MA Deaf Education is taught over two years through a combination of face-to-face and online learning. Approved by the Department for Education (DFE) to offer the Mandatory Qualification for Teachers of the Deaf, the programme integrates cutting-edge research knowledge with practitioner expertise to develop skilled, knowledgeable and critical practitioners. All students are enrolled on the MA Deaf Education (ToD) programme but they may choose to graduate with a Post Graduate Diploma (PG Dip) Deaf Education (Teacher of the Deaf). It is also possible to complete an MA Deaf Education without the teacher of the deaf qualification.
Central to the programme is an understanding that the establishment of language fluency and effective communication as a basis for cognitive development, social development and access to the curriculum must be the educational priority for all deaf learners. Individual auditory potential must be carefully evaluated and regularly reappraised in relation to the communicative and educational demands of the context, so that advances in personal and assistive hearing technologies combined with the latest thinking on optimal classroom management can be put into practice.
Unique to this programme is recognition of the plural and diverse linguistic contexts of deaf children’s lives. 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.
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.
MA Deaf Education comprises four core modules delivered across two years. 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 Professional Skills Portfolio 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.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Each core module comprises a study day or a short residential in Leeds, followed by twelve online taught sessions, two online tutorials and a regional tutorial. Bespoke online meetings, phone, email and Skype support is also available from tutors.
We expect you to commit the equivalent of a study day per week to this programme -- to be negotiated with your employer at the application stage. Some practical requirements of the programme are difficult to fulfil 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.
We assess the four core modules and dissertation through written assignments. The Professional Skills Portfolio is practically assessed and includes a minimum of a four-week supervised teaching placement.
The Professional Skills Portfolio module is compulsory if you are working towards the ToD qualification. The modules allows you to acquire and demonstrate the range of practical and practice based skills that you need as a Teacher of the Deaf. We outline the four strands to be completed below.
Audiology.
This strand provides guidance for developing practical skills with audiological technology and its management within different educational settings.
Communication
This strand focuses on the development of communication skills through reflective practice with both pupils and parents. It includes recording and analysing a pupil’s language use, evaluation of personal language use when teaching a pupil or group of pupils, and a reflective and critical review of a home visit.
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.
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 required for 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 post graduate level via an EdD or PhD route.
Our MSc Deaf Education course will help you to train as a Teacher of the Deaf if you are a qualified teacher, or develop research skills that can be applied to this field.
Rapid developments in audiology and our understanding of language, communication and educational practice make teaching and learning for deaf children an exciting area of study.
The course uses an evidence-based approach to meeting the diverse needs of deaf children and places a strong emphasis on translation of theory to practice.
Our course has Department for Education (DfE) and Teacher Development Agency (TDA) approval, meeting the requirements of the mandatory qualification.
Most graduating students go on to teach and support deaf children both in the UK and overseas, although there are also opportunities to continue academic research in this area.
Both MSc (part-time on-campus learning) and PGDip (full-time or part-time on-campus or blended learning) options are available. If you already have the PGDip, you can take an additional unit to gain the MSc award.
This course aims to provide you with the skills, knowledge and understanding to ensure deaf children are able to achieve their full potential.
MSc/PGDip Deaf Education: Teaching placements overview
High-quality teaching
You will learn from a multi-professional team within a highly specialised and internationally recognised department. Deaf Education at Manchester works alongside the associated disciplines of Speech and Language Therapy and Audiology, giving students a unique experience. We have close links with services and service users, and ensure that a range of perspectives and philosophies are represented.
Watch our video to find out about teaching placements on the course. Click through to YouTube to watch the video with subtitles.
This online course provides an opportunity for you to learn at your own rate, at a time and place that suits you. The course is set within a framework of online support and workshops to ensure you have the chance to meet and share ideas.
The online research methods unit prepares students to undertake a long study, which may be in a range of formats.
You will also have access to student mentors (recently qualified teachers of the deaf) in addition to a personal tutor.
In addition to the full-time option, the University offers an on-campus option (2 years part-time) or an e-blended learning and distance learning course (2 years part-time) to make the course as accessible and flexible as possible.
