Education of the Deaf

Overview

Education of the Deaf combines the fields of education, language instruction, speech development, communication disorders, and psychology. As an Education of the Deaf major, you’ll learn the basics of education—classroom management, education psychology, and others—while adapting these basics to accommodate the hearing impaired students you’ll eventually be teaching. You’ll develop curriculum for mathematics, English, and other subject areas while learning how you’ll teach these fields to deaf students.

Your studies in Education of the Deaf will include American Sign Language, and you’ll learn the basics of speech development, language development, and the fundamentals of hearing. You’ll study the cultural, social, and psychological implications of deafness. You’ll learn how to work with deaf students and their families. You’ll use your communication and people-skills in brand-new ways.

Many colleges require students to major in traditional education and become certified to teach the deaf by taking extra courses. These extra courses may or may not extend your degree; be sure to inquire about the requirements when you begin searching for schools.