Contact

Kathy Vander Werff, Department Chair
621 Skytop Road, Suite 1200
315-443-9637

Program Description

The Communication Sciences and Disorders, BS/Speech Language Pathology, MS program is designed for students to obtain a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the end of their senior year. The B.S. in communication sciences and disorders provides students with a broad education in human communication sciences and disorders. Students will participate in clinical experiences in the Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, and interested students will have the opportunity to participate in research in faculty laboratories.

The M.S. part of the program begins in the summer after the student completes the B.S. program and requires students to complete four graduate semesters (summer, fall, spring, summer). The M.S. program in Speech-Language Pathology at Syracuse University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech Language-Hearing Association. Graduates of the M.S. program may also fulfill the requirements for New York State teacher certification as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities.

While pursuing the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology students are prepared for a professional career in diagnosis and management of individuals with speech and language disorders. Students in speech-language pathology participate in a wide range of diagnostic and therapy experiences under the direct supervision of clinical faculty. Students typically obtain 75 hours of on-campus clinical practicum in the department’s Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic (50 hours for students who bring in 25 clock hours from their undergraduate program) before being assigned two off-site clinical experiences.  These off-site placements provide students with experience working in the field under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist. Placements include public schools, preschool programs, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, private clinics, and special education programs.

Completion of the master’s program provides students with the academic and practicum qualifications for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and for New York State licensure in speech-language pathology.

Consistent with the requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) described by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), students must complete the 375 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum (in addition to 25 hours of clinical observation) in the field of speech-language pathology during the master’s program.

Graduates of the BS/MS program also fulfill the requirements for New York State teacher certification as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities.

Accreditation

 The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Syracuse University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Student Learning Outcomes

B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders

1. Human Communication Process and Disorders: Identify the developmental norms for speech/language acquisition, the theoretical and scientific foundations of CSD, and general knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders.
2. Clinical Practices for Communication Disorders: Understand and explain the basic clinical process for the prevention, identification, evaluation, and remediation of communication disorders.
3. Critical Thinking: Apply critical thinking, problem solving, and logical reasoning skills to problems, issues, and/or clinical case studies in communication sciences and disorders.
4. Scientific Inquiry and Research Skills: Explain “evidence-based decision making” as a lifelong learning process in communication sciences and disorders.
5. Professional Communication Skills: Demonstrate effective professional written communication skills as they pertain to clinical topics and situations in communication sciences and disorders. Demonstrate effective spoken communication skills to explain and describe content and/or research knowledge as it pertains to topics in communication sciences and disorders.
6.  Ethics, Integrity, and Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Identify how individual, cultural, and linguistic differences influence speech, language, and hearing, and the disorders of communication that individuals may experience. Recognize and explain professional ethical principles in the fields of speech language pathology and audiology.

M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

1.  Foundations of Speech-Language Pathology Practice: Demonstrate knowledge of the discipline of human communication sciences and disorders; basic human communication and swallowing processes, including the appropriate biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic, and cultural bases; ability to integrate information pertaining to normal and abnormal human development across the life span; nature of communication and swallowing processes.
2.  Identification and/or Prevention of Communication and Swallowing Disorders and Differences: Demonstrate knowledge of principles and methods of identification of communication and swallowing disorders and differences, principles and methods of prevention of communication and swallowing disorders.
3.  Evaluation of Communication and Swallowing Disorders and Differences:  Demonstrate knowledge and skills in assessment across the lifespan for disorders and differences associated with articulation; fluency; voice and resonance, including respiration and phonation; receptive and expressive language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, prelinguistic communication, and paralinguistic communication) in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and manual modalities; hearing, including the impact on speech, language, and communication; swallowing (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, and related functions, including oral function for feeding; orofacial myology); cognitive aspects of communication (e.g., attention, memory, sequencing, problem solving, executive functioning); social aspects of communication (e.g., behavioral and social skills affecting communication); and augmentative and alternative communication needs.
4. Professional Practice in Speech-Language Pathology: Demonstrate knowledge and skills in working with individuals with the aforementioned communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan as evidenced by: ethical conduct; integration and application of knowledge of the interdependence of speech, language, and hearing; engagement in contemporary professional issues and advocacy; processes of clinical education and supervision; professionalism and professional behavior in keeping with the expectations for a speech-language pathologist; interaction skills and personal qualities, including counseling and collaboration; self-evaluation of effectiveness of practice.

