Communication Sciences & Disorders Major

To be a speech-language pathologist or an audiologist, a graduate degree is required for certification and state licensure.  An undergraduate major in Communication Sciences & Disorders provides excellent preparation for subsequent graduate-level work.  Graduate speech-language pathology programs have varying requirements.  Students should check their targeted graduate programs early on to determine those graduate programs' admission requirements and plan accordingly.

Goal 1: Identify linguistic, cognitive, affective, and social aspects of communication.

Outcome 1: Summarize research about linguistics or communication disorders. 

Goal 2: Compare and contrast typical and atypical communication and swallowing development across the lifespan.

Outcome 2: Describe normative data concerning first language acquisition, or present a case study of a person with a communication or swallowing disorder.

Goal 3: Apply the foundational principles of biological and physical science to describe communication and swallowing systems.

Outcome 3: Conduct and interpret an oral motor examination, use acoustic analysis software to measure the basic properties of a person's voice, or conduct a hearing screening.

Goal 4: Identify linguistic and cultural diversity among speakers and critically assess its implications for assessment and intervention.

Outcome 4: Explain linguistic features of varieties of English.

Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements

Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements.  See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.

First Year Course Requirements
ENG 101Craft of Language3
World History Course Area3
Philosophy Requirements
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course.
Philosophy Level One3
Philosophy Level Two3
Theology & Religious Studies Requirements
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course.
Theology3
Religious Studies3
Diversity & INT 151 Requirements
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years
Diversity3
INT 151Inequality in American Society1
Math & Natural Science Requirements
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements.
Mathematics3-4
Natural Science4
Social Science Requirement3
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Non-Native Language Requirement3-4
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement.
Literature Requirement3
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement3
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Overlay Requirements
Writing-Intensive3
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition).
Mission-Overlay3
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science.
Total Hours47-49

Recommended CCC Courses

Diversity
LIN 317
Sociolinguistics
or SOC 317
 Sociolinguistics
Literature
Literature course in FRE, ITA, or SPA
Social Science
PSY 100
Introductory Psychology
SOC 101
Intro to Sociology
Writing Intensive
LIN 420
SLP/AuD Research Methods
Mission-Overlay
LIN 260
Language and the Law
or SOC 260
 Language and the Law

Major Requirements 

Please note that Communication Sciences & Disorders majors are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Always check the SLP graduate programs where you plan to apply to confirm that your undergraduate courses satisfy their admissions requirements.

LIN 101Language and Communication (will count for CCC: Philosophy Level One)3
or PHL 102 Language and Communication
LIN 160Intro Communication Disorders3
LIN 203English Grammar3
or ENG 203 English Grammar
LIN 215Anat&Phys of Speech&Hearing3
LIN 261Psycholinguistics3
or PSY 261 Psycholinguistics
LIN 262First Language Acquisition3
or PSY 262 First Language Acquisition
LIN 320Phonetics3
LIN 322Intro to Audiology3
LIN 325Tour of the Brain3
LIN 326Speech and Hearing Sciences3
LIN 420SLP/AuD Research Methods3
or HSC 331 Health Sciences Research
or SOC 312 Research Methods
or PSY 210 Research Methods
LIN 421Clinical Methods3
MAT 118Introduction to Statistics (will count for CCC: Mathematics)3
BIO 101Bio I: Cells (will count for CCC: Natural Science)4
BIO 101LBio I: Cells Lab (will count for CCC: Natural Science)0
Additional courses for admission to graduate SLP programs 1
PHY 101
General Physics I
PHY 101L
General Physics Laboratory I
CHM 120
General Chemistry I
CHM 120L
General Chemistry Lab I
PSY 120
Lifespan Development
PSY 231
Developmental Psychology
Two additional LIN courses from the list below or approved by the Linguistics Program Director:6
LIN 110
Language Games
LIN 140
Language Matters
LIN 250
Social Media Discourse
LIN 280
Second Lang Acquis & Lrning
LIN 340
Communication in Soc Contexts
25 SLP observation hours are also required
Total Hours49
1

This is a standard requirement for admission to graduate-level SLP programs and one of these two courses should be taken as part of the CSD undergraduate degree. Please note that though the corresponding labs (PHY 101L and CHM 120L, respectively) are required corequisites at SJU and students must take the corresponding lab if they take those courses at SJU, most graduate-level SLP programs do not require that a lab be taken with PHY 101 or CHM 120 and the SJU CSD major does not require those labs. Check the graduate programs where you plan to apply for more information.

Free Electives

Graduation requires 120 credits. Any credits necessary to reach that number outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallHours
ENG 101 Craft of Language 3
LIN 101 Language and Communication 3
BIO 101 Bio I: Cells 4
BIO 101L Bio I: Cells Lab 0
Theology 3
Non-Native Language 3-4
 Hours16-17
Spring
World History 3
LIN xxx or LIN 101(PHL Level One) or LIN 160 3
Philosophy Level Two 3
LIN xxx 3
INT 151 Inequality in American Society 1
Theology 3
 Hours16
Sophomore
Fall
LIN xxx 3
Literature 3
MAT 118 Introduction to Statistics 3
PHY 101
or CHM 120
 General Physics I
or General Chemistry I
 3
PHY 101L
or CHM 120L
 General Physics Laboratory I
or General Chemistry Lab I
 1
Philosophy Level Two or Religious Studies 3
 Hours16
Spring
LIN xxx 3
LIN xxx 3
Free Elective 3
PSY 100
or SOC 101
 Introductory Psychology
or Intro to Sociology
 3
LIN 260 Language and the Law 3
 Hours15
Junior
Fall
LIN xxx 3
PSY 120
or PSY 231
 Lifespan Development
or Developmental Psychology
 3
Fine & Performing Arts, Design & Creativity 3
LIN 317
or SOC 317
 Sociolinguistics
or Sociolinguistics
 3
LIN xxx 3
 Hours15
Spring
LIN xxx 3
LIN xxx 3
Religious Studies 3
Free Electives 6
 Hours15
Senior
Fall
LIN xxx 3
LIN xxx 3
Free Electives 9
 Hours15
Spring
LIN xxx 3
LIN xxx 3
Free Electives 6
 Hours12
 Total Hours120-121