BSL and Deaf Studies

Our BSL and Deaf Studies at the University of Central Lancashire has great heritage with nearly 30 years of teaching.

British Sign Language (BSL), sign linguistics and deaf studies at the University of Central Lancashire have long been recognised for world-leading research, continuous top student satisfaction rates and pioneering work on the development of employability skills.

Get to know us

Get a feel for our campus and meet current students and staff at an Open Day. It's the perfect way to get a taste of university life.

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Why study with us

  • Immerse yourself in real world experiences outside of the classroom at real-life events and field trips.

  • You will be taught by a mixed deaf and hearing team and there will be opportunities to take a work placement.

  • Staff include experts in the field of Deaf Studies, BSL/English interpreting and Deaf Studies-related research.
Sound interesting?
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I decided to study here as this course gives students a chance to enhance their signing skills and understanding of the Deaf community, their culture and the barriers faced in society.
Rachel Seshie Vanderpuije BSL and Deaf Studies Testimonial Profile Picture
Rachel Seshie Vanderpuije
BA (Hons) British Sign Language and Deaf Studies
United Kingdom
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BA (Hons) British Sign Language and Deaf Studies

SignTeach Online

SignTeach Online is a European project of which the BSL and Deaf Studies team at UCLan are the Lead Partner. This project is funded by the Erasmus+ program and involves 7 partners from 7 EU countries. This project, SignTeach Online is both developed and intended for sign language teachers.

Because of Covid-19, sign language teachers, like others, had to switch to distance learning in 2020. How was that done? What were the challenges? What worked, what did not work? These are the questions we will answer together by posting good examples, interviews, podcasts and more on the project's website.

Find out more

Deaf Museums Project - (Oct 2020 – Mar 2023)

The Deaf Museums Project is an Erasmus+ Project, funded by the EU. We are a consortium of people from 7 organisations in 6 European countries. We believe it's important to preserve, protect and display Deaf Heritage and Deaf History. This helps us to understand Deaf people’s lives, culture, and world.

Our Deaf Museums website shows the exhibitions created by the project partners. It holds vast resources about Deaf museums and explains what we did and why we did it. We have also produced a basic course in museum skills: a ‘cookbook’ for people who want to help preserve the Deaf Heritage.

Our exhibition is both a physical and an online exhibition. It covers three overarching themes Deaf Access, Deaf Workplace and Deaf Space. The exhibition looks across three timelines of the past, present and future. As we explore what life used to be like for Deaf people, what it is like now and what it might look like in the future.

Visit the website

What can I do with a BSL qualification?

Graduates from our undergraduate BSL and Deaf Studies programmes enter a variety of careers:

  • BSL/English interpreters (freelance and agency)
  • Deaf welfare organisation worker
  • Interpreter in the media
  • Educational support workers
  • Police approved interpreter
  • Social workers
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Meet the team

njnunn
Dr Nicola Nunn
Senior Lecturer in British Sign Language and Deaf Studies
School of Psychology and Humanities

As a British Sign Language user, Nicola Nunn spent many years working with the British Deaf community before joining the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) as British Sign Language and Deaf Studies lecturer in 2002. She is a valued member of staff, and is committed to excel…

Headshot of Lynne Barnes
Dr Lynne Barnes
Principal Lecturer in British Sign Language and Deaf Studies
School of Psychology and Humanities

Lynne developed the British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Studies course in 1993. She also helped to develop the university support service for deaf students. Lynne is Academic Team Lead for the disciplines of BSL & Deaf Studies, English Language and Linguistics and Religion, Cult…

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Interested in studying a degree with us? From exploring accommodation to visiting us at an Open Day, find out everything you need to know about life at UCLan.