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The Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies at the University of Arizona offers an online Special Education Master's program to prepare teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students. The Special Education - DHH program leads to Arizona and Council on Education of the Deaf certifications. In this comprehensive Deaf Education program, students demonstrate learning in language and literacy development, assessment, and intervention, educational audiology, evidence-based practices, general research methods, and supporting DHH students in general education settings. Teachers of DHH students are employed as itinerant teachers, self-contained classroom teachers, resource room teachers, early childhood educators, and early intervention specialists. Currently, students from across Arizona as well as California, Iowa, New Mexico, and Illinois participate in this fully online program. Individuals can enter the Master’s program in Special Education or, if they already have teaching certification, elect to complete courses to receive state certification only. The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission to the Special Education - DHH Master’s program: (a) a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in education or related field, (b) a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) on at least the last 60 units of coursework, and (c) experience with children, including children with special needs and/or children who are DHH. The following are preferred requirements, but can be met after admission and prior to graduation: (a) a foundational special education course and (b) demonstration of intermediate sign language skills (e.g., competency of 2+ or higher on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview). Admission into the UA Graduate College is required for all individuals seeking a Master’s degree.
Students with questions about this program should contact Dr. Christina Rivera.
Dept of Disability & Psychoeducational Studies
The Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies is committed to research about and teaching of students with disabilities and special abilities. The department’s research, teaching, and service address current issues in special education, rehabilitation, school psychology, and deaf studies. The Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies (DPS) is dedicated to advancing human and economic development through the empowerment and effective inclusion of culturally diverse individuals with disabilities and special abilities of all ages. This is accomplished by conducting research to further knowledge and understanding of abilities, disabilities, adaptations, interventions, and support systems; preparing professionals to educate and facilitate the development of individuals with disabilities and special abilities; and providing leadership at the local, state, national, and international levels. To accomplish our mission, the department offers nationally recognized undergraduate, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral-level degrees to prepare teachers, counselors, specialists, administrators, school psychologists, school counselors, and researchers and educators in special education, rehabilitation, school psychology, gifted education, sign language and deaf studies, and educational interpreting.
College of Education
Arizona Global Direct - Online
Arizona Online - Online
The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission to the Special Education - DHH Master’s program:
(a) a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in education or related field,
(b) a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) on at least the last 60 units of coursework, and
(c) experience with children, including children with special needs and/or children who are DHH.
The department requires the following documents to complete your application:
The GRE exam is not required.
N/A
As an Arizona Online program, the Special Education-DHH program tuition rate is the same for in-state, out-of-state, and international students. Our tuition is currently $653/unit with most courses being 3 units. On average students take 45 units to complete the program.
We currently have support monies for students who plan to teach in Arizona after graduating through two loan forgiveness programs: Arizona Teacher’s Academy and Arizona Sensory Disabilities Loan Forgiveness Program. These monies include payback requirements; you will be required to complete one year of teaching DHH children in Arizona for each year of support. If you are unable to meet your obligation, the grant will turn into a traditional loan that will need to be paid back. You must be enrolled full-time to qualify for the Arizona Sensory Disabilities Loan Forgiveness program.
You may also want to investigate support through the TEACH grant which is a federal grant available through the University of Arizona Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. You will want to read all requirements for the TEACH grant and obtain any clarification needed through the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. You must be enrolled in at least two courses (minimum of 5 units) within a given academic semester to receive monies through the TEACH grant. The TEACH grant also includes payback requirements that can be met concurrently with the payback for the loan forgiveness programs described above if you teach at a Title 1 school. You can find more information about the TEACH grant here
https://financialaid.arizona.edu/undergraduate/grants/teach-grants
Finally, you may want to investigate the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness programs described at
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/teacher
Fall: June 15
Spring: October 15
Summer: March 15
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
4832
ETS Major Field Code(s) for this program: 3705 for Major
36
DHH Core Courses
Minimum grade required for all courses is a "B."
SERP 534 Language Development for the Exceptional Child (3 units)
SERP 530 Educational Issues: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children (3 units)
SERP 567* Audiology Practices in Education (3 units)
SERP 538 Assessment and Development of Language in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (3 units)
SERP 537 Assessment and Development of Literacy in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (3 units)
SERP 532 Principles of Listening and Spoken Language in Hard-of-Hearing or Deaf Students (3 units)
SERP 597N* Issues in DHH: Supporting DHH Students in Public Schools (3 units)
Additional Courses for MA Students and AZ Certification
In addition to program core courses, the following courses are required for the MA degree.
SERP 502 Behavior Principles and Disability: Assessment and Intervention (3 units)
SERP 503 Special Services in the Schools (3 units)
SERP 504 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Exceptional Learners (3 units)
SERP 556 Educational Research Methods (3 units)
LCEV 508 Methods of Teaching English to English Language Learners (3 units)
SERP 529A Advanced Positive Behavioral Support (3 units)
SERP 529B Advanced Positive Behavioral Support (3 units)
SERP 509 Foundations of High Incidence Disabilities (3 units)
SERP 521 Introduction to Visual Impairments and Deaf-Blindness (3 units)
SERP 564 Introduction to Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (3 units)
Language and Literacy Practicum (3 units)
Capstone Internship (8 units; full time student teaching)
Audiology Practicum (1 unit)
Master's Report/Comprehensive Exam (1 unit)
Applicants without a background in education will need to take an additional Education Methods Practicum (3 units).
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.