Deaf and hard of hearing education focuses on language acquisition and the development of academic, self-advocacy, and social-emotional skills for children with mild to profound hearing loss. Programs and services for deaf and hard of hearing children use a variety of approaches to language and communication, including listening and spoken language using hearing technology and visual language using American Sign Language. Our program includes coursework in all communication modalities, preparing our graduates to meet the language needs of individual children and families.
Our master’s program accepts students with many undergraduate backgrounds, including communication sciences and disorders, education, and psychology. While some experience with language development or education is helpful, it is not required. Some of our best students have come from fields as diverse as law and the arts! We look for applicants who have a passion for serving deaf children and their families. Our intensive program of study provides the coursework and practical experience you will need to become a successful teacher of the deaf.
Deaf and hard of hearing education is a dynamic field with many different career opportunities. Our graduates lead classrooms, work one-on-one with students in mainstream schools, and support families of D/HH infants and toddlers through early intervention. Alumni of our program work at speech and hearing clinics, itinerant service agencies, school districts, and schools for the deaf. They collaborate with general educators, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and other professionals to provide interdisciplinary services.
Teachers of the deaf are in high demand in New York City and across the country. Graduates of our program have a 100% job placement rate!
We believe that research and practice should go hand in hand. Our nationally recognized faculty, along with students in our PhD program, conduct cutting-edge research in language and literacy development. Current projects include longitudinal investigations of language environments and reading achievement, as well as research into parent-infant interactions using head-mounted eye-trackers. While we publish and present extensively for an academic audience, we also believe that research must be shared with practitioners and aspiring practitioners. Research findings are infused throughout our curriculum, and master’s students are invited to join one of our research teams!