The e-blended course is a new option offering online and written materials with 2x3 days on campus per year. All students undertake two placement blocks with a total of eight weeks on placement over the course of study.
All on-campus students are also required to attend a weekend workshop (this is optional for students undertaking the e-blended course). The weekend provides an opportunity to meet a range of professionals, to extend knowledge and understanding, to exchange ideas and to establish a strong group identity. It is based in a well-appointed University conference centre in Manchester.
A variety of assessment methods are used within the PGDip, including written assignments, case reports, practical work and practical delivery of work. As part of the course, there are opportunities for formative assessments that help to shape individual studies but do not contribute to the final marks.
The MSc dissertation may be in the form of a:
For the full MSc, the course consists of relevant theoretical and practical teaching experience and a dissertation.
Placements are arranged in consultation and you will be fully supervised.
PGDip students will study all units except the dissertation. Those topping up to an MSc will only take the 60-credit dissertation unit.
For those studying part-time, the first year will focus on research methods and will include a workshop to share ideas on projects and the appropriate methodological approaches. The second year will focus on the preparation and delivery of the long study.
All PGDip students must attain CACDP Level I as a minimum by the end of their course of study.
Watch our unit overview videos
You can watch brief introductions to some of our units plus the teaching placements on YouTube .
More detailed unit information can be found by clicking on the links in the Course unit list below for more information on each unit.
Read about our students' experiences of the MSc/PGDip Deaf Education course and our graduates' subsequent careers by reading their posts on the Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog .
You will be able to access a dedicated lab for audiology work, a student resource room, and the largest e-library and specialist deaf education resource in the UK.
You will also be able to access a range of facilitiesthroughout the University.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
Most graduating students progress to a career in teaching deaf children. This is a diverse remit and a teacher of the deaf may work in a school for the deaf, a unit or resourced provision, at primary or secondary level, or a specialist nursery class.
They may also act as peripatetic support to deaf learners in mainstream classes, or early years child and family support, often moving through a range of these roles throughout their career.
Career opportunities can also include a move into academic research and higher education if that is an interest.
There are a small but growing number of teachers of the deaf who take time out to work abroad (eg through the UN or VSO) to support services in developing countries.
This course has Department for Education (DfE) and Teacher Development Agency (TDA) approval.
This programme approved by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) for training teachers of deaf children seeking the Mandatory (MQ) qualification is offered as a distance learning course. Successful completion of this programme leads to General Teaching Council recognition as a qualified teacher of the deaf. An alternative programme is also open to teachers (as well as other professionals with appropriate qualifications) working with children and young people with hearing impairment who are not seeking the MQ.
This distance learning programme approved by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has been offered at the University of Birmingham since 1989. It is open to teachers who are qualified to teach learners in England (from 0 to 25 years of age) who wish to gain the mandatory qualification of teacher of the deaf. The programme aims to equip teachers who are already qualified to teach learners in England to meet the relevant NCTL standards to achieve qualified teacher of the deaf status.
It is also open to other professionals who do not wish, or are not eligible, to obtain qualified teacher of the deaf status – for example lecturers of deaf students, communication support workers and educational psychologists. Applicants who are not qualified teachers of school-aged pupils may take the University (non mandatory) Award but will not be eligible to obtain qualified teacher of the deaf status from the NCTL.
Study is supported through study packs, tutorial groups, telephone, email, web based learning and online materials, and through an allocated tutor in a small tutorial group which allows students to learn with each other. Internet access is required for the programme. There is a University based study week in January each year, at which attendance is compulsory.
Students who successfully complete all modules for the Postgraduate Diploma may choose to transfer to the MEd.
Those candidates who successfully complete the Postgraduate Diploma may use this as credits towards the degree of MEd. The course content is identical for both levels of study, but students studying for the higher Postgraduate Diploma level will be expected to submit assignments which are both longer and display a greater degree of reflection and insight.
