Program Description
Speech-language pathology and audiology are the professions which help adults and children overcome disabilities of speech, language, and/or hearing. These professions can satisfy a wide variety of career interests, including working in an allied medical profession, public service, government, education and private industry. Through research, these professions also contribute to our knowledge about human communication.
Many students select this degree program for professional training in speech-language pathology; others select this major because it seeks to develop student patterns of clear and logical thinking, planning, decision making and writing. Drawing from such academic disciplines as biology, psychology, sociology, linguistics, medicine, and the physical sciences, the program offers an interdisciplinary character that encourages and fosters an emphasis on acquiring the broad knowledge of a liberal arts general education, as well as developing expertise in a single discipline. Many of our undergraduate majors have used these attributes to successfully pursue careers other than speech-language pathology, and have gone on to fields of education, finance, business, and government services.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology will be able to:
- Complete foundational academic coursework in preparation for advanced professional training in speech-language pathology or related disciplines;
- Integrate knowledge from basic and behavioral sciences and humanities with contemporary theory and practice in speech-language pathology;
- Describe typical and atypical communicative development and behavior across the lifespan;
- Demonstrate skills in working collaboratively;
- Explain the importance of cultural competence, social justice, ethics, and advocacy in serving diverse individuals.
Career Opportunities
- Audiologist
- Communications Specialist
- Consultant
- Professor/Teacher
- Research Assistant
Features
The department operates the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, an on-campus facility that provides clinical services to speech-, language-, and hearing-impaired individuals from Bay Area Communities. Students who are enrolled in the program are able to observe, receive training, and do research in this fully-equipped facility. The program also maintains a fully equipped speech and hearing sciences laboratory for students who wish to pursue research interests.
The Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders offers the coursework required to qualify as a registered audiometrist in the public schools of the State of California.
The Bachelor of Science degree major in Speech-Language Pathology provides students with a background in theoretical and clinical areas fundamental to the understanding and management of communicative disorders and serves as the pre-professional training necessary for admission to graduate studies.
Other Degree Requirements
In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the second composition (ENGL 1002 ) requirement; the cultural groups/women requirement; the performing arts/activities requirement; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.
