MS in Education of the Deaf - Online

Texas Woman’s has been training teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing for more than 50 years. Home to the longest standing program in the state of Texas, our online graduate deaf education program is offered to students around the world. We stress accessibility for all students and ensure our graduates have field-based experiences that enable them to be successful educators of the deaf and hard of hearing.

The Convention of American Instructors for the Deaf (CAID) student organization helps you learn more about deaf culture and provides you with opportunities to volunteer with members of the deaf community, practice signing and participate in social activities with peers and faculty.

Several scholarships are available to education of the deaf students. Visit the COMS scholarship opportunities site for information on specific scholarships and how to apply.

Graduate students need to have the ability to participate in academic discussions with adults and children in sign. For most non-native users of sign, this level of proficiency requires at least three courses in American Sign Language or an English-based sign system.

Graduate students need to have access to DHH children to complete assignments. If you are not working directly with DHH children, you will need to find preschool and school-age children who are DHH to work with during the program.

• If you are seeking Texas teacher certification, another 12 semester credit hours (four education courses) are required. You must apply to and be accepted by the TWU’s Educator Preparation Program to fulfill this requirement.
• Off-campus, online students must have access to a school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Sign proficiency
• Grades of B or higher are required for all courses
• Successful completion of a summative program assessment is required for a graduate degree. Currently, the program uses the Praxis 2: Special Education: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (5272) which is used by numerous states throughout the country or the TExES Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (181) exam.

A full list of courses and requirements are available in the course catalog.

Certification Exams

If you are interested in pursuing Texas teacher of the deaf certification, you must take the following exams (Students are strongly encouraged to prepare for and take all required exams for teacher certification over several semesters in order to avoid having to take them all within a single semester prior to student teaching):

• Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES): Core Subjects EC-6 (291)/(391) or Core Subjects 4-8 (211) Exam (or other content areas)
• *TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293)
• TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12 (160)
• TExES Deaf/Hard of Hearing (181) exam
• Texas Assessment of Sign Communication (TASC): Required for all teachers in classrooms where signed communication is used. Must be taken in November prior to student teaching.

*Required if pursing EC-6 Core Subjects, 4-8 Core Subjects, or 4-8 English Language Arts and Reading

Registering for exams? Contact Linda Kobler in Teacher Certification.

Program Contact

Dr. Leanna Hodges
lhodges2@twu.edu 

Application Deadlines

Fall – July 1
Summer – April 15

Admission Requirements

• A GPA of 3.0 or higher on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work OR on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work plus any post-baccalaureate or graduate hours. The Graduate School requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 on all graduate coursework.
• Upload the following documents into the application:
  • Complete the Application to Education of the Deaf Graduate Program. The program application which includes
    • a letter of intent, with the reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in education of the deaf,
    • a video submission introducing yourself in sign. 
• Off-campus/online students must have access to a school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Begin by reviewing your program's website to see if there are additional admission requirements and application deadlines prior to applying.  

1. Apply online.
   Apply to Graduate Programs  via the TWU Online Graduate Application Portal following instructions below.  
2. Submit transcripts to TWU.
   • Domestic Applicants must submit official transcripts for each college or university attended, both undergraduate and graduate. See the Information on Transcripts website for more details.
   • International Applicants are now required to provide an evaluation prepared by a NACES or AICE member evaluation service. International transcripts should not be sent directly to TWU. See the International Admissions website for more details.
3. Submit Recommendation Requests
   If your program requires you to submit names for recommendations you will need to do it in the application.
4. Pay the application fee.
   The $50 fee ($75 fee for International applicants), which applies to all new and returning applicants, can be paid by:
   1. Credit card - Pay Online through the application as the last step before submitting the application. The second portion of the application will not be available until the application fee has been received.
   2. Certified check or money order by mail or electronically - Payable to TWU, sent by mail to:
      TWU Admissions Processing, 304 Administration Drive, Suite 102, Denton, Texas 76204
      (include your full name and ID number).
   3. Cash (no personal checks) - Pay at the Bursar's Office. After paying, bring the receipt to Admissions Processing (down the hall in ACT).
   4. Fee Waivers - Graduate applicants who are certified McNair Scholars are eligible for a McNair Scholar Application Fee Waiver. TWU Alumni may be eligible for the Alumni Advantage Fee Waiver. Check your eligibility here: https://twu.edu/alumni-advantage/. If eligible submit the request using the Application Fee Waiver Submission
   5. Following fee payment return to the application dashboard where supplemental application documents can be uploaded. The online application will list which documents are needed to fulfill the program admission requirements. You can also check the program's website.

For more information or assistance with the application or graduate admissions, visit the Graduate Admissions website.

Students who wish to apply for a Graduate Assistantship must meet the General Criteria for Appointment of Graduate Assistants.