Deaf Studies

What Can I Do With This Discipline/Major?

For helpful resources on your career opportunities, explore the “What Can I Do with This Major” guides for audiology/speech pathology

Some common career titles for this major include:

  • Audiologists
  • Interpreters and Translator
  • Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
  • Social and Community Service Managers
  • Social and Human Service Assistants
  • Social Workers
  • Special Education Teachers
  • Speech-Language Pathologists

Other Job Titles:

Careers Working with Deaf People

  • Addiction Services
  • Advocacy
  • ASL Teacher
  • Case Manager
  • Counselor
  • Cued Speech Transliterator
  • Deafblind-related careers
  • Educational Advocate
  • Health Care
  • Job Coach
  • Lawyer with deaf clients
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Police/Parole Officer
  • Program Coordinator
  • Psychologist
  • Religious Careers
  • Research Assistant
  • School Psychologist
  • Student Life Counselor
  • Vocational Evaluator
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Interpreters

  • Educational
  • Staff
  • Free-lance
  • Customer Service (Interpreter Referral Service)

Teaching Careers

  • Deaf School
  • Mainstream School
  • Itinerant Teacher
  • Family Education
  • Teaching Assistant

For additional career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Careers in Deaf Studies

Internships and Research Opportunities

Getting applied experience in your field is critical. The following resources will allow you to learn more about your department’s opportunities and process, as well introduce you to other major-specific internship posting resources. For information and support finding and receiving an internship in your major, contact your department's internship coordinator.

  • Consider interning abroad! Search for opportunities by using the keyword "internship."
  • Idealist: Search thousands of internships in the non-profit community
  • Log in to Handshake to access Going Global and search for international internships

Careers and Jobs

The resources below are a starting point for your job search. In addition to making use of the Internet to do research, we encourage you to talk to people in the fields you are interested in (don’t forget to use TU’s Tiger Mentor Network) to learn more about specific opportunities and organizations.

Sample Resumes and Interview Questions

For major specific resume samples, we encourage you to look at the Sample Deaf Studies Resume (PDF) or Sample Deaf Studies Resume 2 (PDF) in addition to our Sample Resume Database.

Below are sample interview questions for your field. In preparing for the interview, you’ll also want to review common interview questions (PDF) asked of all majors, thoroughly research the organization, dress professionally, and visit the interview skills section of the Career Center’s website. You can practice your interview skills online via Big Interview or schedule a mock interview with a Career Center staff member.

Interview Questions

  • Provide an experience in which you successfully translated messages simultaneously or consecutively into ASL. How did you ensure that message content, context, and style were maintained?
  • Describe an experience in which you adapted interpretations to students' cognitive and grade levels.

Professional Associations

Professional associations offer many benefits to students, often including reduced-price membership, mentorship programs, “careers in…” information, job and internship listings, field-related conferences and publications, and much more. Be sure to check out sections on the associations’ websites related to students, education, careers, etc.

Related TU Student Organizations