M.A. in Sign Language Education Requirements

Requirements

• Completed application form. See Application Instructions to learn how.
• A non-refundable application fee of $75.
• A minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a four-point scale) in all previous undergraduate and graduate study. (Occasionally, applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be admitted conditionally upon the recommendation of the department.)
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate study, including evidence of having received a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. (Those applying during their final undergraduate year will be required to submit a final transcript after completion of their bachelor’s degree and before enrolling in their first semester of graduate study.) 
• Official transcripts of all graduate study (if applicable)
• Goals statement. 
• All international applicants from non-English speaking countries must demonstrate English language competence via the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) examination. TOEFL results may be substituted instead of taking the DRP. (Use 5240 for the ETS institutional code)

Additional Program Requirements

• Qualifying applicants will be contacted for a video interview with the Master’s in Sign Language Education screening committee. 
• Applicants are required to submit three names of references and their email addresses.

Courses & Requirements

MA-SLED has partnered with the American Sign Language Teachers’ Association (ASLTA) to award all Master in Sign Language Education graduates a Certified Level certification from ASLTA. ASLTA is a national professional organization of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies teachers. A certification by ASLTA is seen as a gold standard for qualified instructors, giving our graduates a competitive edge.

A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field of study: ASL or other signed languages, Deaf Studies, Linguistics, or Bilingual Education. If the applicant does not have a degree in one of the aforementioned fields of study, the following may be considered:

• A transcript of cumulative elective courses taken that are equivalent to a degree in a relevant field of study
• A bachelor’s degree AND experience of at least 1,350 hours (approximately 5 years) of language instruction within secondary or post-secondary institutions
• A MASTER Certification from ASLTA