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Court Reporting Degree Programs
Online Court Reporting
Looking for online accredited career colleges and universities offering Court Reporting degrees. Each program from a Online Career College, a post-secondary for-profit institution, offers an education with an in-demand career field. As total higher education enrollment decreases, student enrollment in courses and degree programs at online colleges continues to rise. Today, millions of college students choose to take some or all of their courses online. Court reporters also develop methods for transcribing, storing and retrieving data.
Online Court Reporting Degrees
Court reporters: Nothing but the facts, m'am (or sir)
Court reporters are responsible for documenting events that occur during court trials, hearings, depositions and other legal proceedings. They transcribe word-for-word, everything that is said during proceedings, and also note body language and emotional responses made by participants. They must accurately transcribe all testimony, instructions and admonitions made by judges.
Court reporters also develop methods for transcribing, storing and retrieving data. They document testimony using steno-type, computer assisted transcription (CAT), voice and electronic recording methods. Court reporters may also produce closed-captioned transcripts of testimony provided for the hearing impaired. They are licensed within their state of practice.
Court reporting degree: Where to get one and what to expect
The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that there are approximately 100 court reporter degree programs in the U.S. The National Court Reporters (NCRA) has approved more than 60 post-secondary educational programs for court reporting; these programs are offered through technical and career training schools. Students can expect to spend approximately 33 months in a court reporting degree program. Graduates of court reporting training may be required to pass a state licensing examination.
Common courses in the field include the following:
- court reporting technology and protocol
- legal terminology data storage and preservation
- local, state or federal law pertaining to the courts
Continually advancing technology requires court reporters to complete ongoing training.
Court reporters: Technology providing new career opportunities
The BLS reports that court reporters are finding jobs in business and media sectors. Technology and round-the-clock media programming have created even greater demand for qualified court reporters. Jobs for court reporters are expected to grow by 18 percent between 2008 and 2018 according to the BLS. The national, mean salary for court reporters was $53,270 as of May 2010.
After working for more than 20 years in mortgage lending and related fields, Karen Lawson completed her BA and MA degrees in English at the University of Nevada. She enjoys writing about higher education and career topics.