This is a distance education programme and regular attendance at the University is not required. Course content is embodied in a series of written and online course Units with accompanying recommended reading and resource materials. Attendance is compulsory at two annual Residential Schools at the University of Birmingham, and students are expected to attend seminars/workshops held in the students’ region. The most common pattern is six seminars lasting three hours each academic year, held on Saturdays, but there may be some regional groups may negotiate a different pattern. Regional tutors are appointed by the University to organise regional seminars and help in course assessment.
The Residential Schools provide opportunities for demonstrations and practice in the use of materials and equipment, lectures, discussions and tutorials.
The University of Birmingham welcomes applications from deaf and disabled students. We strongly encourage students applying to this course who may require support (including communication support) or who may require reasonable adjustments to be made as a result of a physical, sensory, mental health or learning support need to register with the disability, learning support and mental health team. Eligible students are also encouraged to apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) which may provide funding towards equipment, software and support where required.
The University appoints Honorary Tutors who are responsible for organising and providing regional seminars for small groups of students. The University team works closely with these tutors to ensure an effective system of academic, practical and pastoral support. These seminars are essential components of the Programme of Study. Candidates must be prepared to undertake some travelling, within a region, in order to meet with their group.
Also, each student is expected to obtain the services of a local qualified teacher of the deaf who will act as a ‘mentor’ and assist them throughout the course. Mentors are asked to support the student in a number of ways, for example, setting ideas presented in the course materials within a local context, helping with the arrangements for visits, and facilitating access to equipment.
A further level of student support is offered via the programme’s elearning web pages, and students need to have access to the internet. Students must also have regular access to e-mail throughout the course.
The employing authority/school in which the student is located needs to:
Those teachers who wish to obtain the mandatory qualification of teacher of the deaf will need to undertake a teaching placement.
This specialisation in Sign Language and Deaf Studies is unique amongst existing Master's degrees in including components in the psychology and linguistics and neuroscience of deafness and sign language, taught by staff at the Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre. Students also have the opportunity to study introductory British Sign Language.
Students take a set of core modules and then specialise in linguistics, psychology of language, and/or interpreting. In selecting the modules for specialisation, students are able to take full advantage of the breadth of expertise in language research in the UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two mandatory modules (45 credits), four specialisation modules (60 credits), one optional modules (15 credits) and a research project (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) consisting of two mandatory modules (45 credits), four core modules (60 credits), and one optional module (15 credits) is also offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate of four mandatory modules (60 credits) is also offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students then select one optional module from all those offered within the Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, subject to availability and agreement with the Programme Director (students who already hold BSL level one or equivalent select two). Recommendations include:
Not all modules will run every year, some modules may require a minimum number of registered students.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in an area of language science which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, small-group teaching and a virtual learning environment. Some modules also involve workshops or practical classes. Student performance is assessed through coursework, examinations and the research dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language Sciences (with specialisation in Sign Language and Deaf Studies) MSc
The majority of students who graduate from Language Sciences MSc programmes go on to further study or research. Recent graduates have gone on to PhD study in UCL, and other UK and overseas institutions. Others have gone to work in related industries, for example in speech technology industries, cochlear implants manufacturers, and in education. The skills that the MSc develops - independent research, presentation skills, and statistics - are transferable and very highly sought outside of academia.
The division undertakes world-leading research and teaching in mind, behaviour, and language. Staff and students benefit from cutting-edge resources including extensive laboratories for research in speech and language, perception, and cognition.
Opportunities for students to work with world-renowned researchers exist in all areas of investigation. The division offers a supportive environment including numerous specialist seminars, workshops, and guest lectures.
The Language Sciences MSc provides the opportunity for in-depth study of one or more areas of the Language Sciences. The programme is an 'umbrella degree', with a number of specialisation strands that follow a common structure.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Division of Psychology & Language Sciences
83% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This new programme will interest graduates who want to make a difference to the lives of a wide range of children in education. You will compare inclusive educational practices in Scotland, the UK and across the world. You will study particular approaches to removing barriers to learning and including all children.
The programme has specific pathways for Postgraduate Diploma (visually impaired learners), Postgraduate Diploma (deaf learners) and Postgraduate Diploma (bilingual learners).
