Student Learning Outcomes

1. Human Communication Process and Disorders. Identify the developmental norms for speech/language acquisition, the theoretical and scientific foundations of CSD, and general knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders.

2. Clinical Practices for Communication Disorders. Understand and explain the basic clinical process for the prevention, identification, evaluation, and remediation of communication disorders.

3. Critical Thinking. Apply critical thinking, problem solving, and logical reasoning skills to problems, issues, and/or clinical case studies in communication sciences and disorders.

4. Scientific Inquiry and Research Skills. Explain “evidence-based decision making” as a lifelong learning process in communication sciences and disorders.

5. Professional Communication Skills. Demonstrate effective professional written communication skills as they pertain to clinical topics and situations in communication sciences and disorders. Demonstrate effective spoken communication skills to explain and describe content and/or research knowledge as it pertains to topics in communication sciences and disorders.

6. Ethics, Integrity, and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. Identify how individual, cultural, and linguistic differences influence speech, language, and hearing, and the disorders of communication that individuals may experience. Recognize and explain professional ethical principles in the fields of speech language pathology and audiology.

Major Requirements

The B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders requires students to fulfill the quantitative skills requirement for the liberal arts core and to complete 34 credits in CSD courses, plus 12-13 non-CSD credits that can also be counted towards the Liberal Arts Core, as outlined below. (Total 46-47 credits)

Distinction in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Overview of Eligibility Requirements for Distinction in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD):

1. CSD major or dual major
2. Overall GPA of 3.70 or better by the end of the semester prior to graduation (typically through Fall of the senior year, prior to May graduation)
3. No CSD course grades below B (including courses that were later retaken, even if the final grade on the transcript is a B or better), including CSD classes in the final semester before graduation. Final grades will be verified by CSD faculty prior to graduation and awarding of the distinction.
4. Completion of a research experience, as defined below, with CSD faculty or faculty in a related field.
5. Member of NSSHLA, SAA, or other approved CSD-related student groups for at least 2 semesters.

Significant Research Experience:

A significant research experience in CSD may vary somewhat in scope based on the experience and topic but should constitute substantial participation in one or more components including the development of a project, data collection in an ongoing project, analyses of existing data, and/or synthesis and interpretation of results. The following experiences may be approved to meet this requirement:

• Renee Crown honors project in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (or related discipline) under the supervision of a faculty advisor
• Independent study project for academic credit (CSD 490 or in another related department)
• An approved research rotation in a CSD faculty lab or related field faculty lab. Research rotations must be a minimum of one semester in length and include a written component. The format of the written component is at the discretion of the research advisor and may include portions of a research proposal or summary paper, article summaries/critique, or reflections of outcomes and skills developed through work on the project.

Students should discuss the research experience with their academic advisor and/or talk with faculty member(s) who have research in areas of interest about available experiences in their lab. Students should do this as early as possible to ensure completion prior to the application to distinction. Projects outside of CSD need to be approved by CSD faculty and should be discussed with the CSD academic advisor ahead of time.