Program of Study
Students may follow courses of study that build on backgrounds of various levels and focus on elementary or secondary (junior and senior high school) levels. Graduates are qualified to accept teaching positions in residential, day school, and day class programs and to teach in self-contained, departmentalized, and mainstreamed settings. The course of study leads to state licensure in Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (K-12) and Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) certification in elementary or secondary education.
Program Requirements
To complete the M.A. degree in the teacher preparation program, students must satisfy the following requirements.
- Completion of graduate degree requirements, as described in the appropriate section of the catalog.
- Successful completion (grade of B or better) of all academic and practicum requirements specified by the Department of Education. Prerequisite coursework for each specialization should be completed prior to the beginning of Practicum II.
- Successful completion of student teaching or internship (grade of "B" or better). All required coursework must be successfully completed prior to the start of student teaching or internship.
- A minimum of one year of full-time enrollment in the program (usually the last year) is necessary to complete the master's degree program in teacher preparation due to practicum requirements and the integration of these with coursework. Although students may begin the program on a part-time basis, they cannot obtain the master's degree in the teacher preparation program through part-time study only.
- Gallaudet University American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (GU-ASLPI) rating of 2+ prior to advancing to candidacy and beginning the second year of graduate study.
Typical Program
The M.A. teacher preparation program is designed to be completed in two academic years, excluding summers. Students are strongly encouraged to take sign language or other prerequisite coursework during the summer prior to beginning the program, however. In addition, some students may elect to take courses during the summer between the two years to lighten the course load during the academic year or to meet American Sign Language proficiency requirements.
Students must satisfactorily complete prescribed courses of study for the elementary or secondary specialization. The program typically consists of work in these areas (credit hours in parentheses are approximate):
education and deafness (3);
audiology and speech development (6);
sign communication (9);
language development (10);
curriculum and instruction (9);
research and foundations in education (6);
practicum (10)
Total 57-59 Credits
Copies of the complete sequence of required courses for each level are available from the department.
Prerequisite Coursework (or other evidence of knowledge in each area) for Elementary Deaf Education Specialization
Child or Adolescent Psychology (or Development), OR Developmental Psychology
Introduction to Special Education
General Psychology
Educational Psychology OR Learning Theory
Foundations of Education
Curriculum Development
Instructional Methods (a minimum of 6 credits covering language arts, children's literature, mathematics, science, and social studies)
Instructional Development
Educational Technology, OR Media Production
Methods of Teaching Reading
World Literature
Art
Philosophy
Mathematics (6 credits college- level)
Science (6 credits college-level)
Social Sciences (12 credits, including one course in world history or cultures and one course in American history)
Deaf Culture (a course, demonstrated experience, or participation in Gallaudet's "Culture and Language Colloquium")
Sign Language (2 semesters or demonstrated proficiency)
Practicum
Practical, classroom-based experiences are incorporated into each semester of the program. These experiences include directed observation in school programs and at various agencies and organizations for deaf and hard of hearing people; directed participation during which students serve as teacher aides for two or three half-days per week; and one 10-week period of full-time student teaching. Practicum sites are chosen to provide students with a variety of experiences in settings of different types-day/residential, mainstreamed/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. Students are also placed in out-of-state assignments. Programs used in recent years have included public and private programs for deaf students in Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Virginia. A limited number of international placements may be available.
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.
