Certificate Programs are designed around the current and pressing needs of professionals and practitioners. They include a set of related courses taken leading to a certificate that demonstrates successful completion of the curriculum. Gallaudet University currently offers four non-degree credit professional studies (PST) certificates through its Center for Continuing Studies. PST courses offer students a substantial reduction in tuition costs and were designed to satisfy requirements for professional development. Although credits earned cannot be applied to degree programs at Gallaudet, they may be transferable to other universities. Some certificates can be taken as a graduate certificate. Course requirements are the same for both types of credit.
If you are interested in applying for a PST certificate program, please check the program requirements and click on the "Apply Now" button to start your application process.
Educating Deaf Students with Disabilities (Online only) This graduate-level online certificate program prepares current educators, other educational professionals, and second year graduate students seeking certification and/or state licensure in the area of special education to work with deaf and hard of hearing students who have disabilities. It can be taken for either PST or graduate credit. It emphasizes culturally relevant critical pedagogy as a foundation for preparing highly qualified special education teachers. The program focuses on working with the whole child, the family, and other professionals while merging content standards and CEC standards, in addition to general, bilingual, special, and deaf education pedagogy through coursework to prepare teacher candidates to work with a diverse group of children within a range of educational settings. Although completing the on-line educating deaf students with disabilities certificate program will not result in a license, the program is designed to meet the requirements for a non-categorical special education license in DC. Program of Study and Admission Requirements
Program of Study Summer 1 (PST 711 should be taken early in the program. The other courses may be taken either at the beginning or end of the program.) PST 711 Trends in Special Education (3 credits) PST 714 Language and Literacy Development for Deaf Students with Disabilities (3 credits) PST 716 Differentiating Instruction in the Content Areas (3 credits) Fall 1 PST 715 Teaching Functional Curriculum (3 credits) PST 717 Assessment of Deaf Students with Disabilities (3 credits) Spring 1 PST 712 Classroom Management (3 credits) PST 713 Home-School Continuum: Collaboration with Families, Professionals, and Paraeducators (3 credits)
Admission Requirements Applicants for the PST Certificate in Educating Deaf Students with Disabilities must meet the following program requirements: 1. A completed CCS Application Form, including payment of a $50 non-refundable application fee. The CCS application can be submitted in conjunction with registration for the first class offered in the program. 2. A BA or BS degree in education or related field as evidenced by submission of an official transcript from an accredited university. 3. A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a four-point scale) in all previous undergraduate (and graduate if applicable) study. Occasionally, applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally upon the recommendation of the department. 4. One letter of reference 5. Access to working with children in an academic environment during program. This access can be on the job or through a practicum or internship experience. 6. An introductory course about individuals with disabilities and the characteristics of the disabilities (equivalent to EDU 670 in Gallaudet’s Department of Education) 7. ASL skills preferred, but not required 8. Technology requirements and Computer Requirements/skills: A Mac or PC computer with access to the internet capable of running a most recent and updated web browser is necessary for participation in our online courses. The minimum operating system are Windows XP or higher for PC and MacOS 10.5 or higher for Mac. See Online Computer Requirementsfor more detailed information. Students are responsible for obtaining their own Internet access and are expected to have basic computer and internet literacy prior to the start of the course, including use of email, word processing programs, presentation programs (such as PowerPoint), and the internet to search for information. 9. TOEFL scores for all international applicants.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers, and Families: Collaboration and Leadership Program Interdisciplinary Certificate Program (Online/On-campus)
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and their Families: Collaboration and Leadership Interdisciplinary Certificate Program is an interdisciplinary program that provides professionals from a wide range of disciplines with current evidence-based knowledge and skills for working with families and their very young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It can be taken for either PST or graduate credit. It provides an overview of professional and ethical practices, communication and language(s), families, and developmental assessment and programming. Candidates will acquire leadership, advocacy and collaboration skills that promote age and developmentally appropriate outcomes for infants and toddlers. All coursework and experiences reflect principles of diversity including understanding and appreciation of language diversity (ASL and English, as well as other home languages). The program consists of 18 credit hours on the following schedule . Online presentations will be available through American Sign Language and spoken English or English captions. Program of Study and Admission Requirements
Program of Study Summer 1 PST 660 Socio-Cultural and Political Contexts for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers, and their Families (3 credits) PST 661 Communication, Language and Cognitive Development: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers (3 credits) Fall 1 PST 662 Leadership Perspectives on Families with Deaf or Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers: Their Cultures and Communities (3 credits) PST 665 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and their Families: Capstone Project Part I (1 credit) Spring 1 PST 663 Strategies for Developing Communication, Language and Cognition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers (3 credits) PST 665 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and their Families: Capstone Project Part II (2 credits Summer 2 PST 664 A Developmental Approach to Programming for Infants/Toddlers and their Families (3 credits)
Admission Requirements Applicants for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers, and Families: Collaboration and Leadership Program Interdisciplinary Certificate Program must meet the following program requirements. 1. A completed CCS Application Form, including payment of a $50 non-refundable application fee. The CCS application can be submitted in conjunction with registration for the first class offered in the program. 2. A BA or BS degree in a related field as evidenced by submission of an official transcript from an accredited university. 3. A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a four-point scale) in all previous undergraduate (and graduate if applicable) study. Occasionally, applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally upon the recommendation of the department. 4. One letter of recommendation. 5. Evidence of professional program, certificate, or license held or in process of obtaining OR evidence of current or prospective employment related to deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers and families. 6. A one-page written essay (or 10 minute signed video) indicating the reason for your interest in obtaining a certificate focused on deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers and their families.
