Program Mission Statement
The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDS) Program is dedicated to providing a comprehensive education in human communication processes and in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of communication disorders across the lifespan. The program is committed to providing students in the undergraduate program with comprehensive pre-professional academic and observation experiences for entrance into a graduate program in speech language, pathology, audiology, deaf education, or related field.
Undergraduate Program
The Bachelor of Science degree program in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) is a pre-professional program that provides academic training in the normal process of speech, language, hearing, and their associated pathologies. The coursework provides the foundation for pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or audiology. The master’s degree is the entry-level degree in the profession of speech-language pathology, while a clinical doctorate in audiology is required for entry into that profession. Successful completion of the Communication Sciences and Disorders program prepares students for graduate education in Speech Language Pathology, Audiology, Deaf Education, Special Education as well as careers in a variety of Human Service fields.
Admission to the Communication Sciences and Disorders Major
All students first entering or transferring into the College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) who wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders must meet the following criteria prior to registration for CSDS courses at and beyond the 314 level:
- Completion of 45 credit hours
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Demonstration of competency in written and oral English as evidenced by no less than a grade of “B” in ENGL 165 or the equivalent course or courses from a community college or another university.
- An earned grade of no less than “B” in BIOL 101 or in BIOL 114 or the equivalent course or courses from a community college or other university.
- An earned grade of no less than “B” in CSDS 285 or the equivalent course or courses from another university or college.
- An earned grade of no less than “B-” in CSDS 313 or the equivalent course or courses from another university or college.
Students may enroll in a few selected courses required for the CSDS major while they are moving toward satisfying the above requirements. These courses include ASL 110 , ASL 210 , CSDS 201 , CSDS 285 , and EDUC 245 , SPED 305 , SPED 389 , HLTH 275 , and ENGL 470 .
Any student who is majoring or minoring in CSDS may elect to repeat any CSDS course only once. There is a maximum of five (5) total repeats permitted for all CSDS undergraduate courses.