Deaf Studies - Boston University

Deaf Studies from Boston University is a Campus Master Special Education degree that prepares you for a Education career. This program affords students the opportunity to develop insight into and genuine appreciation for the culture, contributions, and contemporary issues of Deaf people in the United States and Canada. The coursework provides information on the historical and cultural background of the Deaf community with particular emphasis on the perspective of Deaf people enculturated in a hearing society. Through the Deaf Studies Program, students explore the issues of human dignity and the quality of life of Deaf people in society. Competence in American Sign Language, the language of the Deaf, is fundamental in gaining an in-depth understanding of the Deaf community. The initial focus of the program is understanding the bilingual/bicultural issues within other societies and how these issues parallel similar issues with the Deaf in North America. Many of the program's core courses are taught by Deaf faculty. Coursework in the Deaf Studies Program is possible at the undergraduate and graduate levels. At the bachelor's level, the course sequence is designed to provide courses in education , psychology, and cultural aspects of the Deaf and is open to freshmen and transfer students. The master's degree is required for full preparation and certification as a teacher of the Deaf. Entrance to the master's program is by application. All levels are field-based. Students are required to attain fluency in American Sign Language. Courses relating to the major emphasis are drawn from the Department of Developmental Studies and Counseling and from the College of Arts and Sciences. Based on a bilingual/bicultural (ASL and English) approach, the graduate program sequence in education of the Deaf is designed for students interested in working with Deaf children in a variety of school settings. Students develop an understanding of the nature of language, linguistic theory, language acquisition, the teaching of language (ASL and English), as well as instructional strategies for teaching reading, math, science, and social studies. In addition to the regular sequence, students are required to obtain additional coursework in one of the following areas: linguistics, curriculum development, the education of multiple-handicapped children, counseling, administration, English as a second language, or bilingual/bicultural education . Two practica are required, including a one-semester, half-time tutorial for improving English in Deaf children and a one-semester, full-time student teaching practicum, either in a residential school or nonresidential program-day school or day classes-serving Deaf children. Completion of the program in education of the Deaf may lead to certification at the advanced provisional and standard levels. At the EdM and CAGS levels, students may concentrate in ASL/Deaf Studies. In order to obtain a doctorate in this area, students are required to follow the procedures in the Developmental Studies or Applied Linguistics Programs and must also participate in coursework and research focusing on the education of the Deaf. View more details on Boston University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Special Education courses.