FAQ
What is Court Reporting?
A court reporter, also known as a stenographer, is hired to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form. The National Court Reporters Association has produced a short program that aired on PBS stations around the nation. Click the link to view the video.
What are the prerequisites to take the court reporting program?
Absolutely, our program is designed to be accessible to everyone, anywhere in the world.
Is this course offered face-to-face?
While there will be optional in-person meeting once a month with the professor, in order to remain as accessible as possible this course is only offered as an interactive online experience.
How much does the course cost?
Tuition for each module is $3,995($3,750 if paid in full at the time of registration). This fee includes the Magnum Steno: Beginning Theory text book. The student has to purchase two additional books (Cost $80 approximately) and a stenography machine, which the student will need to acquire.
Certainly. Students are able to pay their tuition one month at a time at $500 for 6 months with initial registration payment of $1000.
Is financial aid available?
The traditional or F.A.F.S.A based financial aid is not available for Court Reporting program students because this course is a not-for-credit course. This means that the training you receive in this course is sufficient on its own. It is not part of a degree plan.
However, payment via installments is an option:
Court reporting is a skill, and this program is about the development of that skill. Our program is designed to be completed in 18 months (2 modules, each approximately 9 months long). It is possible that some of the students might take a little longer to complete the program.
To promote quick progress, a student must focus and dedicate themselves to the task at hand. Be prepared to treat school like a job. Attendance, Listening/Testing to Live Dictation and practice at home are essential elements that will complement your natural ability and move you toward completion.
Mark Kislingbury and his personally chosen team of experts. Mark Kislingbury has not only set the Guinness World Record for “fastest court reporter” with a staggering 360 wpm recorded, but he has also won seven National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Speed Contests and four NCRA Realtime Contests in the last eleven years.
Where do court reporters work?
Court reporters generally work inside a courtroom setting or in a field associated with legal cases and the law. The court reporter records all aspects experienced inside the courtroom, from outbursts on both sides to simple conversations held between the lawyer and judge. They also record events that take place inside the courtroom, legal proceedings, and meetings. It's an important job since the transcripts are used in a variety of ways after the case is settled. It's the responsibility of the courtroom reporter to ensure that all transcripts are complete and accurate.
Court reporters typically do the following:
- Attend depositions, hearings, proceedings, and other events that require written transcripts
- Capture spoken dialogue with specialized equipment, including stenography machines, video and audio recording devices, and covered microphones
- Report speakers’ identification, gestures, and actions
- Read or play back all or a portion of the proceedings upon request from the judge
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible or unclear statements or testimony
- Review the notes they have taken regarding the names of speakers and any technical terminology they used
- Edit transcripts for typographical errors
- Provide copies of transcripts and recordings to the courts, counsels, and parties involved
- Transcribe television or movie dialogue onto screens to help deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers
- Provide real-time translation in classes and other public forums in which deaf or hard-of-hearing students and other individuals are participating.
Broadcast captioners who provide captions for television programs (called closed captions). These reporters transcribe dialogue onto television monitors to help deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers or others viewing television programs in public places. Some broadcast captioners may translate dialogue in real time during broadcasts; others may caption during the postproduction of a program.
Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) providers who work primarily with deaf or hard-of-hearing people in a variety of settings. They assist clients during board meetings, doctor’s appointments, or any other events in which real-time translation is needed. For example, CART providers may caption the dialogue of high school and college classes and provide an immediate transcript to students who are hard-of-hearing or who are learning English as a second language.
What characteristics make a good reporting student?
To be successful, the prospective student should be English speaking with the following
characteristics:
• Above-average language skills
• Intelligent
• Motivated
• Disciplined
• Computer-literate
• Ambitious
• Persistent
Court reporting students need to be able to meet deadlines, work well under pressure and concentrate for long periods of time. The level of intellect needed to complete a court reporting program is equal to that needed to earn a college degree.
What a court reporter can earn depends largely on the segment in which he/she works and the area of the country in which he/she lives. For example, Official Court Reporters in Harris County, Houston, Texas, earn a starting annual salary of $80k, excluding transcript income.
What makes the UHD Court Reporting program different?
The curriculum involves a two-pillared system. The first part of the curriculum involves learning to write using short strokes. This is the first part of the same system Mark used to win contests and achieve his Guinness World Record. The second part of the curriculum involves learning how to practice and write at extremely high speeds. The objective is to write at increasingly higher speeds, thus increasing not only overall speed but also accuracy at lower speeds. In addition, you will also learn how to become proficient at reading back. It is essential for every court reporter to be good at reading back.
How do I find out more?
We recommend that you attend one of the Information Sessions. You can register online at www.uhd.edu/courtreporting
I have questions that are not answered here. Who should I ask?
"If you have any additional questions, or need help registering for either an Information Session or the Court Reporting Program, contact us by email at ce@uhd.edu or call 713.221.8032".