Published June 15, 2023

People with a desire to work with deaf children can pursue studies in deaf education. Graduates work in educational settings with students of all ages. Deaf education degrees are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels. If you would like work as a special education teacher and are interested in learning sign language, then an online master’s degree in deaf education may be the right choice for you. A master’s degree in deaf education prepares teachers to help elementary, middle, and high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. A deaf education master’s degree program may require the completion of 36 credit hours of courses, although the length of the curriculum may change based on the institution, as well as the amount of previous work experience and graduate credit you bring into the program.

How to Select a Deaf Education School for Deaf Education Degrees

A select number of 4-year colleges throughout the country offer degrees in deaf education. Some programs are open to anyone interested in pursuing a degree in deaf education, while others require knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) and completion of some deaf education classes.

Students interested in deaf education degrees may want to take the following into consideration when choosing a school:

Bachelor’s degree programs are appropriate for individuals interested in entering this field, whereas master’s degrees are geared towards those with an undergraduate in elementary education, speech pathology, or a related area.

Students should research internship opportunities offered by deaf education programs.

Combined programs are available at some schools; these programs place students seeking a master’s degree on a ‘fast track’ by offering dual degrees.

Schools with more advanced programs may have multimedia labs and other deaf education technology.

Some programs train students to operate in specific environments, such as hospitals and schools for the deaf.

Deaf Education Program Overviews

Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf Education

Bachelor’s degree candidates in deaf education gain the knowledge necessary to teach deaf and hearing-impaired children at all grade levels. They usually must complete student teaching requirements, as well as internships and research projects. Students take courses in topics such as:

  • Deaf culture and history
  • Phonetics
  • ASL
  • Psychology of the deaf

Master’s Degree in Deaf Education

A master’s degree program in deaf education is aimed at preparing students to work at a higher level with the deaf and hearing impaired. Extensive time outside of the classroom, research projects and collaboration with professionals are part of most programs. Coursework is varied depending on the student’s focus, but likely includes classes such as:

  • Intervention, counseling and therapy
  • Language development
  • Literacy

10 Deaf Education Schools:

Boston University
4-year, Private not-for-profit
College of Southern Nevada
4-year, Public
Eastern Kentucky University
4-year, Public
Eastern Michigan University
4-year, Public
Miami Dade College
4-year, Public
Texas Christian University
4-year, Private, not-for-profit
University of New Orleans
4-year, Public
University of Tulsa
4-year, Private, not-for-profit
Washington State University
4-year, Public
Western Oregon University
4-year, Public

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