Training to become a court reporter generally requires a student’s commitment to a two-year program.
The most common degree awarded for court reporting training is an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, but there are programs that award technical certificates and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees as well.
Though the National Court Reporters Association is not an accrediting agency, it does regulate many court reporting training programs. Some states require graduation from an NCRA-certified program before granting temporary licensure for someone to begin practice as a court reporter.
However, whether or not a training program is NCRA-certified, the successful completion of the NCRA Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certifying examination is accepted in the court reporting community as evidence that a court reporter has reached professional status.
Court reporting programs are similar to other types of technical college programs. In addition to training in the area of court reporting, other types of college courses are also required.
Courses completed at schools that are accredited by a state or national accreditation agencies are more likely to transfer for credit at other schools.
If you have a goal to further your education after completing a two-year program, how your credits will transfer to another school is something to keep in mind when considering which court reporting school is best for you.
As with any college program, court reporting class schedules can vary by school and program emphasis. Court reporting schools may offer degrees in specialized fields such as judicial reporting, broadcast reporting, or closed-captioning. Though there may be some technical differences in certain courses, most basic program requirements are very similar.
The following sample schedule offers a general listing of the types of courses one might expect to take when acquiring a degree in court reporting:
First Year – First Semester
Stenotype Machine Shorthand I / Lab
Speed Building I
Introduction to Law
Business Math
Fundamentals of Oral Communication
First Year – Second Semester
Stenotype Machine Shorthand II / Lab
Speed Building II
Medical Terminology I
Document Formatting
English Composition
Summer Session – First Semester
Court Reporting English and Grammar
Math or Science Elective
Summer Session – Second Semester
Interpersonal Communication
Behavioral or Social Science Elective
Second Year – First Semester
Stenotype Machine Shorthand III / Lab
Speed Building III
Medical Terminology II
Court Reporting Procedures
Judicial Reporting Technology
Second Year – Second Semester
Stenotype Machine Shorthand IV / Lab
Speed Building IV
Personal Dictionary Development and Maintenance
Internship
Humanities or Fine Arts Elective
______________________________________________________________
DEGREE AWARDED: ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE