The Program

The degree program in Communicative Sciences and Disorders is one of the departments housed in the School of Science along with programs in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, math, marine and environmental science, physical therapy, and physics. The department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Physical Therapy are a part of the Division of Health Sciences in the School of Science.

The Mission

The mission of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders is to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to meet the needs of children and adults with communication impairments in a changing multicultural society. In so doing, the academic programs are designed to disseminate existing knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders, and to provide clinical experiences in the recognition, assessment/diagnosis and treatment of speech, language and hearing disorders. The Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders offers graduate training in the specialization of speech-language pathology. The undergraduate program prepares students for graduate study in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. The department is fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

The Curriculum

The objectives of the curriculum are:

• To disseminate existing knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders using a multi-disciplinary approach;
• To provide clinical experience in the appropriate procedures for recognition, assessment/diagnosis, and treatment of organic and nonorganic speech, language and hearing disorders;
• To prepare students for successful study at the graduate level in speech pathology or audiology; and
• To prepare students to meet the minimum requirements for subsequent professional certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.