, though weekly documentation is not required at this stage.

In Year 4, students enter the Practicum, an advanced, structured field experience. At this level, students are expected to:

Log hours consistently with detailed entries for dates, sites, and activity types.
Discuss progress during Seminar or Practicum classes.
Meet regularly with their mentor for supervision and hour verification.
Submit documentation at designated checkpoints throughout the semester.

Timesheets are officially reviewed during your senior year Practicum in collaboration with your mentor, Seminar instructor, and the Practicum Coordinator.

Minimum Required Hours

Practicum students are required to satisfy a minimum number of hours in the following categories:

Interpreting
Pro bono interpreting
Observation
Preparation
Supervision/Mentoring
Seminar

The tables below provide the breakdown by course.

Program Hour Requirement Master Template Use to Copy

Interpreting Hours

Students may complete a maximum of 10% of the required interpreting hours prior to the start of the semester.

Interpreting hour requirements can be satisfied in the following settings:

Practicum site
Pro-bono assignments pre-approved by the BSI Practicum Coordinator
Department of Access Services (DAS) paid interpreting work
Students may interpret pre-recorded videos (maximum 20% per semester). All pre-recorded interpreting work must be captured and then critiqued by the mentor, peer mentor, BSI tutor, or other person as approved by the Seminar instructor.
Websites Pre-recorded Interpreting

Pro Bono Interpreting

Pro Bono Interpreting Hours

Pro bono interpreting hours are defined as interpreting work completed without payment. These opportunities allow students to gain meaningful, real-world experience while contributing to the Deaf community.

Approved pro bono opportunities are coordinated and distributed by the Practicum Coordinator through the online dashboard. Once you are officially registered for the Practicum course, you will automatically be granted access to this dashboard.

For detailed instructions on how to receive and accept pro bono opportunities, please review the training video and instructional PowerPoint.

Any pro bono opportunities found independently or suggested by mentors must be pre-approved by your Seminar Instructor or the Practicum Coordinator before you accept the assignment.

Preparation Hours

Preparation hours are defined as any activities you complete before an interpreting assignment that help you prepare for and perform the assignment more effectively.

Examples of preparation activities include:

Contacting consumers to gather context or logistical information
Reviewing related materials (e.g., PowerPoints, articles, or books)
Watching relevant videos or lectures
Researching ASL and English terminology specific to the assignment
Consulting or planning with your team interpreter(s) or colleagues

Note: Preparation hours must be logged separately from interpreting hours on your timesheet.

Observation

Observations are defined as observing a working interpreter actively engaged in the act of interpreting or conversations that occur between the observed interpreter and student.

Please refer to the Observation of Professional Interpreters Guide to support you in the observation process. You may choose to refer to the DC-S Observation Case Report template form to guide your observations.

Settings

By the time you have completed Practicum I and II, you must have observed at least five hours each in four of the following settings:

Community
K-12
Medical
Postsecondary
VRS

Approved Observations & Settings

Observations of mentor
Observations of other professional interpreters’ work in the Practicum setting
Observations of other professional interpreters recommended by the mentor who work outside the Practicum setting
Observations cannot be conducted of interpreters in classes you are registered for as a student
Observations will only be counted if permission is obtained by the interpreter and an attempt has been made by the student to schedule a pre and post discussion.
Observation of recorded interpretations (maximum 10%) All recorded interpreting observations must be captured and then discussed with the mentor, peer mentor, BSI tutor, or other person as approved by the Seminar instructor.
If approved, Sorenson Synergy Program will be reinstated for observations and a minimum of 5 hours will be required

Pre-Recorded Observations

Supervision/Mentoring

Mentor Expectations

Mentors are expected to meet one-on-one with their mentee for a minimum of 30 hours per semester (approximately two hours per week). These weekly Supervision meetings are essential for guiding student growth and professional development.

During supervision, mentors and students may discuss topics such as:

Progress toward skill development and practicum goals
Interpretation effectiveness, including message equivalence, affect, sign production, semantics, meaning transfer, vocabulary selection, ethical considerations, and technique
Feedback and critique of live or recorded interpreting work
Ethical decision-making in various interpreting contexts
Networking and professional community involvement
Career development and preparation for entry-level work
Professionalism and workplace expectations

For additional details and resources, please visit the Supervision page.

Other

Other Hours

Other hours refer to activities that either don’t fit into the standard hour categories (Observation, Interpreting, Supervision, Preparation, etc.) or that exceed the required totals in those categories.

Examples of “other” qualifying activities include:

Scheduling or administrative tasks related to interpreting work
Invoicing
Meetings
In-service trainings
Workshops
Sorenson Synergy Program
Additional observations beyond the minimum requirement
Peer mentoring activities
Other activities pre-approved by your Seminar Instructor

Peer Mentoring Guidance

In the interpreting profession, mentoring has traditionally followed an apprenticeship model, where a master practitioner guides a novice toward professional competence. This structure works well in areas with a strong pool of experienced mentors and mentees who share similar educational and professional backgrounds.

However, interpreter educators often serve diverse communities where practitioners represent a wide range of skills, cultural identities, experiences, and professional goals.

The Peer Mentoring Model (PMM) was developed to address these diverse needs. Its purpose is to:

Support individual skill and career development
Foster a community of learning and mutual support
Encourage ongoing professional growth among interpreters at all levels

For additional information on the Peer Mentoring Model, see “Peer Mentoring: What is THAT?” in the Proceedings of the 15th National Convention of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers. (p. 77).

Seminar

The Seminar component is designed to help you connect your practicum experiences with classroom reflection and professional growth. It provides a supportive space to analyze real-world interpreting work, share insights, and strengthen your readiness for entry into the field.

Each week, you will participate in a two-hour Seminar with your instructor and fellow practicum students. You are expected to come prepared, engaged, and ready to contribute to group discussions and reflective activities.

Seminar topics include:

Reflective practice using the Demand-Control Schema (DC-S) through case presentations or thematic supervision
Professional preparation, including cover letters, résumés, references, interviewing, and rate negotiation
Creation of a professional online presence, such as a LinkedIn profile or ePortfolio, to showcase your skills and experiences
Discussions and activities based on the textbook The Interpreter’s Quick Guide to Self-Employment by Johnson and Bocian
Strategies for working with diverse communication modes and preferences, including DeafBlind consumers, consumers with additional disabilities, and those with atypical language
Additional topics assigned by the instructor throughout the semester

FAQ Page

Click here for Answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions