Court Reporter

Register now for OSU-OKC’s Court Reporting program! Class begins on September 26th, 2023.

*This program is not eligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA).

What Court Reporters do

Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings.

Work Environment

Most court reporters work in courts or legislatures. However, some work from either their home or a central office providing broadcast captioning for television stations or for hard-of-hearing individuals.

Job Outlook

Employment of court reporters is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018-28, faster than the average for all occupations. Those with experience and training in techniques for helping deaf or hard-of-hearing people such as real-time captioning and communication access real-time translation (CART), will have the best job prospects.

Training and Certification

• 18-month program for primary work; learners usually require additional Speed Building training to meet industry standard WPM
• 6 modules over 66 weeks; each module is comprised of 3 submodules; each submodule is 3 to 4 weeks in length
• Training focuses on high accuracy and speed intervals of 180, 200, and 225 words per minute

Tuition1, Books, And Software

This program is not eligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA). Tuition on a monthly average is $355/submodule, for an approximate total program cost of $6,400. 1Total program cost can vary depending on how quickly you progress through the speed-building portion of the course, as there may be the need for speed-building classes after the program end to gain sufficient hand speed to qualify to sit for the state test.

Materials For The Program

• Stenographic Machine: The machine needs to be real-time ready - very important. Must include the wide asterisk and wide DZ keys (can be a student or professional model). The machines will range anywhere in price from $300 to $1600 for student modelsOpens in a new tab; rentalsOpens in a new tab are available for an average of $55/month. The stenographic machine is to be attached to a laptop (No Apple products).

  • How does the stenograph machine's design set me up for the most success in improving my speed?

    • 22 keys
    • phonetic spelling system
    • left hand = initial consonant
    • right hand = ending consonant
    • entire words typed at the same time
       

• Computer: Windows-based laptop with the following minimum specifications - processor speed of 2GHz or higher (an Intel i3, i7, or AMD equivalent is recommended); 40 GB hard drive with at least 20 GB of free space (an 80 GB hard drive is recommended.

• Required Text: "Mark Kislingbury's Magnum Steno: Beginning TheoryOpens in a new tab."