Court Reporter Degree Programs Information
Do you have magic fingers? Can you type fast really, really fast? You might be cut out for a career as a court reporter.
Also called stenographers or stenocaptioners, court reporters are the people who record, verbatim, what is said in courtrooms. For this reason, they must have a wide range of knowledge -and court reporter degrees provide this knowledge.
Featured Schools with Court Reporter Degrees
Court reporter degree programs help the student learn legal proceedings, legal terminology, as well as how to use specialized machines called stenotypes that enable very rapid shorthand typing.
How fast is fast? The National Court Reporting Association (NCRA) requires students at approved programs to capture a minimum of 225 words per minute in order to qualify as court reporters. With the proper training it’s perfectly possible to reach those speeds on a stenotype, as it allows much faster typing than standard keyboards.
It takes hard work and dedication, but before you know it, you’ll be flying over the keys. Many court reporters can type at over 300 words per minute, and according to the website for the California Official Court Reporters Association, the English record is 375 words per minute!
Types of Court Reporter Degrees Available
Very few institutions offer full bachelor’s degrees in court reporting or stenography. Far more common are court reporting certificate and associate’s degree programs, often taking one or two years to complete.
Most court reporters, upon finishing their one- or two-year program, then take a certification exam. The NCRA offers a four-hour exam to gain status as a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR).
Court Reporting Average Salary
- The median annual salary for court reporters is $49,710 a year.
What a Court Reporter Degree Teaches You
Court reporter degrees focus on teaching students how to keep up with fast-paced courtroom dialogue. That means learning the language of the law: terminology, common phrases, and procedural methods to know what to expect, and at what time.
Most crucially, however, they are trained in the use of stenotypes, which are specialized word processors. Rather than a full keyboard, they have what is called a “chorded” keyboard, allowing those with the proper training to type much, much faster than would be possible on a standard keyboard. Court reporter degree programs give students ample time to practice on these machines until they feel perfectly natural.
Featured Careers
Questions to Ask About Court Reporter Degree Programs
1. Am I interested in the law and legal proceedings?
2. Do I have the manual dexterity to be able to type very, very fast?
3. Can I commit to memory complicated terminology and court proceedings, and learn the ins and outs of courtroom proceedings?
Source: ncraonline.org; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos152.htm (visited August 16, 2011).
