Deaf Education (Teacher of the Deaf Qualification) MA
Year of entry 2022
- Start date
- September 2022
- Delivery type
- Online exclusive
- Duration
- 24 months part time
- Entry requirements
- A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) plus a teaching qualification, BSL level 1 and teaching experience.
Full entry requirements - English language requirements
- IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component
- UK fees
- £9,750 (total)
- International fees
- £9,750 (total)
- Contact
- pgeduc@leeds.ac.uk
Course overview
Please note, the information on this page is relevant for September 2022 entry. Course information for September 2023 entry will be published here soon.
Taught over two years through a combination of face-to-face and online learning, this course leads to an MA in Deaf Education with the option of a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) qualification, approved by the Department for Education (DfE).
Students will benefit from a combination of day schools and regional tutorials with online learning and virtual tutorial support. The taught sessions include readings and tasks designed to consider theoretical perspectives, reflecting current research within a rapidly changing dynamic field and the implications for practice.
Deaf children’s language experience and development is fundamental to the degree and is embedded through all aspects of the course, as well as receiving specific consideration in the deafness and development and educational audiology modules.
The MA Deaf Education (ToD) integrates cutting-edge research knowledge with practitioner expertise to develop skilled, knowledgeable and critical practitioners.
The MA Deaf Education (without ToD qualification) follows the same core modules but does not require completion of the Professional Skills: Learning, Teaching and Audiology module (for all non UK based students).
We also offer a Postgraduate Diploma in this subject. See PGDip Deaf Education (Teacher of the Deaf) for more information.
We welcome suitably qualified deaf and hearing applicants, and provide appropriate access and support arrangements for all students. Bursaries are offered to UK Deaf Education schools or services funding more than one student per school or service in a single year.
Course details
MA Deaf Education comprises four core modules delivered across two years, and a dissertation. Your first module will be either Deafness and Development or Educational Audiology, depending on when you commence your studies.
If you are working towards the Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) award, you will also build a portfolio of professional skills throughout the two years. This applied aspect of the programme allows you to acquire and demonstrate the mandatory teaching, communication and audiological skills required of a ToD.
Central to the programme is an understanding of the establishment of language fluency and effective communication as a basis for cognitive, social and emotional development. It recognises the plural and diverse linguistic contexts of deaf children’s lives and that maximising engagement with curriculum must be the educational priority for all deaf learners.
Individual auditory potential must be carefully evaluated and regularly reappraised for all deaf children. Consideration is, therefore, given to the range of communicative and educational demands of the different contexts in which children learn so that advances in personal and assistive hearing technologies, combined with acoustic environment management, can be optimised for deaf learners.
Through consideration of the roles of spoken and signed languages and increasingly sophisticated hearing technologies in deaf children’s lives and education, you will develop a broad language base and the skills to respond flexibly to deaf children’s dynamic and changing communication needs.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.
Year 1 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Educational Audiology | 30 |
| Learning and Teaching in Deaf Education | 30 |
Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
Please note - Students studying for the Teacher of the Deaf award will study the Professional Skills: Learning, Teaching and Audiology module in both Year 1 and Year 2, but credits (15 credits in total) will not be awarded until Year 2.
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Professional Skills: Learning, Teaching and Audiology (required for Teacher of the Deaf award) |
Year 2 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Dissertation in Deaf Education | 60 |
| Deafness and Development | 30 |
| Policy and Practice in Deaf Education | 30 |
Year 2 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Professional Skills: Learning, Teaching and Audiology | 15 |
Learning and teaching
Each core module comprises a study day or a short residential in Leeds, followed by twelve online sessions, two live online tutorials and a live regional tutorial. Bespoke online meetings, phone, email and TEAMS support is also available from tutors.
We expect you to commit to the equivalent of one study day per week as a minimum for this programme – to be negotiated with your employer at the application stage. Some practical requirements of the programme are difficult to fulfill without this allocated time. We also ask you to identify someone in your school or service who will act as a mentor for you throughout the training.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Assessment is through a combination of essays, critical reports and a practical skill portfolio that includes assessed teaching.
Applying
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree (hons) with a 2:1 or non-UK equivalent.
You will also need:
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Qualified Teacher Learning and skills (QTLS) (required for Teacher of the Deaf award)
two years of teaching experience or experience of working with deaf children in educational settings
access to a school or service's audiological resources and support
British (or local) Sign Language CACDP/ Signature/ iBSL Level 1 (required for Teacher of the Deaf award) or equivalent
access to local sign language tuition
access to internet facilities for e-learning
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Education (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Education (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
Application deadlines
International – Friday 1 July 2022
UK – Friday 19 August 2022
If you intend to apply for funding, you should submit an application for a place on your chosen course at least one month before any specific scholarship deadline.
The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information we will need include:
Original or certified copies of your transcripts
Original or certified copies of your degree certificate
Original or certified copy of your IELTS/TOEFL results (if English is not your first language)
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
This course is taught by
Contact us
Postgraduate Admissions
Email: pgeduc@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:
Fees
UK: £9,750 (total)
International: £9,750 (total)
Because you study this programme part-time, you’ll pay on a pro rata basis, splitting the cost equally across both years.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Additional cost information
This fee includes the cost of the two programme residentials. It does not include the cover and travel costs associated with programme attendance and teaching placements.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
Scholarships may be available to UK schools or services funding multiple students in a single year to the MA or PGDip Deaf Education (Teacher of the Deaf) programmes.
Career opportunities
MA Deaf Education provides Teachers of the Deaf with the specialist knowledge and skills they need to work across a range of settings in deaf education, and provides the mandatory qualification for Teachers of the Deaf in England and Wales.
Graduates from the course have taken up a range of positions in specialist support services and schools. Many have subsequently progressed to management and leadership roles.
The programme also provides a route to further research and study at postgraduate level via an EdD or PhD route.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Study abroad and work placements
For the Teacher of the Deaf award, a minimum 20-day assessed teaching placement is required. Additional days may be required depending on experience.
Professional Skills Portfolio
The Professional Skills: Learning, Teaching and Audiology module is compulsory if you are working towards the ToD qualification. The module allows you to acquire and demonstrate the range of practical and practice based skills that you need as a Teacher of the Deaf. It comprises three components:
- Audiology
This strand provides guidance for developing practical skills with audiological technology and its management within different educational settings. - Placement
This strand entails either one or two four-week teaching placements, depending on current and previous professional experience. At least one placement will be undertaken in an unfamiliar setting and be supported by a regional tutor. - Professional Competencies
This portfolio contains details of the ToD competencies against which you will track your progress throughout the two-year course. It will also provide the means through which to identify objectives for continued professional development.