Major Requirements

Students are formally admitted to the major after consulting a department advisor on a plan of study and successfully completing CSD 212 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders with a B- or better, or by petition.   

To be eligible to apply for the combined BS/MS Speech-Language Pathology 5-year program, a student must have an overall GPA of 3.7 after the Fall semester of the third year, and 24 CSD credits earned.

To complete the MS degree, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3. 0 or higher. Students with an academic GPA below 2. 6 at the end of their first semester in the program, or an academic or clinic GPA below 3. 0 at the end of the first academic year or in any subsequent semester, may be dismissed from the program. Additionally, clinic hours earned during a semester in which a student fails to achieve a passing grade in CSD 650 will not count toward the required 400 clinical hours.

Students in the NY Teaching Track in the MS SLP program must also earn a B- or better in ALL coursework for the class to count towards the program. Students who do not meet these criteria would not be eligible for NY teaching certification or must repeat the course to be eligible.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Curriculum
Students in the BS/MS program will complete the following undergraduate and graduate CSD courses.
CSD 212	Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders	3
CSD 315	Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms	3
CSD 316	Introduction to Applied Phonetics	3
CSD 325	Fundamentals of Hearing Sciences	3
CSD 345	Speech Science	3
CSD 409	Cognitive Neuroscience of Speech and Language	3
CSD 422	Development of Speech and Language	3
CSD 427	Speech and Language Disorders in Children	3
CSD 429	Basic Clinical Audiology	3
CSD 435	Aural Rehabilitation	3
CSD 450	Clinical/Classroom Practicum *	1
CSD 451	Clinical Methods in Speech-Language Pathology	3
CSD 477	Speech-Language Pathology in School Settings	3
CSD 600	Selected Topics	1-6
CSD 612	Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Disorders	1
CSD 618	Dysphagia	3
CSD 623	Language Disorders of Early Childhood	3
CSD 624	Clinical Techniques - Language Disabilities of Early Childhood	1
CSD 625	Stuttering	3
CSD 638	Speech Sound Disorders	3
CSD 646	Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems	2
CSD 650	Clinical Classroom Practicum **	0-4
CSD 657	Voice Disorders	3
CSD 659	Fundamentals of Evidence-based Practice in the Professions of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology	1
CSD 726	Neurogenic Communication Disorders I	3
CSD 727	Neurogenic Communication Disorders II	3
CSD 731	Language Disorders in School-Age Children	3
CSD 732	Clinical Techniques - Language Disabilities of School Age Children	1
EED 640	Participation in the Professional Development School	0-1
*CSD 450 is taken 5 times for 1 credit each.
**CSD 650 is taken 5 times for a total of 10 credits.
Non CSD Courses
Select one course from each of the four lists below. Other courses may also meet these requirements, with approval.		12-13
Statistics
MAT 121	Probability and Statistics for the Liberal Arts I
MAT 221	Elementary Probability and Statistics I
PSY 252	Statistical Methods II
Physical Science
CHE 106	General Chemistry Lecture I
CHE 107	General Chemistry Laboratory I
PHY 101	Major Concepts of Physics I
PHY 211	General Physics I
Biological Science
BIO 121	General Biology I
BIO 211	Introduction to Neuroscience
Behavioral Science
ANT 111	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANT 121	Peoples and Cultures of the World
PSY 205	Foundations of Human Behavior
PSY 209	Foundations of Human Behavior/ Honors Section
PSY 374	Social Psychology
PSY 335	Psychology of Childhood
PSY 336	Psychology of the Adolescent
PSY 337	Psychology of Adult Life: Maturity and Old Age
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 102	Social Problems
SOC 248	Racial and Ethnic Inequalities
SOC 281	Sociology of Families
HFS 664	Aging and Society
Electives
Select three credits of electives, including any of the following combination:		3
Any CSD 600 Selected Topics courses (1-3 credits each)
CSD 626	Sociocultural Bases for Communication
CSD 690	Independent Study (1-3 credits)
CSD 799	Independent Research in Speech Pathology or Audiology
Non-CSD courses as approved by the department
Total Credits		83-94

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements 

For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.

Dual Enrollments:

Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.

*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.

Undergraduate University Requirements

The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.

• ​IDEA Course Requirement 
• First Year Seminar