Compulsory courses
Option courses
You will choose three option courses from this range:
Dissertation (MSc)
The programme aims to:
Suiting newly qualified teachers and experienced practitioners alike, this programme provides a qualification that can open doors to a new career in inclusive and special education, or an advanced role in the field.
It can also provide the foundations for a career in policy formation and development, as well as a broad range of highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.
The MA in Audiovisual Translation is an internationally leading course in its field, recognised by the European Commission as a European Masters in Translation.
This international leading programme addresses the growing demand for translators with skills in translating audiovisual texts. It covers a range of areas, including subtitling, accessibility (subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing, audio description and live subtitling), multimedia localisation, dubbing and voice-over for films. The programme is open to bilingual students wishing to work between different languages, but it also welcomes monolingual English-speaking students.
This programme places significant emphasis on accessibility in the media and offers a grounding in translation theory and research methods. Through your work with dedicated software and high-tech industry-standard equipment, you will equip yourself with the skills necessary to enter the professional market and the knowledge to pursue further research in this field.
You will be taught by staff who are experts in their field and influence the policies of organisations such as OFCOM. They will bring their professional experience into the classroom, meaning you will always be benefiting from the most up-to -date research and practice.
Roehampton’s location in London means you are ideally situated, as the city has established itself as one of the main centres for translation in the world. Work placements opportunities are also available on the course; in addition to putting the skills you have learnt on the course into practice, you'll also learn valuable new ones, build a strong CV and make vital industry contacts.
This course covers the theoretical and the practical aspects of audiovisual translation. During the course you will address the main theoretical issues shaping translation today and understand how these theories relate to the practice of translation. You will also explore the broad range of approaches to translation, including, but not limited to: linguistic, socio-linguistic, cultural, cognitive, descriptive, gender and postcolonial. You will also gain the practical skills of translation you will require for a career fit for the 21st century. You will learn how to subtitle, to translate for dubbing and voiceover, and/or to provide captioning for the deaf and the hard-of-hearing.
IT skills are central to a translator's work, so we offer a module on ‘Translation Tools’ that will familiarise you with some of the tools you will be using in your professional life. These include terminology databases, translation memory tools, and other computer assisted translation systems.
Other optional modules currently include ‘The Localisation of Video Games’, where you will examine the principles and practices of localisation in the area of multimedia interactive entertainment software. You will gain the practical experience of working with the various types of materials that make up the localisation process, including in-game, user interface, interactive subtitles, online help, voice-over, manuals, packaging, graphics files and official websites.
You will complete your MA with a dissertation, which allows you to apply your understanding, knowledge, analytical, conceptual and personal skills to an in-depth investigation of a translation-related topic.
Modules
Compulsory modules (MA & PGD)
Optional modules (MA & PGD)
Compulsory module (MA students only)
Students go on to careers in a broad range of media companies and broadcasters, subtitling companies, translation and localisation providers, and production houses with in-house translation teams.
This MSc is designed to provide first-class training in audiovisual translation and accessibility to the media. The programme offers you the opportunity to develop your translation and language skills, to deepen your understanding of the workings of language as an essential tool of communication and to gain vital experience in the rapidly developing areas of audiovisual translation and translation technology.
By focusing on the translation of audiovisual programmes, you'll be equipped with the skills needed for professional work in the translation industry and for research in translation studies. You'll practice translation in specific language pairs and will become conversant with industry standard subtitling software and computer-based translation technology, which have been transforming the way in which professional audiovisual translators work.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
Part-time students take set core modules in year one and year two.
Optional modules
Students choose two optional modules from the list below:
Part-time students take optional modules in year two.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000-words consisting of either an annotated translation or a critical discussion of a theoretical aspect of translation.
Teaching and learning
The degree programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, interactive practical seminars, practical translation assignments and hands-on experience with a wide range of translation tools and technology. Assessment is carried out through essays, project work, take-home translation assessments and in-class tests.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Specialised Translation (Audiovisual) MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
Most students find challenging and rewarding work within the translation industry on completion of the degree. Some are working as in-house and freelance translators, while others are active as project managers and translation tools experts in companies such as SDL International, BBC, Expedia, Netflix, Hogarth, TransPerfect, SDI-Media, VSI, GoLocalise and Deluxe to name but a few. In addition, the MSc is designed to serve as a basis for a Translation Studies PhD.
