How to Learn Court Reporting Online

A court reporter earns an average income of more than $61,000 in the United States, according to the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Reporters use their training to create records of the dialogue in courtrooms and then produce transcripts of that dialogue. A court reporter, also known as a stenotype reporter or voice writer, uses machine shorthand or a voice silencer to document the proceedings. A number of accredited institutions offer online court reporting degrees.

Things You'll Need

• Steno machine

Instructions

1. Attend online classes at the College of Court Reporting (CCR). CCR's program was the first to be certified by the NCRA. Earn an Associate of Applied Science in Court Reporting in 28 months of study.

2. Earn an associate degree in Realtime Reporting at Huntington Junior College. The college offers specializations in Judicial Reporting and Captioning/CART for broadcast television Internet applications for the hard of hearing.

3. Apply to Sage College Online. The school is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and the NCRA. Use the college's online chat rooms and discussions boards to interact with instructors.

4. Work at your own pace at the National Court Reporting Institute. It does not have specific enrollment periods, and you can register at any time. The NCRA-approved StenoMaster Realtime Theory method is taught.

5. Take online courses at Colorado Technical Institute. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Court Reporting and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Participate in extracurricular activities at their Virtual Commons.

6. Earn an Associate of Applied Business in Court Reporting and Captioning at Cuyahoga Community College. This distance-education program is approved by the NCRA, and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has accredited Cuyahoga.

Tips & Warnings

• Set up a dedicated area for study that is free from distractions.

References

• National Court Reporters Association
• College of Court Reporting
• Huntington Junior College

Resources

• Sage College
• National Court Reporting Institute
• Colorado Technical Institute Online