Communication Sciences & Disorders Major
SJU offers an organized and robust specialization in Communication Sciences & Disorders that offers students the flexibility of adding on a double major or minor as part of their four-year curriculum. At SJU, students can:
1. Major in Communication Sciences & Disorders (options: add a minor in Linguistics, TESOL or any other discipline of personal, academic or professional interest)
2. Double major in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Linguistics
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. With the Communication Sciences & Disorders major housed in the Languages and Linguistics Department, SJU also offers students a unique opportunity to combine a major in Communication Sciences & Disorders with a double major in Linguistics providing them with a more detailed look into language and communication. There is some permitted overlap of coursework in the two majors which facilitates the completion of a double major while still allowing students time to pursue additional minors or complete other elective courses before they graduate. See the tab above for more information.
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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | ||
| HIS 101 | Globalization in World History | 3 |
| or HIS 102 | Movements in World History | |
| or HIS 103 | Empires in World History | |
| 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 One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| 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. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| 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 | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
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 Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
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-Overlay | 3 | |
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 Hours | 47-49 | |
Recommended CCC Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Some CSD major courses (listed in the Major Requirements block below) double count for particular CCC requirements. See LIN 101/PHL 102, LIN 420, MAT 118, SOC 101, PSY 100, BIO 101, BIO 101L. In addition, the following courses are recommended for students looking to satisfy other CCC requirements: | ||
| Diversity | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
or SOC 317 | Sociolinguistics | |
or LIN 140 | Language Matters | |
| Mission-Overlay | ||
| 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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LIN 101 | Language and Communication (LIN 101 / PHL 102 also count for CCC: Philosophy Level One Non-Ethics) | 3 |
| or PHL 102 | Language and Communication | |
| LIN 160 | Intro Communication Disorders | 3 |
| LIN 203 | English Grammar | 3 |
| or ENG 203 | English Grammar | |
| LIN 215 | Anat&Phys of Speech&Hearing | 3 |
| LIN 261 | Psycholinguistics | 3 |
| or PSY 261 | Psycholinguistics | |
| LIN 262 | First Language Acquisition | 3 |
| or PSY 262 | First Language Acquisition | |
| LIN 320 | Phonetics | 3 |
| LIN 322 | Intro to Audiology | 3 |
| LIN 325 | Tour of the Brain | 3 |
| LIN 326 | Speech and Hearing Sciences | 3 |
| LIN 420 | SLP/AuD Research Methods (LIN 420 also counts as CCC Writing Intensive Overlay) | 3 |
| or HSC 331 | Health Sciences Research | |
| or SOC 312 | Research Methods | |
| or PSY 210 | Research Methods | |
| LIN 421 | Clinical Methods | 3 |
| Two additional LIN courses from the list below or approved by the Linguistics Program Director: | 6 | |
| Language Games | ||
| Language Matters | ||
| Social Media Discourse | ||
| Language & Health Professions | ||
| Second Lang Acquis & Lrning | ||
| Teaching Lang at Home/Abroad | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Communication in Soc Contexts | ||
| Additional courses required for admission to graduate SLP programs | 10 | |
| MAT 118 | Introduction to Statistics (MAT 118 also counts for CCC: Mathematics) | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Intro to Sociology (SOC 101 and PSY 100 also count for CCC: Social Sciences) | 3 |
| or PSY 100 | Introductory Psychology | |
| PSY 120 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| or PSY 231 | Developmental Psychology | |
| BIO 101 & 101L | Bio I: Cells and Bio I: Cells Lab (BIO 101 and BIO 101L also count for CCC: Natural Science) | 4 |
| One of the following 2 courses with its corresponding lab 1 | 4 | |
| PHY 101 | General Physics I 1 | 3 |
| or CHM 120 | General Chemistry I | |
| PHY 101L | General Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| or CHM 120L | General Chemistry Lab I | |
| 25 SLP observation hours are also required 2 | ||
- 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.
- 2
Completing SLP observation hours may involve a minimal fee.
