Dual Communication Disorders Major
Communication Disorders
Students can major in Communication Disorders (CMD) to prepare for graduate school in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology, or for a career as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. CMD majors may pursue a traditional 4-year bachelor’s degree, or an accelerated 3-year bachelor’s degree, leading to graduate studies. Those pursuing the accelerated program may need to take courses during summer and intersession terms in order to complete the degree in three years. For a student on either track, maintenance of an overall GPA of a 3.0 with no grade below a C in any required major course or required supporting course is required in order to maintain good standing within the major.
Students who wish to practice as speech-language pathologists must 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 typically requires two calendar years, including 1–2 summers, of graduate-level coursework, and 400 hours of supervised clinical practice. Students who wish to enter the SHU SLP graduate program are required to successfully complete the admissions process. To be eligible to apply to the SHU graduate program in SLP, students must satisfy all major requirements with an overall GPA of at least 3.0, no grade in a course required for the major below C, and no more than two repeated courses. Specific admission requirements for the Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology can be found at Sacred Heart can be found in the Speech-Language Pathology catalog.
Dual Degree - Communication Disorders to Speech-Language Pathology
To matriculate to the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology, all SHU Speech-Language Pathology Dual Degree students must:
- Successfully complete all required Communication Disorders coursework and supply by the end of the summer prior to enrollment in a graduate program. No more than one course may be repeated.
- Successfully complete all 25 required observation hours of an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist and supply by the end of the summer prior to enrollment in the graduate program.
- Have an undergraduate cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, and a prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher, with no individual prerequisite course grade below C
- Submit one of the following standardized achievement test scores: the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), ACT, or Praxis I
- Submit one letter of attestation from an academic source (e.g., former professor)
- Submit documentation of professional skills
- Submit a reflection statement
- Participate in an evaluative problem-based learning session
Faculty & Staff
Requirements
The CMD Major includes prerequisite courses for graduate work in speech-language pathology or audiology.
Required Core Curriculum
| CMD 200 | Introduction to Communication Disorders | 3 |
| CMD 201 | Introduction to Communication Disorders Lab | 1 |
| CMD 210 | Phonetics | 3 |
| CMD 215 | Leadership in Healthcare | 1 |
| CMD 300 | Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Swallowing | 3 |
| CMD 310 | Introduction to Audiology | 3 |
| CMD 315 | Hearing Science | 3 |
| CMD 320 | Speech Science | 3 |
| CMD 330 | Development of Language | 3 |
| CMD 335 | Cultural and Structural Linguistics | 3 |
| CMD 340 | Neurological Bases of Communication & Swallowing | 3 |
| CMD 350 | Introduction to Clinical Methods & Observation | 3 |
| CMD 351 | Introduction to Clinical Methods & Observation Lab | 1 |
Required Supporting Courses
| BI 111 | Concepts in Biology I: Molecules to Cells | 3 |
| BI 113 | Concepts in Biology I Laboratory | 1 |
| PY 103 | Physics of Sound | 4 |
| PS 252 | Child Development Psychology | 3 |
| MA 131 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| ED 301 | Introduction to Exceptionalities | 3 |
| ED 302 | Education in the U.S. | 3 |
| HS 204 | Introduction to Research in Health Science | 3 |
| HS 309 | Professional Interactions in Healthcare Settings | 3 |
LANGXX Any foreign language
Elective Courses
| CMD 305 | Introduction to Emergency Preparedness | 3 |
| CMD 399 | CMD Comparision In US/Ireland | 3 |
| CMD 205 | Introduction to Deaf Culture | 3 |