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Court Reporting and Captioning Program

The Court Reporting and Captioning program is a high-demand field that trains students to capture speech with near complete accuracy using a steno machine. This degree program prepares students for careers in the judicial setting as either official or freelance court reporters, as well as providing captioning for broadcast television and internet programs.

Program Description

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, students build their writing speed on a steno machine from beginner speeds to a career-level speed of 225 words per minute. Students without confident keyboarding skills prior to acceptance into the program can take keyboarding skill-building courses.

Program Requirements

• Admission to the program requires completion of three program assessment tests:
  • An interest exam
  • An English and grammar exam
  • A timed keyboarding exam
• The final semester of the program includes a one-hour internship course where students are placed in courtrooms or in the deposition setting under the supervision of a court reporter.

Program Options

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

Career Outlook

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

Advantages of the Program

• Affordable tuition
• 100% online courses
• Self-paced speed-building courses
• Rent-to-own option for steno machine
• Industry-leading software training

Certification

Upon graduation, students 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.