Communication Sciences and Disorders

Program Contacts

Darshon Reed, PhD: Interim Department Chair
Telephone: (501) 450-3224 | Email: andersond@uca.edu

Brent Gregg, PhD: Graduate Program Coordinator
Telephone: (501) 852-2823 | Email: bgregg@uca.edu

[1] Master of Science

[1.1] Objectives

The Master of Science (MS) degree program in Communication Sciences and Disorders is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is designed to meet academic and clinical standards for ASHA’s Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology.

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:

2200 Research Boulevard #310
Rockville, MD 20850
Telephone: (800) 498-2071 | (301) 296-5700
Web site: http://caa.asha.org/

Each graduate of the program will also meet academic and clinical requirements for Arkansas licensure in Speech-Language Pathology and Arkansas teacher licensure.

[1.2] Admission Requirements

Admission to the MS Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders is competitive, selective, and limited. A Bachelor’s Degree is required prior to enrolling but can be in related fields. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication prior to admission to practicum courses. In addition to the Graduate School admission requirements, Communication Sciences and Disorders requires (1) letters of recommendation (minimum of 3; maximum of 4), (2) a personal statement addressing specific prompts, and (3) an interview. A maximum of 9 credit hours may be transferred from another CAA accredited graduate program, subject to the approval of the departmental graduate advisor. Students should submit applications by January 15 for consideration for fall admission. Applications to the MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders are administered through the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service for Clinical Education in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology. Complete application instructions are located on the CSDCAS website: http://portal.csdcas.org.

[1.3] Program Requirements

In addition to any undergraduate deficiencies for ASHA certification and Arkansas licensure, completion of the master’s degree requires six consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment. Students must complete a minimum of 54 semester credit hours of academic and clinical courses including:

Required Core Courses (40 hours):

CSD 6101 CLINICAL PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR I
CSD 6105 CLINICAL PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR II
CSD 6221 CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND COUNSELING IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS
CSD 6302 RESEARCH METHODS IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS
CSD 6310 ADVANCED SPEECH SOUND DISORDERS
CSD 6311 DEAF/HARD OF HEARING: INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
CSD 6314 FEEDING AND SWALLOWING DISORDERS
CSD 6322 FLUENCY DISORDERS
CSD 6325 VOICE DISORDERS
CSD 6329 AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION FOR COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS
CSD 6335 SEVERE DISABILITIES AND AUGMENTATIVE-ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC)
CSD 6341 MOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS: ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
CSD 6343 ADULT LANGUAGE DISORDERS: ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
CSD 6344 COGNITION AND NEUROREHABILITATION
CSD 6345 LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DISORDERS: ASSESSMENT AMD INTERVENTION

On demand:
CSD 6306 ADVANCED INDEPENDENT STUDY AND READINGS IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS
CSD 6V36 THESIS

Practicum (14 hours):

The program consists of 6 semesters (fall, spring, summer) of full-time enrollment during which students receive intensive academic and clinical training.

The student must meet with the departmental graduate advisor to prepare a plan of study to ensure that all requirements are met. A student must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 and maintain satisfactory non academic criteria that are important to function as a speech-language pathologist. Finally, each student must adhere to the rules of ethical conduct as described in the Code of Ethics of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

[3] Graduate Courses in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)

Follow this link for CSD course descriptions: course link.