Employability
Audiovisual translation is a dynamic and rapidly developing profession, which calls for linguistically talented people with a clear understanding of the issues involved in cross-cultural transcoding and who are able to utilise the latest computer-based tools.
On completion of this MSc, you will be well placed for a fast-track progression in your chosen career. We aim to make you highly attractive to employers within the translation industry and the world of audiovisual communications. In addition, the skills acquired through taking this MSc will be highly relevant if your aim is to establish yourself as a freelance translator.
Located in the heart of London, UCL is excellently placed to offer opportunities for networking and to establish professional contacts. At UCL we prepare you for the professional world by performing different roles within the translation workflow, by translating a wide variety of audiovisual programmes, and by specialising in areas such as subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and the hard-of-hearing, audio description for the blind and the visually impaired, dubbing and voiceover.
We organise a wide range of activities which offer you a unique opportunity for informal contact with professional translators, translation agencies and leading academics. We also work closely with industry partners to ensure that the programme possesses the maximum professional relevance.
You will enjoy working with a team of renowned academics and professional translators, which has gained an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research.
Our MSc Advanced Audiology Studies course is aimed at practising audiologists who want to prepare for advanced roles in clinical management, clinical practice, teaching and research.
The course consists of a mixture of audiology-specific units and those shared with health professionals from a range of other disciplines, enabling you to tailor the course to your own interests.
You will learn from internationally recognised experts at the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD).
You may choose to complete 60 credits for a PGCert (exit award) or 120 credits for a PGDip.
On successful completion of 120 credits, progression to the full MSc qualification allows you to explore, in depth, a specific aspect of audiology practice, policy, research or education in a 60-credit, 12,000 to 15,000-word dissertation.
Our course aims to:
Additional aims for the MSc are to enable you, through the systematic, in-depth, exploration of a specific area of audiology practice, policy, research or education to extend your knowledge, understanding and ability to contribute to the advancement of audiology knowledge and practice at an individual and/or organisational level.
Inter-professional learning
The course includes units in which students from a range of healthcare professions study core concepts and subjects together. You will also have the opportunity to study with professionals in areas related to audiology, such as teachers of the deaf.
Wide range of units
You can choose from a variety of units to customise the course to suit your own interests.
Expert teaching
This course is led by members of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD), an internationally recognised multi-million pound hearing research programme.
Many of the staff involved with the course are actively involved in either scientific or pedagogical research.
Where possible, members of staff teach course units related to their research interests and are in a position to keep their teaching informed and up-to-date.
A large number of the teaching staff are also clinically trained audiologists, hearing therapists or hearing scientists.
We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, small group work, student-led seminars, problem-based learning and online learning.
You will also be required to undertake independent study to further develop and consolidate your learning.
Where appropriate, and with individual arrangements, some audiology units may include participation in practical skills laboratories.
Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.
You will be assessed using a variety of methods within individual units and across the course as a whole.
All assessments require you to integrate knowledge and understanding, and apply this to your own practice relevant to the outcomes of each unit.
Assessment methods include:
The full MSc qualification requires an extended written piece of work (12,000-15,000 words) that focuses on a specific aspect of audiology practice, policy or research in the form of an extended literature-based review.
Taught units can be studied in any order except where there are specific pre-requisites.
Not all optional units may run each year and will be subject to minimum numbers. You will meet with your course director to plan out a pathway that meets your needs.
Part-time students on the PGDip or MSc course will need to complete 60 credits per year as required for the award. Attendance at the university will vary depending on which units you choose to take. Some units are delivered online, some face-to-face over a number of days, and others are delivered via traditional lectures on a weekly basis.
An exit award of PGCert is available to students exiting after completing 60 credits. This must include at least 15 credits of audiology-specific units from those available.
A maximum of 30 credits of individual course units can also be studied on a standalone basis.