Peer Mentor Training Certificate Program ( Online/On Campus Hybrid) The Peer Mentor Training Certificate Program is a PST certificate designed to train qualified hard of hearing and deaf individuals to help others adapt to their hearing loss by providing them the needed skills and support under the supervision of certified or licensed hearing health professionals. The program is a predominantly distance learning (online) 16-credit curriculum that is contained in 7 courses completed over a period of 2 years. Courses are taught by aural rehabilitation professionals who may be audiologists, speech pathologists, and others in related fields. Materials for the course have been written by both professionals and consumers with hearing loss. Program of Study and Admission Requirements
Program of Study Seminar PST 775 Orientation to Peer Mentoring (on-campus/online hybrid, 1 credit) PST 776 Hearing Loss in America: An Overview (online, 3 credits) PST 777 Biopsychosocial Aspects of Hearing Loss (online, 3 credits) PST 779 Communication Assistive Technology (online, 2 credits) PST 778 Practical Audiology: Fundamentals for Consumers (online, 3 credits) PST 780 Peer Mentoring for Hearing Loss (online, 3 credits) PST 781 Applications of Peer Mentoring (on-campus/online hybrid, 1 credit)
Admission Requirements Applicants for the Peer Mentor Training Certificate Program must meet the following program requirements: 1. Letter of application describing your leadership, service and mentoring experience, your interpersonal skills and how you have successfully worked with others in a collegial fashion, how and where you plan to put your mentoring skills to use, and your commitment to this program if accepted. 2. A completed CCS Application Form, including payment of a $50 non-refundable application fee. The CCS application can be submitted in conjunction with your registration for the first class offered in the program. 3. Documentation of hearing loss (copy of audiogram or letter from audiologist) 4. BA or BS degree in a related field as evidenced by submission of an official transcript from an accredited university 5. 3 letters of reference attesting to your suitability for this program.
Change Leadership Academy The Change Leadership Academy is a four-course intensive training experience providing teams of educators from schools for the deaf with the mental models, mind-sets, knowledge and skills they need to transform their schools for success in the 21st Century. The first course in the sequence is a one-week summer course that introduces the teams to a five-phase whole-system change methodology along with basic concepts and principles of systemic change. The second course is an eight-week on-line course during the fall semester that focuses on principles and concepts of Language Planning. The third course is a full semester course also offered during the fall that requires teams to implement what they learned in the first two courses. The fourth and final course is offered in the spring semester and it focuses on advanced concepts and principles of systemic change. Successful completion of the program provides participants with a Certificate of Change Leadership. The lead instructor for the three change leadership courses is Dr. Francis Duffy. Frank is a nationally known expert in the area of change leadership. He is the co-director of a national initiative to transform school systems called FutureMinds, which is sponsored by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. He is also the founding editor of the Rowman & Littlefield Education’s Leading Systemic School Improvement Series. The lead instructor for the Language Planning course in the Change Leadership Academy is Dr. Stephen M. Nover. Dr. Nover, a graduate of Gallaudet University, holds a Master’s degree in education administration and supervision from California State University, Northridge, and received a Ph.D. in Language, Reading, and Culture at the University of Arizona at Tucson. Since 1997 he has served as the Director of Language Planning Institute. Since fall 2011, Dr. Nover has been working as a language planning consultant with the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD) as part of the School Improvement Plan. In addition, he is an instructor of ASL/English Bilingual Professional Development courses specifically designed for AASD teachers. Learning Outcomes By completing the Change Leadership Academy the participating teams will: 1. Learn a field-tested five-phase methodology they can use to transform their schools for the deaf; 2. Learn key concepts and principles for creating and sustaining whole-system change; 3. Learn key concepts and principles of language and literacy planning for conducting the school-based language and literacy planning to develop the language and literacy planning processes that inform system-wide, school-wide, and classroom-level decision-making. 4. Begin building their schools’ capacity to engage in successful transformational change; and, 5. Begin creating a new and exciting future for their schools by engaging in transformational change. Program of Study and Admission Requirements
Program of Study Summer PST 644 Mastering the Art & Science of Transforming School Systems—Introductory (3 credits) Fall PST 646 Preparing for Transformational Change Seminar (3 credits) and PST 630 Enhancing Deaf Education: Language Planning and Leadership (online/on-campus hybrid, 3 credits) Spring PST 647 Mastering the Art & Science of Transforming School Systems—Advanced (3 credits)
Admission Requirements The Academy is a team-based learning experience. Only teams of educators from schools for the deaf may participate. Each team must have the School’s superintendent as a member. Additional team members are selected by the school administrators with advice and guidance from the Academy faculty. Applicants for the Change Leadership Academy must meet the following program requirements: 1. A completed CCS Application Form, including payment of a $50 non-refundable application fee. The CCS application can be submitted in conjunction with registration for the first class offered in the program.
