Program of Study

Students must satisfactorily complete the prescribed course of study for the MAT program. The program typically consists of work in these areas (credit hours indicated in parentheses are approximate):

education and deafness (3);
language development (10);
curriculum and instruction (9);
research and foundations of education (6);
practicum (8)
optional work in audiology and speech development (6)

Practicum

Practical, classroom-based experiences are incorporated into the fall and spring semesters of the program. These experiences include directed participation during which the students work in classrooms for three half-days per week, and one 10-week period of full-time student teaching.

Practicum sites provide students with a variety of experiences in settings of different types-day/residential, main-streamed/self-contained/departmentalized-and in classes using a variety of communication modes and instructional approaches. Programs typically used in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area include the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (both on the Gallaudet University campus), the Maryland School for the Deaf, and day schools and classes in Fairfax County, Virginia, and in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, Maryland. In addition, students may be placed in programs out of the area for their student teacher placement.

Students should also be prepared to pay for security clearance checks when these are required by a school. These security checks cost approximately $40-$50.