Deaf Studies Curriculum

All students must complete 36 general education credit hours in addition to the 51 credit hours in the professional core courses and 33 credit hours in specialized courses in the Advocacy in Social Services and Interpreting track. The professional core courses in the curriculum help students develop a rich awareness of the human diversity within the Deaf Community both locally and globally. The specialized courses allow students to develop practical knowledge and skills in a specific track. All students must complete a practicum and fieldwork during their final semester of the program. The Deaf Studies program delivers courses in a remote learning environment. Students can access the curriculum from virtually anywhere in the world. 

Course Distribution

General Education – 36 Credits

Professional Core – 51 Credits

Practicum and Fieldwork Experience

Students will have an opportunity for practical application of the skills learned in the classroom to expand their knowledge and to develop their skills through a final practicum experience. Students work under the supervision of professionals in a variety of settings for observation, actual working experience, classroom seminars, professional development activities, one-on-one mentoring, and an advanced study in their field of interest. Students also complete a paper and electronic portfolio.

Remote Learning Environment

Duration. The majority of the courses in the program are offered over seven weeks in either the first or second session of the semester. Some courses are offered during modules. Modules are one-week-long courses. Practicum courses occur during the entire semester, which is approximately 14 weeks long.

Delivery. All Deaf Studies courses are asynchronous by default. Asynchronous learning does not require students to attend live synchronous sessions and allows the students greater flexibility and convenience in engaging with course material. Students interact with their instructor and classmates online on the Learning Management System (LMS) and other Department approved applications like GoReact and EdPuzzle. 

Some courses in the program have remote synchronous meetings. A synchronous meeting is a virtual class where the students interact with the instructor at a specific time, just like in a traditional classroom. Synchronous remote sessions are typically held on a video conferencing platform like Zoom. Lab courses are one example of where students are strongly encouraged to attend synchronous meetings with the instructor. Students who are unable to attend a live meeting are responsible to discuss with the instructor about alternative options.