Master of Science in Education of the Deaf
TWU’s Education of the Deaf Teacher Preparation Program prepares excellent, diverse teachers of the deaf with broad knowledge and skills for promoting equity; accessibility; and strong social, linguistic, and academic outcomes among students who are deaf/hard of hearing. Graduate students are guided and mentored with authentic, practice-based coursework focusing on communication, language, and content information for students who are deaf/hard of hearing in a variety of instructional settings.
Candidates of the program are prepared to take and pass state and national exams required for teacher certification in Texas and elsewhere. The expertise and varied professional backgrounds of our experienced educators of the deaf faculty drive this unique online program. The 33 semester credit hour degree plan* includes coursework offered fully online, supported by diverse field-based learning experiences with students who are deaf/hard of hearing. Additional information can be found on the M.S. in Education of the Deaf website.
*33 credit hours for Texas residents who are certified teachers. Students pursuing initial Texas teacher certification will be required to complete additional coursework; out-of-state residents may also have additional hours to complete based on their state's certification requirements.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Formulate and produce professional-level proficiency in spoken, written, and manual communication with diverse audiences focusing on various issues in educating children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
- Evaluate the complexities of language and literacy needs of linguistically and culturally diverse children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
- Implement instructional strategies to address the language and literacy needs of linguistically and culturally diverse children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
- Implement instructional strategies to linguistically and culturally diverse children who are deaf/hard of hearing in a variety of educational settings including, but not limited to, self-contained classrooms, general education classrooms, itinerant teaching solutions, and residential school placements.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Program Requirements
- Successful completion of a minimum of 33 semester credit hours*. Students pursuing initial Texas teacher certification will be required to complete additional coursework within the Department of Teacher Education's Post-baccalaureate Initial Teacher Certification program.
- Sign proficiency is necessary for admission to the program and successful completion of graduate-level course experiences.
- Successful completion of a summative program assessment. Currently for out-of-state students and Texas certified deaf education teachers, the program uses the Praxis 2: Special Education: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (5272). For non-deaf education-certified Texas residents the TExES Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (181) exam is required.
- Completion of a practicum experience teaching DHH students.
Additional information can be found on the M.S. in Education of the Deaf website.
*Out-of-state students may have additional hours to complete based on their state's certification requirements.
Retention Requirements
Students must earn a B or higher in all graduate courses on their degree plan to be retained in the graduate program. A student who receives a grade of C or lower in a graduate course must retake the course in order to successfully complete the master's program. Any student who receives a second grade of C or lower will require the approval of their graduate committee to remain in the program. Students must always maintain professional and academic integrity and must abide by the university, college, and department codes of ethics/conduct and policies and procedures while in the program.
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
33 semester credit hours (SCH) plus any required certification hours (additional 12 SCH in EDUC if not teacher certified, as noted below). Students seeking initial Texas teacher certification must be accepted into the Department of Teacher Education's Post-baccalaureate Initial Teacher Certification program. Students generally take 6-9 SCH per semester.
Students not completing teacher certification must still complete COMS 5926 and pass (with a score of 164 or above) the Praxis 2 Special Education: Deaf/Hard of Hearing as part of the requirements of the graduate degree.
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| COMS 5083 | Differentiating Communication Across Deaf Education Settings | 3 |
| COMS 5093 | History, Policies and Trends in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5103 | Educational Audiology and Listening Supports | 3 |
| COMS 5133 | Families and Young Children in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5143 | Classroom Assessment and Access to Print Literacy in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5193 | Instructional Processes and Facilitating Language in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5303 | Differentiating Instruction Across Deaf Education Settings | 3 |
| COMS 5663 | Strategies for Supporting Language Development in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5783 | Graduate Field Experience in Deaf Education | 3 |
| COMS 5926 | Instructional Internship in Deaf Education | 6 |
| or EDUC 5926 | Professional Practicum | |
| Total SCHs | 33 | |
Initial Teacher Certification Requirements
Students seeking initial Texas teaching certification concurrently with the Master’s in Education of the Deaf must apply and be accepted by the Educator Preparation Program and will also need to meet requirements according to the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC). (Note: TWU does not offer teacher certification to students outside of Texas. Out-of-state students must earn teacher certification within their home states, although they may pursue the master's degree in Education of the Deaf, complete the COMS practicum/internship experience required for degree completion, and complete EDUC courses required by their state. TWU works with numerous states to address their specific teacher certification requirements.)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 5113 | Foundations of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 5123 | Learning Theory, Development, and Research | 3 |
| EDUC 5133 | Assessment and Instructional Design and Delivery for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 5143 | Effective Design and Management of the Classroom Environment (EC-12) | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 12 | |
**NOTE: All students seeking Texas Education of the Deaf teacher certification must take and pass the TExES 181 Deaf/Hard of Hearing exam. Those students who fail the exam once will have to demonstrate to the program and TWU College of Professional Education their preparedness to retake the TX DHH 181 by taking and passing the Praxis 2 Special Education: Deaf/Hard of Hearing. Students who do not take and pass the Praxis 2 Special Education: Deaf/Hard of Hearing will not be recommended for additional attempts of the TExES 181 Deaf/Hard of Hearing exam.
