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2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog

Communication Disorders Major

Communication Disorders Major

Students major in Communication Disorders (CMD) in order to prepare for graduate school in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. CMD majors may pursue a typical four year Bachelor’s degree schedule, leading to a two year Master’s Program in Speech-Language Pathology at SHU or elsewhere, or a 3-year Au.D. in audiology, which is not offered at SHU. CMD majors may, alternatively, pursue a 3+2 program by completing all requirements for the CMD Bachelor’s Degree in three years and moving on to the SHU Master’s degree program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). Those pursuing the 3+2 program must declare their major by the end of the freshman year, and will need to take courses during each summer and intersession term in order to complete the program in three years. Those pursuing the traditional 4 year undergraduate program must declare the major by the first semester of the sophomore year.

Students who wish to practice as Speech-Language Pathologists will need to complete all undergraduate CMD requirements and then apply to and complete a master’s degree program in SLP at SHU or elsewhere. Graduate study in SLP requires two calendar years, including 1–2 summers of graduate-level coursework and 400 hours of supervised clinical practicum.

In order to be accepted by the SHU graduate program in SLP, students must successfully complete all major requirements by the end of the summer prior to enrollment in a graduate program. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 and major course GPA of 3.3 with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C and no more than one courses repeated are required for admission to SHU’s graduate program in SLP. Additional admissions requirements for the graduate program in SLP can be found in the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog.

Faculty

RHEA PAUL, PhD, CCC-SLP

Chair, Founding Director, and Professor

ROBIN DANZAK , PhD

Associate Professor

JILL DOUGLASS, PhD, CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor

MARTA KORYTKOWSKA, MS, ABD, CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor

CIARA LEYDON, PhD, CCC-SLP

Associate Professor

 

JAMIE MAROTTO, AuD, CCC-A

Clinical Assistant Professor; Director, Undergraduate Program

 

AVINASH MISHRA, PhD, CCC-SLP

Assistant Professor

Program Accreditation

The CMD Pre-Professional major at SHU is designed to meet all requirements of the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) and to prepare students for graduate study in either speech-language pathology or audiology. The SHU Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology has been accredited by the State of Connecticut Department of Higher Education. Program approval from the Connecticut State Department of Education for teacher endorsement as a school-based SLP has also been awarded. The Master's program in Speech-Language Pathology at Sacred Heart University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.  

Requirements

The CMD Major includes the necessary prerequisite courses for graduate work in Speech-language Pathology or Audiology. Twenty-five hours of observation of Communication Disorders practice is required and is included within the major coursework.

Required Core Curriculum

 

Pre-Professional Courses:

Must be taken in conjunction with a SHU major such as Health Science, English, Foreign Language & Culture, Psychology

SLP 200Introduction to Communication Disorders

3
SLP 210Phonetics

3
SLP 300Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Swallowing

3
SLP 310Introduction to Audiology & Hearing Science

3
SLP 320Speech Science

3
SLP 330Development of Language

3
SLP 340Neurological Bases of Communication & Swallowing

3
SLP 350Clinical Methods & Observation

3

SLP 200, SLP 210, SLP 300, SLP 320, SLP 330, SLP 350: Required for minor in SLP; the other courses listed are needed for admission to graduate programs in Communication Disorders (SLP or Audiology).

ED 301, ED 302: Highly recommended; Require Criminal Background Check (see department for information)

Graduate Admissions Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program in SLP, all students must:

  • Successfully complete all required prerequisites (or their equivalents) by the end of the summer prior to enrollment in a graduate program (see list of prerequisite courses above)
    • Please note: No more than one SLP prerequisite may have been repeated by any applicant
  • Hold a Bachelor of Science or Arts degree from an accredited college or university
  • Have an undergraduate cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher and a prerequisite GPA of 3.3 or higher, with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C (see list of prerequisite courses above)
  • Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
  • Submit two letters of recommendation from academic sources (e.g., former professor)
  • Submit an admissions essay describing interest in the field of speech-language pathology
  • Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
    • Please note: ALL prior schools’ transcripts MUST be submitted for review, regardless of whether or not transferred courses appear on the current school transcript
  • Submit documentation of twenty-five (25) hours of observation of speech-language pathology practice by an ASHA-certified SLP documented on SHU form (available from the Graduate Admissions Office)
  • Apply through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS; https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

All SHU applicants who meet the overall and prerequisite GPA requirements (3.0 and 3.3, respectively, with no grade below C in the prerequisite courses) will be invited for interviews once applications are reviewed.

  • Prerequisite coursework: Admission to the SHU SLP graduate program requires successful completion of the prerequisite courses listed above (or their equivalents) with no grade below C and a GPA of at least 3.3.
  • It is also strongly recommended that all students applying for the SLP graduate program complete the following courses or their equivalents prior to matriculation in order to fulfill requirements of the State of Connecticut for endorsement as a school SLP:
    • PS 252 Child Development Psychology
    • ED 302 Education in the US
    • ED 301 Introduction to Exceptionalities