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Court Reporting Certification

Workforce Trainings

Court reporting is a fantastic career with amazing earning potential and many opportunities to work as much or as little as fits your schedule. Court reporters type word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, and other legal proceedings. Most court reporters work in courts or legislatures. Some work from home or a central office to provide broadcast captioning for television stations or for individuals who are hard of hearing.

With a Court Reporting Certificate, you will be qualified for positions that include:

  • Official court reporter
  • Freelance court reporter
  • Closed captioner
  • Communication Access Realtime Translation(CART) provider

Next Steps

Get Started

Are you a new student looking to start a career as a Court Reporter? Complete an information request to be notified when classes open.

Info Request Form

Returning Registration

Are you a current court reporting student and need to enroll? Register for the next module in sequence or a monthly speed-building section.

Current Student Registration

Average Salary

Starting salaries begin at approximately $59,090/year1 nationally. Employment for court reporters is expected to grow 7 percent from 2018 - 2028, faster than the average for all occupations.

1Source: LightcastTM, accessed [September 01, 2022].

Scholarships Available

Book reimbursement, equipment loans, and tuition assistance scholarships are available for students interested in working in rural Oklahoma. An application is required. Call 918-595-7200 to apply.

Oklahoma Bar Foundation Court Reporting Scholarship Application (PDF)

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

Tuition, Books, & Software

This program is not eligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA). On a monthly average, tuition is $355/submodule, for an approximate total program cost of $6,400. Total 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. These classes will be offered at a reduced monthly rate once all theory modules are completed.

Required Materials

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). student stenographic machines will range anywhere in price from $300 to $1600; stenographic machine rentals are available for an average of $55/month. The stenographic machine must 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 (80 GB hard drive is recommended)

Textbook 

Magnum Steno: Beginning Theory by Mark Kislingbury