Graduate Programs

Mission Statement

Gallaudet University's Department of ASL and Deaf Studies is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, challenging, and productive ASL and Deaf Studies curriculum anywhere in the world. Expert faculty will guide students to explore the complexities of Deaf communities and their signed languages through interdisciplinary approaches.

Department Program Description

Gallaudet University is irrefutably the world's expert on American Sign Language and deaf studies. Having a rich history of being a leader in deaf education for over a hundred years, as well as being the premier educational institution that identified ASL as a true and independent language, it is clear that if you're interested in studying either ASL or the study of deaf people and deaf communities, Gallaudet University is the place.

Deaf Studies MA Program Mission Statement

The Department of ASL and Deaf Studies offers the world's premiere graduate program in Deaf Studies. Our students become members of a vibrant learning community dedicated to the critique of existing knowledge and production of new knowledge relating to Deaf communities and their sign languages.

• The Cultural Studies Concentration challenges students to develop methods of inquiry, research and critique that explore the wide-ranging implications of Deaf ways-of-being. Students will engage in a yearlong project in which they will pursue an area of interest through an academic thesis, a creative project, or applied advocacy project.
• The Language and Human Rights Concentration offers the world's only graduate degree which focuses on language and human rights, with particular emphasis on the linguistic human rights of Deaf signers in a global context. Students will engage in a yearlong project in which they will gain knowledge and application of human rights instruments.

Sign Language Teaching MA Program Mission Statement

The Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies offers a M.A. degree in Sign Language Teaching. Students will be introduced to key theoretical and methodological issues involved in sign language instruction including curriculum development, assessment, and incorporating Deaf culture into the language curriculum. Students will undertake a teaching practicum and internship under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. An electronic portfolio is required at the completion of the program, representing the culmination of the student's academic performance.

Graduate Certificate Program in Deaf Studies

The Graduate Certificate Program in Deaf Studies provides students with historical and theoretical foundations in Deaf Studies. Students may select courses from an interdisciplinary curriculum in the areas of cultural studies, history, critical theory, philosophy, literature, disability studies, visual culture, critical pedagogy, public policy and advocacy. This 18-credit program will enhance students' knowledge of Deaf Studies, better preparing them to work in fields relating to Deaf communities.