Preliminary Education Specialist: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher Preparation Program (DHH)

A Preliminary Education Specialist credential program with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Authorization is also offered through our partnership with the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing credential authorizes services for individuals birth through 22.

THE MSMU/JTC DHH Graduate Program offers a Professional Development School model where graduate students are immersed in the daily services offered to children and families at John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. The program is designed for teachers who want to specialize in Auditory-Verbal education, which focuses on listening and spoken language. There are two program of study options: 1) a one-year full time graduate student program at the JTC and MSMU campuses in Los Angeles, and 2) a two-year – Distance Learning: Working Professionals program. The two-year option requires concurrent employment in a Listening and Spoken Language "Center of Excellence" as outlined in the Alexander Graham Bell Association’s "Components of a Quality Auditory-Oral Program." The Distance Learning Program requires two summer residencies of four to five weeks each at the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles. For additional information, go to www.jtc.org and click on "Professional Education."

Coursework involves 46 units and 16 courses.

Experiences in classroom settings using listening and spoken language,

Practicum experiences in a Reggio Emilia preschool setting,

Participation in Auditory-Verbal therapy and inclusive educational settings,

Hands-on fieldwork with parents and their children with hearing loss (birth to age five) and,

Extensive experience with children who use cochlear implants.

Admission Requirements

Application Process

1. Application form
2. Application fee
3. Application essay
4. Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
5. Official examination score reports (see below)
6. Two letters of recommendation from academic sources
7. Interview
8. Documentation of negative TB status

Academic Requirements and Prerequisites

1. Bachelor’s degree from accredited institution
2. GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate and graduate coursework
3. Fieldwork in educational settings, including with children with hearing loss

Admission Examinations

1. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• Minimum score of 1000 (old GRE)
• 150 Verbal and 140 Quantitative (new GRE)
• Required for students without a master’s degree

1. PRAXIS exam results (or other credential test for out-of-state candidates)
2. TOEFL for candidates for whom English is a second language

• 237 Computer
• 580 Paper
• 83 Internet

Admission Examinations for Candidates Seeking California Credential

A. Registration for the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) or CSET: Writing Skills Assessment.

B. Registration for the California Subject Matter Examination for Teachers (CSET): One subtest related to Multiple Subjects.

C. Application for the California Certificate of Clearance

For Distance Learning Candidates

The coursework is described as it would be taught in the one-year California Credential and Master’s Program on-site. Each course is either a prerequisite or a co-requisite with each sequentially numbered course. Distance students meet all of the same requirements over two years.

Grading Policies

All education program courses must be taken on a letter grade basis, except EDU 39, EDU 100, EDU 101, EDU 102, EDU 109/EDU 209A, EDU 109B/EDU 209B, the EDU 296 and EDU 297 series, the EDU 225 series, and supervised teaching and supervised teaching seminars which are Credit/No Credit courses.

Undergraduate students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.5. Failure to maintain the 2.5 GPA will place a student on probation. Refer to the University probation policy in the Academic Information section.

All students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in education program courses, including prerequisites. If a student's GPA in education classes drops below 3.0 in any semester, the student is placed on probation for the next semester. If the student does not attain a GPA of a 3.0 in the program, including prerequisites, within two semesters on probation, the student will be disqualified from the program. Students may repeat education courses in which a grade of C- was earned to raise the GPA to 3.0. Recommendation for a teaching credential requires a 3.0 GPA in education program courses with no course grade below C-. The DHH program requires all course grades to be B- or above.

Course credit is not granted for a grade of D or F in an education course. A student may repeat the first course in which a grade of D or F is received. Receiving a second D or F, either in the repeated course or in another course in the program, results in disqualification from the program. For supervised teaching, students will be assigned credit (CR) for the experience if their performance in the Supervised Teaching course is evaluated as B quality or better. If a student's work is evaluated as work of below B quality, no credit (NC) will be awarded. Students receiving a grade of NC may petition to re-register for 4 to 8 units of supervised teaching. For the Clear, students will be assigned credit (CR) if their performance in the seminar is evaluated as B quality or better. If a student's work is evaluated as work of below B quality, no credit (NC) will be awarded. Students receiving a grade of NC may petition to re-register for the seminar in which the no credit (NC) was awarded.