Degrees Offered
- Master of Science
- Doctor of Philosophy
Areas of Specialization
- Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
About the Program
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers the following degrees through the Graduate College: The Master of Science (MS) degree in speech-language pathology (with thesis) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in the areas of audiology and speech-language pathology. The department also offers the professional doctorate in audiology (Au.D.) and the professional Master of Arts degree in speech-language pathology (M.A.) through the College of Allied Health. Information about all of the department’s programs may be found at http://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Departments/CommunicationSciencesandDisorders.aspx
Contact information for the different program advisors may also be found at that site.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is located in the John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center. This modern, self-contained speech and hearing Center accommodates nearly all academic pursuits as well as department-operated service programs in audiology and speech-language pathology. Ongoing research into normal and disordered processes of human communication is focused in both clinical and basic science areas. State-of-the-art instrumentation is available.
Service programs operated by the Department provide primary practicum sites for educating audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Audiology services include routine hearing and hearing-aid evaluations, hearing-aid dispensing, special physiological tests of auditory function, and aural (re)habilitation protocols. Speech-language pathology services are available for children and adults who present the full array of disorders including those affecting articulation/phonology, language, fluency, and voice. Special diagnostic and treatment programs are available for neurogenic disorders, childhood language disorders, and voice disorders. Additionally, a cleft palate-craniofacial clinic and a diagnostic and staffing conference on speech and language disorders bring together expertise from several disciplines to address complex diagnostic and treatment problems. The department also operates a preschool program for children with developmental language impairments. Where appropriate, diagnostic decisions and management strategies in all areas evolve from an interdisciplinary approach to the amelioration of human communication disorders.
Graduate students in practicum may participate in service programs operated by a number of cooperating agencies, including the Veterans Administration Medical Center, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, and rehabilitation clinics within several hospitals, private clinics, and public schools.
Assistantships of varying amounts are available to qualified students on both the master's and doctoral levels.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the speech-language pathology and audiology programs have found employment in a variety of settings. Department of Labor projections indicate continuance of a favorable employment status for both professions through 2016 and beyond. Career opportunities for speech-language pathologists (M.A. degree) include: hospital based practice; private practice; K-12 educational systems; university clinics; and home health providers. Audiologists (Au.D. degree) also enjoy a favorable employment outlook based on national forecast data and employment opportunities include: private practice; hospital based practice; medical clinic practice; university practice; and hearing conservation consultation opportunities. Graduates of the MS program are prepared for admission into PhD programs in speech-language pathology and are well-qualified for employment as laboratory research assistants. Graduates of the PhD program in either speech-language pathology or audiology are in great demand nationally for employment in university and administrative settings.
Cost
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.
Master of Science Degree Requirements
The Master of Science (MS) degree is designed to provide students with the knowledge base and research skills essential for admission into a PhD program in speech-language pathology. This degree sequence is suitable for individuals who seek careers in speech, language, or hearing research but who do not intend to practice clinical speech-language pathology.
The MS program of study integrates three curriculum strands:
- scientific and theoretical knowledge in speech-language pathology,
- computer tools and statistical techniques for data analysis, and
- original research culminating in the oral defense of an approved written thesis.
Students will complete 46 credit hours of coursework, including seven hours of pre-thesis research-related courses (laboratory rotations, directed readings, and a course in research foundations), six hours of basic statistics, and four hours of thesis research. Students will engage in mentored research activities in a number of their courses and must secure Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval before initiating any research project. Many of the credit hours required for the MS degree can also be counted toward the credits needed to complete the PhD in speech-language pathology.
