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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Graduate Online and Distance Education

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Deaf Education Teaching Endorsement and/or Master’s Degree Program

  • About
  • Tuition & Fees
  • Courses
  • Tech Requirements
  • Application Process
  • Contact Us
The Program

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is offering a graduate program for special education K-12 teachers in the area of deaf and hard of hearing. This program can lead to a Nebraska teaching endorsement and/or to a master’s degree.

This program prepares educators for elementary, middle and high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing. For educators interested in working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers, courses can be combined with the department’s Early Childhood Special Education program also available through the Internet and videoconferencing.

Courses in the endorsement and master’s degree program are offered via the Internet.  Some courses include a campus weekend meeting during the semester.  As a student, you have the choice of simply taking courses, completing an endorsement program or obtaining your master’s degree.

The UNL program is certified by the Council on Education of the Deaf and meets the minimum requirements for a teaching endorsement in the area of Special Education – Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) from the Nebraska Department of Education.  This program prepares both entry level educators at a graduate level and provides advanced study for experienced personnel in teaching deaf or hard of hearing students.

The program aims to assure that education for students who are deaf or
hard of hearing is:
  • Designed specifically to meet the linguistic, cultural, social and cognitive
    needs of the students
  • Based on recent, quality research
  • Collaborative Oriented toward improved academic
    outcomes

There is a shortage of trained personnel in this field of study, both in Nebraska and nationally.

Methods of Delivery:

Semester courses will be delivered via the Internet through Blackboard software to any location. Some classes include a weekend meeting on the UNL campus. In addition, prerequisite courses in American Sign Language (ASL) can be completed in intensive summer courses on campus.


For more information:
Please visit http://www.unl.edu/barkley/sped/deafed/index.shtml

Who Should Consider This Program?

  • Special education teachers and speech
    language pathologists who want to increase marketability by becoming a trained specialist in the field of deaf and hard of hearing
  • Special education teachers or administrators who want to develop a quality educational environment for all students by including those who are deaf or hard of hearing
  • Special education teachers needing additional graduate hours for certification or degree requirements


Resident Tuition Cost:
  Resident Distance Ed. Tuition Distance Ed. Fee Registration Fee
Per Semester
Tech Fee Library Fee Total Cost for 3 Credit Hours
 
Graduate per credit hour

$273.00 $25.00 $20.00 $7.35 $3.00  
Graduate 3 credit hours $819.00 $75.00 $20.00 $22.05 $9.00 $945.05




Non-Resident Tuition Cost:
  Non-Resident Distance Ed. Tuition Distance Ed. Fee Registration Fee
Per Semester
Tech Fee Library Fee Total Cost for 3 Credit Hours
 
Graduate per credit hour $434.00 $25.00 $20.00 $7.35 $3.00  
Graduate 3 credit hours $1302.00 $75.00 $20.00 $22.05 $9.00 $1428.05

Tuition rates are effective as of 7/1/09 and are subject to change in July of each year.

UNL Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides information about low-interest student loans.Nebraska teachers enrolled in graduate programs may be eligible for special forgivable loans from the Nebraska Department of Education.

Program of Study

Total: 21 hours in core deaf education courses plus 3 hours Directed Field Experience and 3 hours Student Teaching. Twelve (12) credit hours of special education courses are required, if not SPED certified.

Core Deaf Education Courses
(All are available through via distance. Each course is three (3) credit hours.)

SPED 872   Psychology and Sociology of Deafness
SPED 873   Teaching Content Areas to Students for the Hearing Impaired
SPED 874   Language and Literacy for Students for the Hearing Impaired
SPED 875   Itinerant Teaching and Consultation for Teachers of the Deaf
SLPA 850   Audiology for Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
SLPA 884   Speech & Language Development of the DHH
SLPA 956   Language Study: Teachers of the DHH
SPED 960   Family-Centered Services
SPED 896D   Directed Field Experience
SPED 897D   Student Teaching: DHH



Core Special Education prerequisites
Twelve (12) credit hours of special education courses are required, if not special education certified.

