Nov 21, 2024

2021-2022 General Catalog

2021-2022 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education - MEd

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education

Master’s Degrees

The Deaf Education program at Utah State University offers teacher training in both Bilingual-Bicultural (ASL/English) and Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) to earn a Master of Education degree. This is not a single, comprehensive program, but rather two distinct training programs that collaborate and support one another yet remain specific in their approaches in the preparation of teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Both programs utilize best practice and research-based methodology in preparing teachers to meet the unique and individual needs of the children and families they serve.

Program requirements are outlined below. Some prerequisites may apply. Transcripts can be reviewed if students have completed required coursework in an undergraduate program or at another institution. In such cases, the program of study will be individualized consistent with department and college requirements.

Students must successfully complete a Plan A thesis, Plan B or C project, or Plan C comprehensive examination. All graduate students must take the appropriate national Praxis exam (Educational Testing Service-Praxis test). When they register, they must list USU as a recipient of their examination scores. Before a letter of completion will be sent to the School of Graduate Studies, students must also provide the department with written proof that they have registered for the exam.

Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Bilingual-Bicultural Teacher Preparation Track

This graduate program prepares students to become classroom teachers in programs serving deaf and hard of hearing children, focusing on a “difference” rather than “disability” model. Methodology courses and practicum experiences prepare students to teach academic content through American Sign Language and written English. The culminating experience of the program is student teaching in an immersion setting. Students are placed in quality schools for the Deaf in Utah and across the nation where they are mentored by some of the best teachers in the field.

Graduates are employed as parent advisors, preschool teachers, elementary teachers, high school teachers, supervising teachers, and administrators in programs and schools serving deaf and hard of hearing children across the nation. Graduates must apply for teacher licensure in the state in which they are seeking employment.

The following courses or their equivalent are required for all students seeking the MEd in education of the deaf and hard of hearing:

Programs of study may include electives from the following courses or approved alternatives (see advisor):

Listening and Spoken Language Track

The Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) deaf education graduate training program prepares students to serve young children age 0-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and their families. Program focus is on early intervention, strategies for optimizing LSL development, kindergarten readiness, and an understanding of hearing technology (e.g., cochlear implants, digital hearing aids). Students gain hands-on experiences every semester of the program. As an interdisciplinary program, graduate students also gain theoretical knowledge and practical experience in audiology and speech/language pathology services.

Graduate students in this emphasis are eligible to earn a Master of Education (MEd) degree in COMDDE. Options are available for off-campus and out-of-state students to earn the MEd, contingent upon approval of eligibility requirements. Campus-based and Utah-based students who do not already hold a teaching license also complete coursework in partnership with the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation to complete the requirements for the 0-5 Early Childhood Special Education Teaching License and DHH Endorsement, issued by the Utah State Office of Education. Out-of-state students must already hold, or be in the process of earning, the relevant teaching license for their state.

Course Requirements:

Listening and Spoken Language Area of Concentration Coursework

The following courses or their equivalent are required for students seeking the MEd in Listening and Spoken Language Deaf Education:

Early Childhood Special Education Licensure

The following courses or their equivalent are required for students in the LSL program to apply for the Utah 0-5 Early Childhood Special Education Teaching License: