Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Program in Hearing Impairment

Initial teacher licensure in the area of hearing impairments is offered as a Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in the School of Teaching and Learning. The M.Ed. program is designed for students who hold degrees in education or other academic areas and now wish to prepare themselves to teach students with hearing impairments.

Most individuals, who pursue a license in teaching deaf or hard of hearing students, will tell you that they have been captivated by the use of 'signing' or sign language. Of course, there is more to teaching deaf/hard of hearing students than just 'signin'; however, watching the hands dance in the air does have a strong appeal to prospective teachers.

The M.Ed. program in Hearing Impairment provides numerous opportunities for individuals to learn to sign and to start working immediately with deaf or hard of hearing students. With a special school-Ohio School for the Deaf-and a public-school program-Columbus Hearing Impaired Program-located in a large metropolitan area, individuals can obtain a wide range of experiences in a variety of settings.

Several students in this Program have some Education background (e.g., BA degree); however, a number of students come from non-Education areas such as Speech and Hearing Science, Business, and Psychology. This Program can accommodate the diverse educational backgrounds of individuals, who desire to prepare themselves to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We have students who are educational interpreters and who are from other countries-notably, Japan, China, and Nepal.

For students with an Education background, the M.Ed Program can be completed in 5 quarters. For students without an Education background, the Program is slightly longer, depending on the experiences and motivation of the student. The Program has a strong and extensive 'practicum' and 'student teaching' component. Students will spend at least 3 quarters in student practicum/observation and two quarters in 'student teaching'. All students are expected to begin the 'practicum' aspect during their first or second quarter of enrollment.

Dr. Peter V. Paul is the Coordinator of the M.Ed. Program. He can be reached at paul.3@osu.edu. Dr. Paul has a bilateral, profound hearing impairment and has published widely in the field of deaf education.

Information on admission and graduate requirements and procedures can be found in the M.Ed. Hearing PDF.

Program Sheets

• Hearing Impairment