Court Reporting

For the first time, this program is open to both adult and high school students. (Tuition is FREE to high school students.) The National Court Reporter Association (NCRA) approved Court Reporting program prepares students for employment as official court reporters, freelance reporters, broadcast captioners, or communication access realtime translators (CART) for the hearing impaired.

The content prepares the student to use an electronic stenowriter to produce a verbatim transcript of all proceedings by instantaneously capturing on a computer monitor what is being said.

Broadcast captioning, mock trials, and computer activities are an integral part of this program and include the use of a stenowriter and a realtime computer-aided transcription system, and electronic communication activities associated with the court reporting profession. An internship is included.

In order to obtain a certificate from SCTI's Court Reporting Program, the student is required to complete a minimum of 95 credit hours or 2850 clock hours (one credit hour equals 30 actual clock hours), all academic courses, and a speed level of 225 wpm.

Students may also train to become scopists, broadcast captioners, stenosciptionists (legal transcriptionists), and stenoscriptionists II (medical transcriptionists).

Tests for the NCRA’s (National Court Reporter Association’s) Professional Reporter Examination are given the first Saturday in May and November.

COURSES:

ACO 101 Accounting* (90 hours/3 credit hours)

OTA 311 Business English (60 hours/3 credit hours)

OTA 931 Certification Test Prep (60 hours/2 credit hours)

PLA 203 Civil Law (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 851 Computer-Aided Transcription (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 717 Court Reporter English (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 711 Courtroom Procedures (60 hours/2 credit hours)

PLA 303 Criminal Law (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 942 Internship 3 PLA 058 Introduction to Law (90 hours/3 credit hours)

OTA 765 Legal Terminology (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 762 Legal Document Production (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 802 Machine Shorthand I (240 hours/8 credit hours)

OTA 812 Machine Shorthand II (300 hours/10 credit hours)

OTA 825 Machine Shorthand III (780 hours/26 credit hours)

OTA 832 Machine Shorthand IV (60 hours/12 credit hours)

OTA 826 Medical Shorthand (180 hours/6 credit hours)

OTA 604 Medical Terminology** (60 hours/2 credit hours)

CGS 000 Microcomputers (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 763 Principles & Practices (60 hours/2 credit hours)

OTA 731 Transcript Preparation (90 hours/3 credit hours)

SBM 002 Small Business Management* (90 hours/3 credit hours)

* Only course required
** Online course

Adult students…

PROGRAM LENGTH: The program is approximately two years or 2850 hours long. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 7:25 am to 1:55 pm. Students may request half-day, three-hour morning or afternoon sessions.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Student's competency in math, language, and reading is pre-assessed. Required basic skills grade levels are: Reading-12; Math-10; and Language-12.

ENTRANCE DATES: This program is open for enrollment four times a year, beginning each Quarter. (Click here for dates.) Transfer students are accepted on a space available basis throughout the year.

HOW TO REGISTER: Call an SCTI counselor at (941) 924-1365 x62286.

High school students…

PROGRAM LENGTH: Students attend morning (7:25 to 10:10 am) or afternoon (10:50 am to 1:30 pm) sessions for 1 – 2 years as juniors and/or seniors.

ENTRANCE DATES: This program is brand new for high school students. Students will complete a portion of the program prior to high school graduation and then finish as an adult. Students can earn up to 4 credits per year towards graduation.

Classes meet Monday through Friday on a half-day basis. Students may choose to attend morning (7:25 – 10:15 am) or afternoon (10:50 to 1:30 pm) sessions.

HOW TO REGISTER: Contact your high school’s guidance counselor or call an SCTI counselor at (941) 924-1365 x62286.

Legal Administrative Specialist