Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

[1] Description

Definition. Speech-Language Pathology is the health-care profession involved in preventing, evaluating, and treating speech, language, and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages. Speech-language pathologists hold either a master’s or doctoral degree and have earned the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the national professional, scientific, and accrediting organization. Speech-language pathologists work in a wide variety of settings such as public and private schools, hospitals, clinics, health departments, rehabilitation centers, and private practice.

Purposes. The undergraduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders provides the academic background necessary for professional education in speech-language pathology or audiology at the graduate level. The master’s degree is the entry level for those who plan to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists in schools, hospitals, community centers, university clinics, and other professional settings. The undergraduate program provides basic content courses relating to the processes of speech, language, and hearing, with introductory courses in the disorders of human communication.

Clinical Practicum. The department maintains an on-campus Speech-Language-Hearing Center where student clinicians, under the supervision of faculty who are licensed in speech-language pathology or audiology, complete clinical observations.

[2] Honors in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Students who major in Communication Sciences and Disorders and who demonstrate exceptional ability may be invited to enter the Honors in the Major Program. For details, see Honors in the Major Program.

[3] Admission and Retention

Enrollment in the following courses is open to all students: CSD 2300 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders, CSD 2322 Applied Phonetics, CSD 2306 Neuroscience for Communication Sciences and Disorders.

All other courses in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders require declaration of Communication Sciences and Disorders as the major and consultation with a Communication Sciences and Disorders undergraduate advisor before enrolling. Many upper division courses require prerequisites or consent from the instructor prior to enrolling.

Anyone can declare CSD as a major. However, students must maintain a 2.75 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in CSD courses. Students with GPAs less than these minimums will be on probation in the major. Once on probation, students will be allowed to continue taking courses in the major. However, in the following semester students need to achieve the minimum overall and/or major GPA to continue as an undergraduate major in CSD. If a student receives a D or F in any CSD course, the course must be repeated before the student can graduate.

This is a professional degree program. Students are required to observe the fundamental rules of ethical conduct as described in the Code of Ethics of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and must have sufficient physical ability to meet the curricular and clinical demands of the program. Students must be proficient in oral and written English and possess certain non-academic dispositions, behaviors, and essential functions expected of professionals engaged in clinical practice. Consequently, students are required to meet the following criteria for admission to, retention in, and completion of the Master’s training program. Failure to meet the required professional dispositions, behaviors, and essential functions can be cause for immediate dismissal or other lesser consequences.

1. Oral, non-verbal, and written communication abilities adequate to function in the discipline of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The program adheres to ASHA’s position statement, “Students and Professionals Who Speak English with Accents and Nonstandard Dialects.”
2. Sensory/observational Ability: Visual and auditory abilities adequate for assessing speech-language problems and providing treatment.
3. Social-pragmatic Ability: Social awareness and communication skills (both verbal and nonverbal) necessary for establishing rapport with clients, conducting clinical sessions, counseling clients and interacting with colleagues, faculty, and other professionals.
4. Oral and Written Language (receptive and expressive) Ability: Oral and written language (reading, writing, spelling) sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.
5. Physical Ability: Ability to participate in classroom and clinical activities for a defined workday and manipulate equipment for the purpose of assessment and treatment (e.g. medical equipment).

Assessment of non-academic requirements involves the professional judgments of faculty and administrators. It is crucial that client and patient rights to appropriate speech and language services be protected. It is the University’s responsibility to protect both students and the clients they serve. The UCA Speech and Hearing Center faculty deals with these issues through regular reviews of student progress during faculty meetings. Potential problems are raised as soon as possible with the student, remediation procedures are suggested, and the student is given time to respond. On occasion, it is necessary to counsel students out of the program for non-academic reasons. Before arriving at such a decision, there is extensive discussion, clear feedback to the student regarding the problems, and agreement among faculty as to the course of action. The intention of this policy is to give students a fair opportunity to succeed.

[4] Baccalaureate Degree: Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders requires successful completion of 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements (see the UCA Core requirements); and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using designated major, minor, or elective courses; (2) related degree requirements of (a) one of the following chemistry/physics courses (may also be used to fulfill the Physical Science requirement in the LD UCA Core): CHEM 1402 or CHEM 1450 or PHYS 1405 or PHYS 1410 or PHYS 1441; (b) a 3-hour Statistics course (e.g., CISA 2330 [formerly QMTH 2330], GEOG 2330, MATH 2311, PSCI 2312, PSYC 2330, or SOC 2321); (c) two four-hour biology courses in addition to the biology course required for the LD UCA Core; and (d) one course in Psychology, Sociology, or Anthropology (may also be used to fulfill three hours of the Social Science requirement in the LD UCA Core); (3) 46 hours within the department; and (4) the option to complete a minor as worked out with the student’s minor advisor or the option to choose, in consultation with the student’s major advisor, 16 hours of elective courses that would support the major.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders enter the Mathematical Reasoning for Health Sciences Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1365 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit that completes their 1000-level math requirements. Students who wish to complete an introductory physics course (PHYS 1405 or 1410) instead of an introductory chemistry source (CHEM 1402 or CHEM 1450) should opt for the College Algebra Pathway.

[4.1] Major in Communication Sciences and Disorders (46 hours)

Elective and required science courses are used to satisfy the lower-division UCA Core requirements in Diversity, Critical Inquiry, Communication, and Responsible Living. For upper-division UCA Core requirements in Diversity, Critical Inquiry, Communication, and Responsible Living students will take CSD 4311 Audiology, CSD 4322 Cultural and Linguistic Influences on Practices and Principles for CSD Professionals, and CSD 4340 Research Principles and Practice. Students will take CSD 4343 Capstone in Communication Sciences and Disorders as the required UCA Core capstone.

Major requirements in Communication Sciences and Disorders (46 hours):

[5] Master’s Degree

See the Graduate Bulletin.

[6] Courses in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)

Follow this link for CSD course descriptions: course link.