Quick Facts
- Delivery: On-Campus
- Credits: 100
- Licenses for Exceptional Needs: Mild Interventions K-6
Ball State’s bachelor's degree in Exceptional Needs: Deaf Education—the only one in Indiana—is designed to prepare you to work with students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Coursework includes American Sign Language, Deaf culture, foundational concepts in hearing and speech development, technology, and effective instructional strategies for deaf and hard of hearing students, PreK-12. You will also complete coursework that leads to a license in mild intervention, K-6.
When you graduate from our program, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to make a positive impact in the lives of deaf and hard of hearing students and their families. In addition to rigorous academics, this comprehensive program emphasizes real-world field experiences, including Indiana School for the Deaf, itinerant instruction in local schools, and community organizations. The program culminates in a student teaching experience divided evenly between a deaf and hard of hearing setting and a mild intervention setting.
What You Will Learn
You will learn about and apply evidence-based practices for deaf and hard of hearing students and students with mild intervention needs.
You will also learn:
- To use multiple sources of information to develop a comprehensive understanding of a student’s strengths and needs
- How to develop short- and long-term learning goals
- How to use language milestones, academic standards, and assessment data to implement specialized interventions
- How to create inclusive, language-rich environments that support academic and linguistic growth for all learners
Program Benefits
Our program includes several field experiences in both mild intervention and deaf education settings at the elementary and secondary levels. This includes practicum and other early field experiences in self-contained, inclusion, resource, itinerant, and residential settings. The program culminates in a 16-week student teaching experience in which you spend 8 weeks in a deaf education setting and 8 weeks in a mild intervention setting.
Our special education program in Exceptional Needs: Early Childhood Special Education is nationally recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children and Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
With persistent shortages of licensed special educators and a growing population of students eligible for special education services, there is a tremendous demand for special educators both within the state of Indiana and nationwide.
On top of the dozens of scholarships the university offers its students, our department gives awards every year to its own students to recognize them for their achievements. Learn more.
Questions?
For questions about our progams, get in touch with us!
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Take the Next Step
If you’d like to learn more about our Teaching Major in Exceptional Needs: Deaf Education, complete our online form. Or one of the best ways to get a true feel for Ball State is to see it for yourself, so schedule a visit today! And if you’re ready to apply, review our admission requirements and complete our online application.