Chair: Stephen B. Hood (380-2600)
Professors: Evans, Hood, Sellers
Associate Professor: Dagenais
Assistant Professors: Chase, Rubin
Instructor: Beverly
Adjunct Associate Professors: Brown, Sinnott

The primary objective of the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology is to develop scholarship in speech and hearing sciences and to assist students in the application of that scholarship to improve the communicative skills of persons with speech, language and hearing disorders. The undergraduate program is preparation for professional study on the graduate level. Upon completion of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, students will have met all academic and practicum requirements for national certification (ASHA-CCC) and the Alabama State License.

Students may register for SPA courses which have an SPA prerequisite only if a grade of "C" or better was achieved in the prerequisite course. Speech and Hearing majors are expected to maintain an overall grade-point average acceptable for admission to a graduate program.

Course requirements for the baccalaureate degree are outlined below.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCES
Area I - Written Composition (6 hours)
EH 101, 102 (3 hours each)

Area II - Humanities & Fine Arts (12 hours)
CA 110 (3 hours)
ARH 100, ARS 101, MUL 101, DRA 110 (3 hours)
EH 215 or 225 or 235 (3 hours)
*EH 216 or 226 or 236 or PHL 110 or 121 or 131 (3 hours)

Area III - Natural Sciences & Math (11 hours)
MA 112 (3 hours)
BLY 101 (4 hours)
PH 104 (4 hours)

Area IV - History, Social & Behavioral Sciences (12 hours)
SY 109 (3 hours)
AN 100 (3 hours)
HY 101 or 235 (3 hours)
*HY 102 or 236 or PSC 130 (3 hours)

Area V - Pre-Professional, Major & Electives (19-23 hours)
CIS 150 (3 hours)
PSY 120 (3 hours)
BLY 151, 152 (4 hours each)
ST 210 (3 hours)
Human Development (PSY 250, 350; EPY 251, 451) (3 hours)

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Human Development (PSY 250, 340, 350; EPY 251, 451) (3 hours)
Aging (PSY 356; BLY 207; HSC 450, 457; SY 372, 472, LS 479, GRN 290) (3, 3)
Multicultural (EDF 315; EPY 315; AN 200, 458; SY 421, 426, 445, 455; PSY 270) (3, 3)
Psychology (PSY 220, 310, 340, 420, 430, 440, 465) (3, 3, 3, 3)

*Must complete two course sequence in Literature or History.

Prior to enrolling in SPA courses at the 300- and 400-level, students must complete BLY 151, 152, CIS 150, SPA 291, and at least one course from the Aging, Multicultural, and Human Development areas. Students must have achieved an overall GPA of 2.5 in order to enroll in SPA 300- and 400-level courses.

REQUIRED SPEECH PATHOLOGY AND AUDIOLOGY COURSES
(42 credits as given below)

A special course fee is assessed in each of the following courses:

PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS HOLDING A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN ANOTHER DISCIPLINE
The Pre-Professional Preparation Program in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology offers appropriate prerequisite undergraduate course work to individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in an area other than speech and hearing science, speech language pathology, audiology, or communication disorders. Additionally, this program adequately prepares students for competitive admission consideration to the department’s M.S. programs in speech-language pathology and audiology. Successful completion of this program does not guarantee admission to the M.S. programs in speech and hearing sciences.

Given the structured curriculum in this special track, students are admitted Fall Semester only. It is expected that students admitted to the program will complete the program in one academic year. Students who do not complete the program in one academic year may reapply to the department on a competitive, space available basis. Students interested in this program should contact the Department for an application packet prior to the May 1 deadline.

Admission requirements for the Pre-Professional Preparation Program include:

1. A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale).
   
2. A Graduate Record Examination score which must be no more than five years old.
   
3. Supporting course work in biology, mathematics, statistics, computer and information sciences, English, and psychology equivalent to such requirements in the undergraduate speech and hearing sciences major (see previous pages in this Bulletin).

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCES
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech and Hearing Sciences serves either as a professional preparation for clinical certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) or as preparation for graduate study leading to the Ph.D. degree. The M.S. program provides a broad range of basic science courses and specialized offerings emphasizing evaluation and treatment of language, articulation, fluency, voice, hearing, and neurologically-based communication disorders. Students are prepared for careers as clinicians in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and community clinics. Clinical practicum opportunities are available at the on-campus Speech and Hearing Center and many affiliated clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools, and hospitals. Within this framework, students who elect an emphasis in speech pathology or audiology must meet the academic and practicum requirements for national certification (The Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) and State of Alabama Licensure in their major professional area. Those students who choose an emphasis in communication sciences follow an individualized program of studies consistent with their career goals. Depending upon undergraduate preparation, the M.S. program typically extends for five academic semesters, including one partial semester of clinical externship. Graduate assistantships and tuition fellowships are available annually on a competitive basis. Applications for admission and assistantships are accepted throughout the academic year with enrollment beginning in the Fall Semester only. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is March 1. Specific information about the Masters program is available from the department.

The academic (i.e., Master of Science) and clinical programs are fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation and Professional Services Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
Students are admitted in the Fall Semester only.

