diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 50dad0fcabea43..06a94aa018f478 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@
         "project": [
           "./tsconfig.json",
           "./config/tsconfig.json",
-          "./tools/ui-components/tsconfig.json"
+          "./tools/ui-components/tsconfig.json",
+          "./utils/tsconfig.json"
         ]
       },
       "extends": [
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5949a11c4fcbc7..c7d58b52a5f456 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ config/curriculum.json
 config/i18n/all-langs.js
 config/certification-settings.js
 
+### Generated utils files ###
+utils/slugs.js
+utils/slugs.test.js
 
 ### vim ###
 # Swap
diff --git a/.prettierignore b/.prettierignore
index 43b14598a2d6c4..072c0e392f9b67 100644
--- a/.prettierignore
+++ b/.prettierignore
@@ -9,4 +9,6 @@ config/i18n/all-langs.js
 config/certification-settings.js
 client/i18n/**/*.json
 docs/i18n
+utils/slugs.js
+utils/slugs.test.js
 **/package-lock.json
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 198d2e45ca7726..0d334fd3d42b87 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "analyze-bundle": "webpack-bundle-analyzer",
-    "prebuild": "npm run create:config",
+    "prebuild": "npm-run-all create:*",
     "build": "npm-run-all -p build:*",
     "build-workers": "cd ./client && npm run prebuild",
     "build:client": "cd ./client && npm run build",
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
     "clean:packages": "rimraf ./**/node_modules",
     "clean:server": "rimraf ./api-server/lib",
     "create:config": "tsc -p config && npm run ensure-env",
+    "create:utils": "tsc -p utils",
     "precypress": "node ./cypress-install.js",
     "cypress": "cypress",
     "cypress:dev:run": "npm run cypress -- run",
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@
     "cypress:install-build-tools": "sh ./cypress-install.sh",
     "cypress:prd:run": "npm run cypress -- run",
     "cypress:prd:watch": "npm run cypress -- open",
-    "predevelop": "npm run create:config",
+    "predevelop": "npm-run-all create:*",
     "develop": "npm-run-all build:curriculum -p develop:*",
     "develop:client": "npm run build:curriculum && cd ./client && npm run develop",
     "develop:server": "npm run predevelop && cd ./api-server && npm run develop",
@@ -70,20 +71,20 @@
     "format:prettier": "prettier --write .",
     "hooks:install": "node node_modules/husky/husky.js install",
     "hooks:uninstall": "node node_modules/husky/husky.js uninstall",
-    "lint": "npm-run-all create:config -p lint:*",
+    "lint": "npm-run-all create:* -p lint:*",
     "lint:challenges": "cd ./curriculum && npm run lint",
     "lint:js": "eslint --max-warnings 0 .",
-    "lint:ts": "tsc && tsc -p config && tsc -p tools/ui-components",
+    "lint:ts": "tsc && tsc -p config && tsc -p tools/ui-components && tsc -p utils",
     "lint:prettier": "prettier --list-different .",
     "seed": "cross-env DEBUG=fcc:* node ./tools/scripts/seed/seedAuthUser",
     "seed:certified-user": "cross-env DEBUG=fcc:* node ./tools/scripts/seed/seedAuthUser certUser",
     "serve:client": "cd ./client && npm run serve",
     "serve:client-ci": "cd ./client && npm run serve-ci",
-    "start": "npm-run-all create:config -p develop:server serve:client",
-    "start-ci": "npm-run-all create:config -p start:server serve:client-ci",
+    "start": "npm-run-all create:* -p develop:server serve:client",
+    "start-ci": "npm-run-all create:* -p start:server serve:client-ci",
     "start:server": "cd ./api-server && npm start",
     "storybook": "cd ./tools/ui-components && npm run storybook",
-    "test": "run-s create:config build:curriculum build-workers test:*",
+    "test": "run-s create:* build:curriculum build-workers test:*",
     "test:source": "jest",
     "test:curriculum": "cd ./curriculum && npm test",
     "test-curriculum-full-output": "cd ./curriculum && npm run test:full-output",
diff --git a/utils/slugs.test.js b/utils/slugs.test.ts
similarity index 92%
rename from utils/slugs.test.js
rename to utils/slugs.test.ts
index 8e37e601f35eb9..26a41635cf1050 100644
--- a/utils/slugs.test.js
+++ b/utils/slugs.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-const slugs = require('./slugs');
+import { dasherize, nameify, unDasherize } from './slugs';
 
 describe('dasherize', () => {
-  const { dasherize } = slugs;
   it('returns a string', () => {
     expect(dasherize('')).toBe('');
   });
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ describe('dasherize', () => {
 });
 
 describe('nameify', () => {
-  const { nameify } = slugs;
   it('returns a string', () => {
     expect(nameify('')).toBe('');
   });
@@ -36,7 +34,6 @@ describe('nameify', () => {
 });
 
 describe('unDasherize', () => {
-  const { unDasherize } = slugs;
   it('returns a string', () => {
     expect(unDasherize('')).toBe('');
   });
diff --git a/utils/slugs.js b/utils/slugs.ts
similarity index 66%
rename from utils/slugs.js
rename to utils/slugs.ts
index 85fe8ff9c30dcc..c4567d32cc1cd6 100644
--- a/utils/slugs.js
+++ b/utils/slugs.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-exports.dasherize = function dasherize(name) {
+function dasherize(name: string): string {
   return ('' + name)
     .toLowerCase()
     .trim()
     .replace(/\s|\./g, '-')
     .replace(/[^a-z\d\-.]/g, '');
-};
+}
 
-exports.nameify = function nameify(str) {
+function nameify(str: string): string {
   return ('' + str).replace(/[^a-z\d\s]/gi, '');
-};
+}
 
-exports.unDasherize = function unDasherize(name) {
+function unDasherize(name: string): string {
   return (
     ('' + name)
       // replace dash with space
@@ -19,4 +19,6 @@ exports.unDasherize = function unDasherize(name) {
       .replace(/[^a-z\d\s]/gi, '')
       .trim()
   );
-};
+}
+
+export { dasherize, nameify, unDasherize };
diff --git a/utils/tsconfig.json b/utils/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..70c136a33a0bef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "include": ["**/*.ts", "**/*.test.ts"],
+  "exclude": ["./__fixtures__"],
+  "extends": "../tsconfig-base.json",
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "noEmit": false,
+    "module": "CommonJS"
+  }
+}