Graduate Program Overview- Deaf Education

We are pleased to know that you are interested in pursuing graduate studies at TWU in the area of Deaf Education. Texas Woman’s University has the longest standing program for preparing teachers of the deaf in the state of Texas. Philosophically, the program prepares teachers to work within total communication, oral/aural and /or bilingual educational systems; however, its emphasis is on total communication, the most dominant type of educational program in Texas. Five faculty in the Department of Communication Science and Disorders hold degrees in deaf education. All have had wide range of experience as teachers of the deaf in residential and/or day programs.

Program Outcomes

     Students graduating from the TWU teacher preparation program should have a solid understanding of speech, speech science and methods of teaching speech to the deaf; language, language acquisition and methods of facilitating the development of English and English literacy; hearing and hearing sciences; and methods of teaching content information to the deaf. Graduates should also have a working knowledge of instructional sign language, American Sign Language and Deaf culture.   

     The TWU Deaf Education program is flexible in nature and accommodates a wide range of individuals with widely varied backgrounds. Students currently in the program are graduates of undergraduate programs in business, bilingual education, English, speech-language pathology, regular education, special education, interpreting and psychology, etc.

Students

TWU actively recruits students from all walks of life who are interested in working with students who are deaf / hard of hearing.  We especially welcome women AND men, minority students, and individuals who are deaf / hard of hearing.

Student Options

     For Cohorts B & C, all courses are available on-line, with the exception of sign language courses.  These courses can be taken on the TWU campus or taken at another university or junior college.  The student will be required to provide verification of sign competency at the end of their program by taking an online receptive American Sign Language (ASL) proficiency exam.  The department will work with individual students to determine which sequence of courses the student will follow while in the program.