SPED 400/800   Characteristics of Exceptional Persons
SPED 302/802   Assessment Techniques for Diverse Learners
SPED 304/804   Instructional Methods for Students with Diverse Needs
SPED 303/803   Behavior Management

(All are currently available via distance, with the exception of 302/802, which is expected to be available via distance sometime in 2010.  Please refer to our graduate distance catalog


American Sign Language Proficiency
American sign language proficiency is required for graduation. This requirement can be met by taking intensive summer courses on campus (two courses for two summers, listed below) or by achieving a score of 2.5 or better on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview or EIPA assessment. Contact the department for dates of required weekend meetings (three per semester).

(Each course is four (4) credit hours.)
SLPA 101   Beginning American Sign Language I
SLPA 102    Beginning American Sign Language II
SLPA 201   Second Year ASL  I
SLPA 202   Second Year ASL  II




Note for Master’s Degree Students:  You and your advisor will work to make sure that all requirements are met for your educational objectives.  Previous coursework completed at the undergraduate level or other institution may be applicable

Tech Requirements

High speed Internet connection is required. Check the Graduate Distance Catalog to learn the specific requirements for your program.

Some distance courses have supplemental materials on videos or CDs and others may require phone conferencing. You will interact with the professor and other students through e-mail, phone conferencing, and Blackboard.

Blackboard™ Requirements and Browser Configurations:
To effectively use Blackboard the Javascript and cookies on your computer must be enabled. Some content for features may require additional software. Pop-up blockers should be disabled for Blackboard (My.UNL). The browsers below are officially supported.

  • Internet Explorer: 7.0 or higher
  • Firefox: 2.0 or higher
  • Safari: 2.0 or higher

Older versions of the above or alternative browsers (such as Mozilla and Opera) may be compatible, but some features might not be available. To download the latest browsers, click the “help” button in Blackboard (My.UNL) and access the Downloads area.

Operating Systems:
Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and up, or Mac OS X, 10.2 and up are strongly recommended. Older operating systems (Microsoft® Windows® 98SE/ME, MacOS 8/9) or alternative platforms (Linux) are compatible, but may not have full functionality. Blackboard (My.UNL) is not currently compatible with handheld devices or Web-enabled phones.

Windows Macintosh
Minimum System Requirements Minimum System Requirements
Operating System: Windows XP SP 2
(Home or Professional)
Operating System: OS X (10.2)
Processor: 1 GHz Processor: G3 800 MHz
RAM: 256 MB RAM: 256 MB
       
Recommended System Requirements Recommended System Requirements
Operating
System:
Windows XP SP 2
(Home or Pro)
or Windows Vista
Operating
System:
OS X (10.4) or OS X (10.5)
Processor: 2 GHz or higher Processor: G4 1.25 GHz or higher
RAM: 768 MB or more RAM: 768 MB or more


Note: Using Blackboard with AOL:
While you can use AOL as your service provider, you cannot use the AOL Web browser to access Blackboard (My.UNL). If you try to use the AOL browser, you will find that it will automatically log you out every few minutes and you will experience problems with some of Blackboard’s services including assessments (tests and quizzes).

If you are an AOL user, once you’ve connected to the Internet, use a different Web browser to access the Internet.

Application Process


Required by Office of Graduate Studies




Required by Special Education and Communication Disorders

Master's Degree Requirements:
  • Entrance exam(s): GRE
  • Department application
  • Three recommendation letters using a program-specific recommendation form
  • A copy of current teaching certificate (if applicable)
  • Minimum TOEFL score (if English is not your native language): Paper - 550 Internet - 79

Endorsement Requirements:
Application Deadline
 Rolling admissions, contact the department for more information.
For information regarding courses offered and department admission contact:

Department of Special Education & Communication Sciences
Dr. Malinda Eccarius
318B Barkley Center
Lincoln, NE  68583-0738
Phone:  402-472-8259
Fax:  402-472-7697
E-Mail:  meccarius2@unl.edu
Web:  http://www.unl.edu/barkley/sped/deafed/index.shtml

Extended Education & Outreach
900 North 22nd Street
P.O. Box 888805
Lincoln, NE 68588-8805
Phone: (402) 472-2715
Fax: (402) 472-4345
E-mail: unlextended@unl.edu
Web: onlinegraduate.unl.edu