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Education of the Deaf
Undergraduate Program
The education of the deaf program at The University of Southern Mississippi [ U S M ] has held a prominent place in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences since it was founded by Dr. Etoile DuBard in 1966. This undergraduate program is accredited at both the state and national levels.
Students completing the program are eligible for K -12 certification by the Mississippi Department of Education and Elementary and Early Childhood certification by the Council on Education of the Deaf [ C E D ].
A strong feature of the education of the deaf program is the amount of time students spend working with deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils and their teachers during their matriculation at U S M .
Students spend approximately 200 clock hours in practicum while taking methodology courses, and they spend about 640 hours at two levels during their semester of student teaching.
The education of the deaf program is comprehensive in its communication philosophy. American Sign Language [ A S L ] is emphasized in the three-semester sign language core, yet the basics of using manually-coded English are incorporated in one of the courses.
Students also learn the basics of auditory-oral education and complete courses in normal language and speech development, phonetics, aural rehabilitation, aural-oral education, language development with the deaf, and audiology. The undergraduate curriculum is available through a link at the bottom of this page.
The job market in deaf education is excellent. Over the past several years, seniors have received multiple job offers months before graduation.
Graduate Program
2008 marks the start of a new masters degree program in early oral intervention for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The length of the program is one year; applicants are accepted in fall semesters only. Potential students should submit application materials well in advance of the February 1st deadline.
Interested students should submit official transcripts, a resume of relevant educational and work experiences, three letters of recommendation, and G R E scores. Top ranked applicants will be invited to interview with the early oral intervention faculty; interviewees will be given a short assignment to assess writing skills as part of the interview process.
Scholarships are available specifically to students who are considering this program; contact Dr. Henry Teller for details.
Answers to many of your questions about graduate studies as well as information about online applications are available on our F A Q s page. The graduate curriculum is available through a link at the bottom of this page.
Additional Resources
- Apply:Apply on-line to our graduate program in Early Oral-Aural Intervention [ Dept: Speech and Hearing Sciences Degree: MS Major: Education of the Deaf ].
- Careers:Learn more about careers in deaf education from The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center's Web site.
- Contact us:Send e-mail to Dr. Henry Teller, Director of Education of the Deaf, for further information.
- Curriculum-1:See our undergraduate curriculum in education of the deaf.
- Curriculum-2:See our graduate curriculum in early oral intervention.
- Mission:See our department's mission statements.
- Tuition:See if you are eligible for an out-of-state tuition waiver through S R E B 's Academic Common Market.
- Web resources:Links to a treasure trove of additional resources on the internet.