Court Reporting and Captioning (AAS.CRT)

In the high demand Court Reporting and Captioning program, you will use a steno machine to capture speech with near complete accuracy.

This degree program trains you for careers in the judicial setting as either official or freelance court reporters. You are also prepared for careers providing captioning for broadcast television and internet programs and providing word-for-word translation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing population in educational, civic and corporate settings.

The program is designed to train students on a specialized, 24 key, shorthand keyboard used by court reporters and captioners, known as the stenotype machine. Throughout the program, you build your writing speed on a steno machine from beginner speeds to a career-level speed of 225 words per minute. If a you do not have confident keyboarding skills prior to acceptance into the program, keyboarding skill building courses such as Keyboarding, Advanced Formatting and Processing Information can be taken.

Program application requirements include admission to Lake Land College and completion of three program assessment tests: an interest exam; English and grammar exam; and a timed keyboarding exam.

Hands On Experience

The final semester of the program, you will complete a one-hour internship course where you will be placed in courtrooms or in the deposition setting under supervision of a court reporter.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared to sit for the Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) and the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Registered Skilled Reporter (RSR) and Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) certification exams.

Program Options

All classes are available online, and many will offer a virtual component where students can attend Zoom sessions. If you cannot acquire the required steno machine skill speed by the end of a given semester, you can retake the half credit hour lab.

Special Admission/Checklist

The Court Reporting Technology Degree is a special admission program. After acceptance into the program, your major will be changed to AAS.CRT. For more information about the special admission Court Reporting and Captioning Degree program, check out the Special Admissions page or contact Lisa Earp at learp@lakelandcollege.edu.

Additional Info

Advantages of Lake Land College’s Court Reporting and Captioning Program:

Affordable tuition. Pay as you go.
100% online courses.
Self-paced speed building courses.
Rent-to-own option for steno machine.
Industry-leading software training.

Career Outlook:

Annual salaries of court reporters and captioners in Illinois average $60,130.
Estimated positions to fill in 2019-2029 will reach more than 1,400 in Illinois.