Students in the MS program will work under the supervision of an approved three-member graduate faculty committee to complete original thesis research. The committee must approve the written thesis and the oral defense before the degree can be awarded. Students will be asked to present their research findings at a scientific conference and will be encouraged submit their work for publication in a refereed journal.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| CSD 5313 | Phonological Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5403 | Orofacial Anomalies | 3 |
| CSD 5413 | Speech Science | 3 |
| CSD 5483 | Language Assessment and Remediation in the Preschool Population | 3 |
| CSD 5523 | Diagnostic and Instructional Procedures in Speech Language Pathology | 3 |
| CSD 5990 | Special Studies in Communication Disorders | 1 |
| CSD 5133 | Research Foundations in Communication Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5423 | Neuropathologies of Speech | 3 |
| CSD 5433 | Voice Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5453 | Adult Neurolinguistic Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5473 | Language Assessment and Remediation in School-Age and Adolescent Population | 3 |
| CSD 5990 | Special Studies in Communication Disorders | 1 |
| CSD 5572 | Dysphagia | 2 |
| CSD 5960 | Directed Readings in Communication Disorders | 2 |
| BSE 5163 | Biostatistical Methods I | 3 |
| CSD 5980 | Research for Master's Thesis | 2 |
| |
| BSE 5013 | Application of Microcomputers to Data Analysis | 3 |
| CSD 5980 | Research for Master's Thesis | 2 |
| Total Hours | 46 |
Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is an advanced degree focusing on in-depth study and research training in speech-language pathology, audiology, speech sciences, or hearing sciences. A minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate semester hours are required for the degree. Students complete 25 semester hours of core doctoral coursework during the first year of enrollment and thereafter pursue approved individualized programs of study. Dissertation research may be conducted in either basic or applied scientific domains. A maximum of 15 semester hours of dissertation credit may be counted toward the 90-semester hour minimum required for the degree. Credit hours earned in clinical practicum may not be counted toward the minimum requirements for the degree. Doctoral students must enroll in dissertation research no later than the first semester following satisfactory completion of the general examination. If requirements for the doctoral degree are not completed within five years subsequent to the satisfactory completion of the general examination, the student's doctoral committee must approve further enrollment in dissertation research and must reassess the currency of the student's knowledge of the field of study. Similar reassessment will be made annually thereafter until the degree requirements are met. Students must have the explicit permission of their advisory committees to complete the dissertation in absentia.
Doctor of Philosophy in communication sciences and disorders - speech language pathology
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BSE 5013 | Application of Microcomputers to Data Analysis | 3 |
| BSE 5163 | Biostatistical Methods I | 3 |
| NURS 6101 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| 1 |
| BSE 5173 | Biostatistics Methods II | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| 3 |
| |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| |
| BSE 5653 | Nonparametric Methods | 3 |
| CSD 6563 | Research Methods in Communication and Its Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| |
| |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 4 |
| |
| |
| |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 6 |
| |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 6 |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 4 |
| |
| |
| Total Hours | 52 |
Notes:
- All students are required to take a minimum of 12 hours of statistics courses.
- Student’s advisory committee sets the remainder of any needed requirements to meet the 90 hours required for the degree.
Doctor of Philosophy in communication sciences and disorders - Audiology
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BSE 5013 | Application of Microcomputers to Data Analysis | 3 |
| BSE 5163 | Biostatistical Methods I | 3 |
| NURS 6101 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| 1 |
| BSE 5173 | Biostatistics Methods II | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| BSE 5653 | Nonparametric Methods | 3 |
| CSD 6563 | Research Methods in Communication and Its Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| CSD 5540 | Seminar in Communication Science | 3 |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 4 |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 6 |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 6 |
| CSD 6980 | Research for Doctor's Dissertation | 4 |
| Total Hours | 52 |
Notes:
- All students are required to take a minimum of 12 hours of statistics courses.
- Student’s advisory committee sets the remainder of any needed requirements to meet the 90 hours required for the degree.
Admission Requirements
Individuals applying to either the MS or the PhD program must meet all minimum Graduate College and departmental requirements for admission, including submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if applicable. Applicants must also submit letters of recommendation from three academic sources and complete an interview with a graduate CSD faculty member or faculty admissions committee. Additional details about admission requirements for the MS and PhD programs can be found via links at the following website:
http://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Departments/CommunicationSciencesandDisorders.aspx. Other detailed information about admission and enrollment procedures may be obtained through correspondence with the department chair, the department’s graduate liaison, and/or the Office of Admissions and Records.
