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

[Jump to Recognition of Academic Achievement for general information about Honors in the Majors.]

Upon completion of 72 hours (with 12 hours in the major), a student may be invited by the faculty to pursue Honors in Communication Sciences and Disorders. To be eligible, a student must have a minimum 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.4 in the major. After working with a faculty mentor and completing CSD 4350 Honors in Communication Sciences and Disorders, students must submit written evidence of a research paper or project and make a formal presentation to the faculty and students.

[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, CSD 2303 Basic Sign Language, CSD 4303 Intermediate Sign Language, and CSD 4310 Assistive Technology.

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. Students are expected to display behaviors that meet non-academic criteria that are important in the discipline of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Consequently, students are required to meet the following criteria:

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. Auditory ability adequate for assessing speech-language problems and providing treatment.
3. Interpersonal behaviors consistent with appropriate clinical skills and professional standards.

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) degree requirements of (a) one of the following chemistry/physics courses: CHEM 1402 or CHEM 1450 or PHYS 1405 or PHYS 1410 or PHYS 1441; (b) a 3 hour Statistics course (e.g., GEOG 2330; MATH 2311; PSCI 2312; PSYC 2330; QMTH 2330; SOC 2321); and (c) the science track for BS: (BIOL 1440 plus two additional four-hour biology courses); (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.

[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 4315 Aural Rehabilitation, 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.