Communication disorders can affect people of all backgrounds and involve problems with speech, language and auditory processing. People with communication disorders may have difficulty getting their message across or receiving communication from other sources. Students in the communication disorders program at Valdosta State University are introduced to the field of speech-language pathology and develop the intervention skills necessary to help individuals with communication disorders.

A minor in Deaf Studies was established by Valdosta State University to provide students with knowledge and skills in American Sign Language (ASL) as well as Deaf Culture, linguistics. Students pursing a minor in Deaf Studies are exposed to the uniqueness of ASL as a world language while acquiring cultural knowledge that will enable them to successfully interact with the American Deaf community. The curriculum is designed to promote a cultural and linguistic understanding of Deaf individuals while encouraging students to analyze existing stereotypes pertaining to this population, so they in turn, can effectively educate hearing members of society.

The Deaf Studies Minor is housed in the Department of Middle, Secondary, Reading & Deaf Education within the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education at Valdosta State University. Students can enroll in the program as traditional/on campus residents, or complete coursework through distance learning/video conferencing technology. The Department offers undergraduate programs in ASL/Interpreting, Deaf Education, Middles Grades Education, Reading and master's degree preparation in Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The MFT program addresses the interpersonal and social context of mental health and emotional problems. The curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to access and intervene in the interactions among people. It prepares students to use an active, positive approach to therapy that will help individuals and their families build upon their strengths, improve communication, and develop solutions to their problems.

Middle grades teachers educate children in the 4th through 8th grade, giving them a solid foundation to continue their studies in high school, instilling them with a love of learning, and helping them gain confidence as they grow into teenagers and young adults. Middle grades education majors pursuing a bachelor’s degree choose two concentrations from the areas of language arts, mathematics, science, reading or social studies and engage in an extensive amount of hands-on teaching. Upon graduation, students are prepared to teach in a number of age-appropriate disciplines within the secondary school system. Several options are available for students pursuing advanced degrees in the discipline.

The Department of Middle, Secondary, Reading & Deaf Education offers a 5th year Master of Education (M.Ed.) program for students graduating from the VSU Undergraduate Program of the same name. Valdosta State University students with B.S.Ed. pre-professional degree in deaf and hard-of-hearing have the option to do a fifth year master’s program to earn initial certification. Majors in special education/deaf education demonstrate content knowledge through passing the state required content assessment in deaf education. Students in this graduate program will demonstrate skills in assessment, instructional strategies, use of technology and monitoring/ modifying instruction during observed teaching episodes evaluated by a university supervisor and P-12 mentor teacher