Studying this MSc part-time alongside clinical practice has been a unique experience. The course was flexible and I was able to tailor my units to suit my career options as a paediatric audiologist.
The course gave scope to branch into deaf education. Combined with my audiology background, I feel I have broadened my scope as a paediatric practitioner.
Aminoor Rahman
You will use high quality laboratory equipment and facilities for learning practical skills. You will have access to these facilities outside of timetabled sessions to facilitate individual practice, with some limitation on procedures that carry certain risks eg aural impression taking.
You will also be able to access a range of facilities throughout the University.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
We offer individual units from this MSc as standalone courses for continuing professional development, as well as units providing specialist clinical training .
Our course will prepare you to enter roles in clinical management and practice in audiology, as well as teaching and research.
This course is accredited by the RCCP.
This course is suitable for audiologists from a wide range of clinical settings who are interested in aural rehabilitation. The course will provide you with further knowledge and skills in adult and paediatric aural rehabilitation to support career development and progression for qualified audiologists.
The course aims to create an intellectually stimulating opportunity for you to develop academic knowledge and research skills, thus enhancing your practice in rehabilitative audiology. Suitable for international, UK and local audiologists, the course will develop knowledge of the evidence base in practice and further develop critical thinking, clinical reasoning and research knowledge.
The course is organised in three broad strands:
Knowledge, understanding and skills acquired across the course will be integrated and applied in the clinical setting throughout all modules. This course will ensure that the audiologist acquires the advanced knowledge required to work with complex Audiological cases as well as managing service input.
PgCert in Hearing and Communication
The PgDip/MSc (Post-Registration) in Rehabilitative Audiology is open only to qualified audiologists but includes modules that are of interest to a range of professionals. The PgCert in Hearing and Communication has been developed to allow students from a variety of non-audiology backgrounds the opportunity for further study in relation to hearing impairment and auditory/ vestibular rehabilitation.
Students may take up to four years to complete the 60 credits required to be awarded a PgCert. Applicants might include: speech and language therapists; teachers of the deaf; linguists; any health professional interested (Post-Registration) in developing their knowledge and skills in relations to hearing and balance management. It is acknowledged that each of these groups has unique needs and concerns which will be taken into consideration during the admissions process and throughout the programme.
The minimum entry requirement for the Pg Cert in Hearing and Communication will normally be a first or second class BSc (Hons) degree in a related discipline (eg education, psychology, linguistics, speech and language therapy or another health science).
This is a distance learning course and students engage with staff members and each other through regular contact within the online teaching and learning environment. An extensive range of learning technologies – including The Hub, eportfolio and multimedia resources – will be available to support directed, independent learning. Learning materials may include narrated PowerPoint lectures, video or audio clips, reading materials, case-based data, guided learning activities, discussion boards and self-assessment quizzes. Online seminars and discussion groups will be scheduled to allow maximum participation. Discussions and seminars will also be archived to allow students to review the content after the event. Assessment is carried out through case-based assignments, reflective journals, research reports, electronic portfolio, online discussions as well as a final dissertation.
We suggest that a student should spend an average of 18 hours on independent learning/ course work each week per module. This could include online discussions.
Advanced counselling: Theory and Practice (15 credits)/ Research Methods (30 credits)/ Adult Aural Rehabilitation: Advanced Practice (30 credits) OR Paediatric Aural Habilitation (30 credits)
A further 45 credits from: Hearing Technology: Advanced Theory and Practice (15 credits)/ Advanced Vestibular Rehabilitation (15 credits)/ Tinnitus and Hyperacusis (15 credits) / Language and Culture of Deaf People (15 credits) / Adult Aural Rehabilitation: Advanced Practice (30 credits)/ Paediatric Aural Habilitation (30 credits)
If studying for the MSc, you will also complete a dissertation (60 credits).
Graduates may work within the National Health Service and private sector. There are also career opportunities for research in universities and research institutes.
This course provides the opportunity for you to develop as a thinking practitioner of film-making or television programme-making, someone who is able to innovate while questioning and interrogating existing values and traditions. The emphasis is firmly on practical film-making and television production work, underpinned with contextual theory throughout, engaging with contemporary issues and emerging trends in film and television production, as well as established film/television theories and practices.
