Deaf Education, M.A.

Master of Arts Degree Requirements Deaf Education

The Deaf Education Master of Arts degree is considered essential for the professional training needed for effective practice in deaf education or speech-language pathology. The Master of Arts degree generally involves two years of full-time study.

Admission Requirements

The graduate program is open to students with Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies or related bachelor’s degrees who have demonstrated the ability to excel at an advanced level as well as indicated great potential for success in academic work and clinical work. In order to be considered for admission to the graduate program, the applicant needs to submit the following: (1) transcript with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 units of any coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in CSDS coursework; (2) three letters of recommendation; (3) a letter of intent; and (4) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

Consideration for admission may include but will not be limited to the following: (1) students with outstanding clinical potential, (2) students with disabilities, and (3) students with multicultural or bilingual experience.

Applicants who have specific deficiencies or need coursework may be accepted with conditionally classified status. Students must apply to the department for fully classified graduate standing as soon as any conditions of acceptance have been met. No more than 10 units of graduate work taken under conditional classification can be used to meet the requirements of the Master of Arts degree.

Admission Procedures

To apply for graduate study in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies, you need to apply to the university and to the department. Our deadlines for application may differ from those published by the University; contact the department office at 559.278.2423 for the current application deadlines.

Step 1. Apply to the University

For more information about applying to a graduate program at the university, please visit the Graduate Admissions page. There is a list of helpful links that may answer questions you may have.

1. Submit your application online via CSU Apply.
2. Submit one copy of the official transcript to the university. Information about submitting your transcripts to the university can be found on the Transcripts Requirement page.
3. Submit one copy of GRE scores to Fresno State Graduate Admissions. The school code is 4312. (These scores will go directly to the university and not the Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies Department.) For more information about there, go to http://www.ets.org/gre for their home page.

Step 2. Apply to the Department

After applying to the university you will be directed to the department application forms. Send a single envelope with a completed packet that includes the following:

1. Department application
2. Three letters of recommendation addressed to the department (each in a sealed envelope signed by the person writing the recommendation over the seal)
3. Letter of intent addressed to the department Please mail your packet to:
   Graduate Coordinator
   Dept. Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies
   California State University, Fresno
   5310 N. Campus Drive, MS PH80
   Fresno, California 93740-8019

Advancement to Candidacy

Each student in a Master of Arts degree program must file for advancement to candidacy. See Admissions and Master of Arts Degree Programs, Division of Research and Graduate Studies.

Graduate-Level Writing Competence

California State University, Fresno requires that students have graduate-level writing abilities before being advanced to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree. Students can demonstrate these abilities by passing the writing component of CSDS 203  and obtaining written clearance from the instructor. If GWR clearance is denied, students may appeal to the course instructor. Please see the CSDS Graduate Handbook for more information.

Statistics

Any 3-unit, one semester statistics course (lower division, upper division, or graduate level) is required to complete the Master of Arts in Deaf Education. Students are encouraged to take the course during their senior year. Exceptions may be made with the consent of their faculty advisor.

Grade Requirements

To be eligible to receive the Master of Arts degree, a student must have maintained a B average with no more than two C grades on the approved Program of Study. Once a student has received three Cs at any point in the graduate program, he or she will automatically be disqualified from the graduate program.