The following criteria supplement the Graduate School criteria (see Categories of Admission):

REGULAR ADMISSION

1. A baccalaureate degree in the field of communication disorders from an accredited college or university including prerequisites for admission into the graduate program. Students who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in the field are eligible for the Pre-Professional Preparation Program (PPP). See section above for information about the PPP program.
   
2. A minimum 3.0 (A = 4.0) overall undergraduate GPA to be considered for regular admission, a minimum of 2.75 overall undergraduate GPA for provisional admission.
   
3. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score. The GRE must have been taken within the last five years.

Because the number of applicants is greater than the number of vacancies in the program, students will be admitted on a competitive basis, based on the criteria stated above. Because of limited course sequencing, students are admitted in Fall Semester only. Students should submit complete applications by March 1 of the year in which they intend to matriculate.

In addition, students should have a course in human anatomy and physiology, an adequate background in psychology, and one course each in basic statistics and computer science. In order to meet ASHA certification requirements, students are strongly encouraged to complete course work in areas dealing with multicultural issues, aging/gerontology, and human development. Students with a bachelor’s degree in other fields will be expected to meet PPP program requirements in speech pathology and audiology.

REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE
The Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences degree requires a minimum of five semesters of full-time academic study. A portion of the final semester is spent off campus completing the externship.

Schematics of the M.S. curricula with emphases in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology are illustrated below.

COURSE SEQUENCE
Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences
Speech-Language Pathology Emphasis

Year 1

Year 2

COURSE SEQUENCE
Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences Audiology Emphasis
Year 1

Year 2

A special course fee is assessed in each of the following courses:

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders offers students specialization in speech and language pathology, communication science, or audiology. The doctoral program is designed to provide a formal course of training and advanced research in communication sciences and disorders that produces significant, original contributions to the professional discipline. Supplementary course work in experimental research design and statistics and optional interdisciplinary medical rotations maximize the student’s ability to engage in original research and scholarship. A doctoral student is admitted to candidacy upon passing a written and oral comprehensive examination.

The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology offers two doctoral program options depending upon the student’s academic background. The Non-Traditional Track is a Post Bachelor’s Doctoral Program while the Traditional Track is a Post Master’s Doctoral Program. Each track is described below.

Non-Traditional Track (Post Bachelor’s Program)
Students in the Non-Traditional Track enroll in Master’s level course work for the initial portion of their program. During the Summer Semester of the first year, students begin directed independent research. The Non-Traditional doctoral track usually takes a minimum of four years of full-time study to complete.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
Minimum admission consideration requirements are as follows:

1. Bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology or audiology, or successful completion of undergraduate equivalency course work in the professional area for which the degree is sought.
   
2. Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.2 (based on 4.0). Minimum undergraduate GPA in the professional area of 3.5.
   
3. Combined score of at least 1500 on the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Student should contact the department for specific details.

Traditional Track (Post Master’s Program)
Students in the Traditional Track initially enroll in doctoral level core course work followed by directed research experience culminating in the dissertation over the remaining years in the program. The Traditional Track usually takes a minimum of three years of full-time study to complete.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
Minimum admission consideration requirements are as follows:

1. Master’s degree in speech-language pathology, audiology, speech and hearing science, or equivalent.
2. An overall graduate GPA of 3.5 (based on a 4.0-point system).
3. Combined score of at least 1500 on the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Foreign applicants must also demonstrate competence, fluency, and intelligibility in both written and spoken English.

Students should contact the department for specific details.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS CURRICULUM
The Doctor of Philosophy degree program in Communication Sciences and Disorders requires a minimum of 66 semester hours of approved graduate course work beyond the Master’s degree. Refer to the doctoral handbook for specific requirements.

APPLICATION
Applications for admission and assistantships are accepted throughout the academic year with enrollment beginning in the Fall Semester. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is March 1. Specific information about each doctoral program option may be obtained from the department.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS/TUITION FELLOWSHIPS
Graduate assistantships and tuition fellowships are available annually on a competitive basis.

TRANSFER CREDIT
Normally, students are not permitted to transfer doctoral level credits. Exceptions to this policy would require approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
A comprehensive examination and professional presentation will be administered and passed during the semester in which all academic work will be completed, and prior to the time the student defends the dissertation prospectus.

CANDIDACY
Admission to candidacy will be achieved upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination and professional presentation. The doctoral candidate is, therefore, a student who has fulfilled all preliminary requirements for the Ph.D. and has only the dissertation research as the remaining program requirement.

DISSERTATION/DISSERTATION DEFENSE
While only 21 semester hours of dissertation research may count towards the degree, a student must continually enroll in CSD 799 (Dissertation Research) until the final dissertation document has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. The final oral defense of the dissertation is scheduled after the dissertation is completed. Additional revisions of the dissertation may be required as a result of the defense or Graduate School evaluation.

THE LIMIT
After reaching candidacy, students have a maximum of two years to complete the dissertation.

Descriptions of all Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPA) courses

Descriptions of all Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) courses

College of Allied Health Professions

Table of Contents

University of South Alabama   -  Mobile, AL 36688-0002 / (334) 460-6101
For comments or questions about our web site, please E-mail the Webmaster .
Last date changed: Friday, July 16, 1999 09:24:20 AM
URL: http://www.southalabama.edu/bulletin/allspa.htm