Overview
DHH Lead Faculty Advisor: Colleen L. Smith · (858) 642-8322 · csmith2@nu.edu
The Master of Science in Special Education with an emphasis in the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) is designed for educators and other professionals who want to become knowledgeable about educational learning challenges and teaching strategies to enhance performance of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. To receive a Master of Science in Special Education with an emphasis on deaf and hard of hearing, students must complete at least 81 quarter units of graduate work. A total of 13.5 quarter units of graduate credit may be granted for equivalent graduate work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree and if the units were not used in earning another advanced degree. Students enrolled in the joint degree credentials program are not awarded the master's degree until they have completed all graduate and credential coursework, including student teaching. Course equivalence cannot be granted for life experience.
Admission to the Program
Submit the following application documentation in ONE complete packet:
- Application for Admission to Education of the Deaf graduate program
- CD or DVD portfolio of ASL Fluency (video samples, 10 to 12 minutes maximum in length) including the following content:
1. Introduce yourself and discuss your sign language acquisition experience
2. Narrate an ASL story
3. Narrate a selected work of children's literature - Intermediate proficiency or better in American Sign Language competencies as assessed by Proficiency Interview
- Personal and professional goals essay (a writing sample, 1 full single spaced page maximum)
Send ONE complete application packet to:
DHH Lead Faculty Advisor
National University
11255 North Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, CA 92037-1011
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate graduate level written and oral communication skills and presentation skills.
- Apply analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Understand current laws with regard to DHH programs and participate in discussions on current issues.
- Understand historical perspective of the education of deaf learners.
- Interact with deaf children and develop collaborative partnerships with their families.
- Learn to interpret nonverbal communication.
- Design lesson plans to expand students' visual intelligence and creativity.
- Design culturally relevant thematic lesson plans.
- Understand and implement ASL and English language planning and development strategies.
- Plan and implement lessons and units for heterogeneous classes of DHH learners, including those with special needs.
- Assess DHH learners, including those who are deaf/blind.
- Demonstrate literacy skills such as guided reading and ASL story-telling.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals.
- Learn sighted guide techniques.
- Understand various learning theories including multiple intelligences.
- Observe trilingual education programs.
- Interview non-English speakers with DHH children.
- Participate in an IEP meeting.
- Prepare a professional portfolio.
Requirements
Prerequisites
(10 courses; 43.5 quarter units)
PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent course)
PSY 301 Child Development
(Prerequisite: ENG 100/101)
PSY 427 Biological Psychology
PSY 431 Theories and Techniques of Psychological Testing
(Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and PSY 100)
HED 602 Introductory Health Education: K-12
EDT 608 Computer based Technology in the Classroom
EXC 603 Typical and Atypical Development in Young Children
EXC 604 Exceptionality and Diversity in the Classroom
EXC 602B Field Experience: Inclusive Settings (3 quarter units)
CLD 627 Methodology for Cross-Cultural Instruction
Interdisciplinary Core Courses
(3 courses; 13.5 quarter units)
TED 615 The Foundations of Education
EXC 620 Supporting Positive Behavior
TED 621A Language Development Methods for the Elementary School
Generic Core Exam
Core Courses for the Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
(8 courses; 36 quarter units)
DHH 600 Introduction to Bilingual Education of Learners Who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing: Theory and Practice
DHH 601 Signed Language Acquisition and Development
DHH 602 Written and Spoken Acquisition and Development
DHH 603 Assessment of Learners who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
DHH 604 Development of Literacy with Learners who are Deaf or Hard-of Hearing
DHH 605 Teaching Deaf Learners with Additional Special Needs
DHH 606 Curriculum and Instruction in Programs for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Learners
DHH 607 Bilingual-Multicultural Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Learners
Research Coursework
(2 courses; 9 quarter units)
ILD 625 Educational Research
EXC 637 Action Research
(Prerequisite: ILD 625)
or
EXC 694 Thesis
(Prerequisite: ILD 625 and successful completion of an undergraduate or graduate statistics course. Students must have written permission of lead faculty to enroll in the course.)
Exit Exam
Students seeking the Preliminary Level I Education Specialist- DHH credential must demonstrate Intermediate-high proficiency or better in American Sign Language competence as assessed by Proficiency Interview before taking:
Student Teaching
(3 courses; 12 quarter units)
DHH 609 Student Teaching Seminar (3 quarter units)
(Must be taken concurrently with student teaching)
DHH 608A Student Teaching I
DHH 608B Student Teaching II
or
Internship Requirements
(for those in a DHH Internship program only)
(3 courses; 10.5 quarter units)
EXC 655I Professional Induction Seminar (3 quarter units over a 2 month period)
DHH 608I Supervised Teaching for Interns (Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing)
DHH 609 Student Teaching Seminar (3 quarter units)
| Degree Program Locations | |
|---|---|
| This degree is offered online |