Free Electives
To be awarded a bachelor's degree at Saint Joseph's University, students must complete at least 120 total credits. As such, elective credits may be required in addition to Cornerstone Core Curriculum (CCC) and major requirements. Any credits necessary to reach at least 120 total credits outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives. Under the CCC, there are no fixed number of electives required. A student's total number of electives will vary based on major requirements, transfer credits, as well as math and language placement.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| 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 | |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| 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 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| 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 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| 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 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| 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 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| LIN xxx | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 120-121 | |
Communication Sciences & Disorders/Linguistics Double Major
With the Communication Sciences & Disorders major housed in the Languages and Linguistics Department, SJU also offers students a unique opportunity to combine a major in Communication Sciences & Disorders with a double major in Linguistics providing them with a more detailed look into language and communication. There is some permitted overlap of coursework in the two majors which facilitates the completion of a double major. Additionally, with careful planning, there are linguistics courses that satisfy both major requirements as well as Cornerstone Core Curriculum requirements allowing students to "double count" them for various purposes. This arrangement makes it possible for students who double major in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Linguistics to also pursue additional minors or choose to take other elective courses before they graduate.
Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements
Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements. See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | ||
| HIS 101 | Globalization in World History | 3 |
| or HIS 102 | Movements in World History | |
| or HIS 103 | Empires in World History | |
| 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 One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| 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. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| 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 | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
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 Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
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-Overlay | 3 | |
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 Hours | 47-49 | |
Recommended CCC Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Some CSD major courses (listed in the Major Requirements block below) double count for particular CCC requirements. See LIN 101/PHL 102, LIN 420, MAT 118, SOC 101, PSY 100, BIO 101, BIO 101L. In addition, the following courses are recommended for students looking to satisfy other CCC requirements: | ||
| Diversity | ||
| LIN 140 | Language Matters | 3 |
| or LIN 317 | Sociolinguistics | |
| or SOC 317 | Sociolinguistics | |
| Mission-Overlay | ||
| LIN 260 | Language and the Law | 3 |
| or SOC 260 | Language and the Law | |
Communication Sciences & Disorders/Linguistics Double Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LIN 101 | Language and Communication (LIN 101 and PHL 102 also count as CCC Philosophy Level One Non-Ethics) | 3 |
| or PHL 102 | Language and Communication | |
| LIN 160 | Intro Communication Disorders | 3 |
| LIN 203 | English Grammar | 3 |
| or ENG 203 | English Grammar | |
| LIN 215 | Anat&Phys of Speech&Hearing | 3 |
| LIN 261 | Psycholinguistics | 3 |
| or PSY 261 | Psycholinguistics | |
| LIN 262 | First Language Acquisition | 3 |
| or PSY 262 | First Language Acquisition | |
| LIN 320 | Phonetics | 3 |
| LIN 322 | Intro to Audiology | 3 |
| LIN 325 | Tour of the Brain | 3 |
| LIN 326 | Speech and Hearing Sciences | 3 |
| LIN 420 | SLP/AuD Research Methods (LIN 420 also counts as CCC Writing Intensive Overlay) | 3 |
| or HSC 331 | Health Sciences Research | |
| or SOC 312 | Research Methods | |
| or PSY 210 | Research Methods | |
| LIN 421 | Clinical Methods | 3 |
| Six additional LIN courses from the list below or approved by the Linguistics Program Director | 18 | |
| Language Games | ||
| Language Matters (LIN 140 also counts as CCC Diversity) | ||
| Social Media Discourse | ||
| Language & Health Professions | ||
| Language and the Law (LIN 260 also counts as CCC Ethics & Social Justice Overlay) | ||
| Second Lang Acquis & Lrning | ||
| Teaching Lang at Home/Abroad | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Communication in Soc Contexts | ||
| Additional Courses required for admission to graduate SLP programs | 10 | |
| Introduction to Statistics (MAT 118 also counts as CCC Math) | ||
| Intro to Sociology (SOC 101 and PSY 100 also count for CCC: Social Sciences) | ||
or PSY 100 | Introductory Psychology | |
| Lifespan Development | ||
or PSY 231 | Developmental Psychology | |
| Bio I: Cells and Bio I: Cells Lab (BIO 101 and BIO 101L also count as CCC Natural Science) | ||
| One of the following 2 courses with its corresponding lab 1 | 4 | |
| General Physics I | ||
or CHM 120 | General Chemistry I | |
| General Physics Laboratory I | ||
or CHM 120L | General Chemistry Lab I | |
| 25 SLP observation hours are also required 2 | ||
- 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.
- 2
Completing SLP observations hours may involve a minimal fee.
Free Electives
To be awarded a bachelor's degree at Saint Joseph's University, students must complete at least 120 total credits. As such, elective credits may be required in addition to Cornerstone Core Curriculum (CCC) and major requirements. Any credits necessary to reach at least 120 total credits outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives. Under the CCC, there are no fixed number of electives required. A student's total number of electives will vary based on major requirements, transfer credits, as well as math and language placement.