The programs in Deaf Studies prepare students for a broad range of Deaf-related career or scholarship possibilities and offer coursework that provides students with an opportunity to learn the language, education, history, and culture of Deaf people in the United States and Canada. The programs are founded on the premise that an understanding and appreciation of American Sign Language and Deaf culture is foundational for a successful career or quality scholarship in Deaf-related fields.

The undergraduate program in Deaf Studies offers both a major and a minor. Students may also pursue Deaf Studies as part of a dual major program by participating in the Boston University Dual Degree program (see the Dual Degree Program section of this website). All of these programs provide an excellent foundation for students who wish to pursue careers in education of the Deaf, interpreting, counseling, psychology, medicine, law, and speech and hearing science, among others. Courses in American Sign Language (ASL) are offered to satisfy foreign language requirements and also as a prerequisite for either the major or minor in Deaf Studies. Advanced classes in ASL taken after DE 591 count toward the major or the minor. Students in the program have an opportunity to develop further ASL skills by using the language in class discussion about culture, history, literature, education, and development as they pertain to Deaf children or adults. Furthermore, the field placement where students work with either Deaf children or adults is an important feature of the program.

Several graduate-level degree programs are also offered in Education of the Deaf. The largest, an EdM, is a teaching preparation program that meets the State of Massachusetts requirements for licensure to teach Deaf students. The program emphasizes a bilingual-bicultural approach to educating Deaf students and incorporates rigorous training to build students’ fluency in ASL. The emphasis in the other graduate-level programs (EdM in Deaf Studies, EdD, and PhD) is on research. The EdD program is a tailored version of the Developmental Studies program with a subconcentration in Literacy & Language Education (see “Developmental Studies” below). The PhD program in Applied Linguistics is offered through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. The Deaf Studies faculty advise students on how they may tailor either EdD or PhD programs to incorporate the needed knowledge base related to Deaf Studies and to prepare for research on an area of interest to the student.

Courses Required for Graduation with the Major in Deaf Studies in Addition to School-wide Requirements

• SED DE 550: History and Culture of the Deaf
• SED DE 551: Deaf Literature and ASL Folklore
• SED DE 552: Seminar: Selected Topics in Deaf Studies
• SED DE 554: Field Experience: Deaf Studies
• SED DE 570, 571: American Sign Language I, II
• SED DE 572: Psychology, Sociology, and the Deaf
• SED DE 590, 591: American Sign Language III, IV
• SED DE 672: American Sign Language Structure
• SED LS 565: Introduction to Language and Linguistics
• SED LS 566: Language Acquisition

Based on a bilingual/bicultural (ASL and English) approach to instruction, the graduate program coursework 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 as a first language and English as a second language), cognitive and social processes in learning, cultural implications of instruction, as well as instructional strategies for teaching content subjects. Students will be required to complete an advanced sequence of ASL as a second language. Prior to graduation students will have to pass an ASL proficiency assessment. In addition to the regular sequence, students have the opportunity 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, part-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 initial licensure as a teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.

American Sign Language (ASL)/Education of the Deaf (EdM or CAGS)

The EdM and CAGS sequences in education of the Deaf are one-year, full-time specializations for students who wish either to enhance their current careers by acquiring knowledge and experience in Deaf studies or to attain the background necessary for further graduate study or career changes. Teachers of the Deaf may use the course credits toward the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) requirement for professional and ongoing certification. Coursework can be taken in ASL and ASL linguistics, Deaf culture and history, Deaf literature and education, counseling, linguistics, psychology, literacy, and bilingualism/biculturalism.

Students interested in doctoral work in these areas should refer to the description of the EdD in Developmental Studies under Literacy & Language Education. A PhD in Applied Linguistics may be earned in the Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Admission

Complete applications must be received by January 15 to be considered for admission for the following September. Any application received after this date will be reviewed for acceptance on a space-available basis.

Prerequisites

Coursework in American Sign Language, language acquisition, and general education is required prior to entering graduate-level courses. Some prerequisites may be offered at Boston University in the summer. Others may be taken during the first semester of the program. Please contact the program office, deafstdy@bu.edu, for summer course scheduling.

Prerequisite Courses

• SED DE 570 American Sign Language I
• SED DE 571 American Sign Language II
• SED LS 565 Introduction to Language and Linguistics
• SED LS 566 Language Acquisition
• SED ME 503 Elementary Math I
• SED ME 504 Elementary Math II
• SED LR 501 Teaching of Reading

Core Program: Coursework requirements are dependent on coursework already completed prior to acceptance to the program.

Tentative schedule

First Semester (Fall)

• SED DE 555 Literacy Skills in Deaf Children
• SED DE 572 Psychology and the Deaf
• SED DE 575 Language and the Deaf Child
• SED DE 590 American Sign Language III

Second Semester (Spring)

• SED DE 574 Prepracticum: Initial Strategies
• SED DE 576 Advanced Language and the Deaf Child
• SED DE 577 Instructional Strategies and the Deaf Child
• SED DE 591 American Sign Language IV
• SED DE 672 American Sign Language Structure

Summer

• SED DE 551 Deaf Literature and ASL Folklore
• SED RS 600 Perspectives on Inquiry or equivalent

Third Semester (Fall)

• SED DE 573 Expressive and Receptive Vocal Processes
• SED DE 592 American Sign Language V (Advanced ASL)
• SED DE 678 Practicum Equivalent: Student-Teaching
• SED DE 690 Seminar: Practicum

Fourth Semester (Spring)

• SED DE 691 Advanced Seminar: Learning and the Deaf
• SED DE 593 American Sign Language VI (Academic Language)

Research Course Requirement: All EdM students in the School of Education are required to complete one 4-credit course in research methods.

Practica: Students participate in two practica: the first, half-time for one semester; the second, full-time for one semester. The half-time practicum in initial strategies involves implementing strategies for improving the communication skills of Deaf children. The full-time student-teaching practicum is a 16-week placement with Deaf children who are enrolled in either a school or program serving Deaf children.

Competency in American Sign Language: Coursework is offered in American Sign Language to develop a level of performance and competency required for the completion of the program. Students must complete an ASL proficiency examination to participate in student-teaching and to graduate from the program.

For information on the PhD in Applied Linguistics, see the Applied Linguistics page in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences bulletin website.