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Butler University will add a master’s degree in Deaf education in fall 2026, the university announced in a news release Tuesday, Jan. 13. 

The fully online master’s program is designed for educators who want to teach and communicate with deaf children and families, specifically students who use cochlear implants or hearing aids.

Butler received a $1.25 million grant from the federal Office of Special Education Programs to support the new program, according to the news release. 

Students in the master’s program will take classes in basic American Sign Language, audiology and communication. 

There will also be opportunities for students to get work experience through partnerships with schools and organizations serving deaf students, including St. Joseph Hearing and Speech and Hear Indiana. 

Learn more and apply

Butler will admit 10 to 12 students for its fall 2026 cohort, according to the news release.

The program will start in fall 2026 and is accepting applications online. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. Request more information by filling out this form. 

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donationsfrom individuals, foundations and organizations. 

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media @clairerafford.

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Butler University launches online master’s degree in Deaf education

by Claire Rafford, Mirror Indy
January 13, 2026

<h1>Butler University launches online master’s degree in Deaf education</h1> <p class="byline">by Claire Rafford, Mirror Indy <br />January 13, 2026</p> <p>Butler University will add <a href="https://www.butler.edu/communication/master-deaf-education/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a master’s degree in Deaf education</a> in fall 2026, the university announced in a news release Tuesday, Jan. 13. </p> <p>The fully online master’s program is designed for educators who want to teach and communicate with deaf children and families, specifically students who use cochlear implants or hearing aids.</p> <p>Butler received a $1.25 million grant from the federal <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/osers/osep" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Office of Special Education Programs</a> to support the new program, according to the news release. </p> <p>Students in the master’s program will take classes in basic American Sign Language, audiology and communication.&nbsp;</p> <p>There will also be opportunities for students to get work experience through partnerships with schools and organizations serving deaf students, including <a href="https://sjhearingspeech.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. Joseph Hearing and Speech</a> and <a href="https://www.hearindiana.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hear Indiana</a>. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more-and-apply">Learn more and apply</h2> <p>Butler will admit 10 to 12 students for its fall 2026 cohort, according to the news release.</p> <p>The program will start in fall 2026 and is <a href="https://go.butler.edu/portal/programs?programid=42fb7f59-e823-49b8-b2ac-b6b7b8b452ff" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accepting applications online.</a> The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. Request more information by <a href="https://www.butler.edu/communication/master-deaf-education/request-more-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filling out this form</a>. </p> <p><em>Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is </em><a href="https://mirrorindy.org/donors/"><em>funded through grants and donations</em></a><em>from individuals, foundations and organizations. </em></p> <p><em>Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email </em><a href="mailto:claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org"><em>claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org</em></a><em>, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media </em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/clairerafford/"><em>@clairerafford</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/butler-university-deaf-education-online-masters-degree/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=71383&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/butler-university-deaf-education-online-masters-degree/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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