The first two semesters of study provide a range of modules which will allow you to develop your film/television “craft skills” – this may include work with camera, lighting, sound, editing, directing and producing – while working on short film/TV projects of your own devising. There will be opportunities to collaborate with other students, and you will be encouraged to make contact with, and work with, contributors (e.g. interviewees, actors) from outside of the university. You will also develop your skills as an academic researcher by carrying out research which feeds directly into your film projects.
The course culminates in the Masters Project, where you will be the key creative leader of a film or television production, taking on the role of producer or director.
In a typical week, a full-time student on this course will have up to ten hours of class time which will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical workshop sessions. Most course modules will blend these different teaching methods within a given timetabled session, so there will be plenty of variety.
In lectures, you will typically be given ‘food for thought’ in relation to your own project ideas. In workshop sessions you will get to practice film-making techniques related to your own project work needs. In seminars you will share ideas and discuss with tutors and fellow students. In tutorials you will have one-to-one or small group discussion about your works in progress.
The general flow of the course for a full time student is to start with production skills, research skills and scriptwriting in the first semester. In the second semester you move on to a small personal project which will combine all that you have learned from these three areas. In the final semester, you bring it all together in a personal film/TV production project which is seen as the culmination of your studies.
Part-time students experience exactly the same course modules and course content, but necessarily broken down into smaller groups of modules.
Opportunities:
The course is built upon negotiated production work, which means you get to propose and develop your own ideas for film and television. The teaching staff are experienced with production across documentary, drama and social action production, and will guide you according to your ambitions, skills and needs.
There is always the opportunity to work on ‘live’ project briefs, which can be used as the basis of a module project, or alternatively as an extra-curricular experience which informs your development on the course and allows you to network with students on related courses.
The course is taught in the School of Media, which houses a three-camera live television studio, fifteen editing suites with Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro X and other professional software packages, and a sound-recording/foley production suite. It also has an equipment store from which you can borrow all the camera, sound, lighting and other equipment you need to produce your work.
Who will teach you on this course?
The course teaching team includes four active doctoral or postdoctoral researchers – Adam Kossoff, Tracy McCoy, Phil Nichols and Gavin Wilson – whose interests include documentary film, social action video, screenwriting and adaptation, and cinematography. They are all qualified higher education teachers, and have many years of experience of teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level. They are also experienced film and programme makers.
Our students and graduates have a track-record of success in competitions and festivals, such as the prestigious Royal Television Society Student Awards, the Midland Movies awards, and the Business Disability Forum's Technology Taskforce Film Festival.
Film-maker and editor Andrew Webber has had his films screened at international festivals in the UK, Jamaica and West Africa. He says, “The University has been extremely supportive, through my studies and after graduation.”
Niki Gandy has pursued a teaching career, and now teaches photography and art in a High School. Calling herself a “proud graduate” of our related undergraduate course, she says, “I chose it for its practical content and which helped furnish me with numerous transferable skills necessary to forge my career in teaching. Almost a decade on, my lecturers continue to provide me with support and guidance - I feel certain that my relationship with the university will continue for many years to come.”
Actor and director Brian Duffy, creator of TV series Small World – a comedy series about a group of deaf flatmates which has been shown on TV and online – says, “Studying at the University of Wolverhampton helped me with networking and organisation – especially as filmmakers came to Wolverhampton for Deaffest, the UK’s leading deaf film and arts festival. My lecturer could also sign which was a great help and a huge weight off my shoulders – I could talk to her one-to-one. That’s something I never had the pleasure of pre-university.”
Lauren Shinner has been working in media production ever since graduating. She says, “My time at the University was invaluable, I wouldn't be where I am today without it. The tutors were always helpful and push students to do their best with plenty of support and understanding and the course prepares you well for your prospective career. I've gone on to work as a video editor in education, ran my own media business and have done videos for high end charities and new bands, and am now working in media in another area. Without my degree, none of this would have been possible.”
