UWM Undergraduate Catalog 2008-09

College of Health Sciences

Communication Sciences and Disorders

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Courses: Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a Bachelor of Science degree which provides the preprofessional foundation for graduate study. The student who plans to become a professional speech-language pathologist or audiologist will receive preparation in human communication sciences and disorders as well as a broad educational experience in the liberal arts and sciences.

A career as a speech-language pathologist requires a master’s degree. The Department offers a graduate program which is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in Speech-Language Pathology. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction also has approved the undergraduate/graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders. A career as an audiologist requires a doctoral degree (Au.D. or Doctor of Audiology). In Wisconsin, an Au.D. consortial program is offered by UW-Madison and UW-Stevens Point.

Admission to the Major. To be accepted as a communication sciences and disorders major you must have:

1. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in at least the first 58 credits taken.

2. A GPA of 2.75 or better in communication sciences and disorders courses 220, 230 and 240, earned the first time.

3. English and math competency.

4. Completion of an application form for admission to the major. Applications are available in the Student Affairs Office, Merrill Hall 115.

5. Endorsement by the faculty of the student’s written application. Students will receive written notice of the admission decision. A meeting with your advisor to discuss the program of study is required immediately following admission to the major.

Appeal Procedures. Students who are refused admission to the major may appeal the decision by writing to the department chairperson and enumerating the reasons they believe their case is exceptional and merits additional consideration. If possible, the appeal should be accompanied by written support from one or more of the faculty, and should include documentation of any extenuating circumstances cited in support of the appeal. A committee composed of the entire faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will consider individual student appeals for admission to the major. Students are notified in writing of the faculty’s decision concerning the appeal.

Academic Advising. Advising for all undergraduate students is provided by the Student Affairs Office, Merrill 115, and students are strongly encouraged to confer with that advisor at least once each semester. Students are also encouraged to meet with a Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty member to discuss the requirements and challenges of a career as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Seniors should meet with their advisor to review their final year of study and discuss opportunities for graduate study.

Degree Requirements. Students must achieve the following:

1. Satisfactory completion of 128 credits.

2. Satisfactory completion of the required courses in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, those required outside the department, and the specific courses and/or experiences required by either the School Track or Health Care Track.

3. Satisfactory completion of the University General Education Requirements.

4. A cumulative 2.5 GPA or better in all credits earned at UWM. Because a master’s degree is required for professional practice as a speech-language pathologist, it is recommended that students maintain a GPA greater than 3.0 to be competitive with other Graduate School applicants.

5. Completion of the last 30 credits in residence at UWM.

Any variations from the required curriculum must be approved in writing by the undergraduate program coordinator. Students may request changes to degree requirements by processing a Program Change Request Form which is available in the Student Affairs Office, Merrill 115.

Course of Study. The undergraduate preprofessional curriculum emphasizes the study of the anatomical, physical, physiological, and psychological bases of speech, language and hearing. Undergraduate courses offer students a survey of communication disorders, as well as an opportunity for clinical observation and direct management of patients with communication disorders.

Three educational options are available: (1) the Health Care Track for professional practice in a medical or rehabilitation facility, (2) the School Track for students interested in employment in a school setting, and (3) the option of completing both tracks for students who want preparation for employment in both settings.

Students working toward eventual professional certification in speech-language pathology will need transcript credit (including coursework, advanced placement credit, CLEP, or examination of equivalency) in each of the followig areas: biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and mathematics. This is required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for certification candidates. A 3-credit course in each of these areas is advised. The department requires a course in statistics prior to matriculation into the graduate program. This course is acceptable as fulfillment of ASHA's mathematics requirement.

Departmental clinical facilities include the (1) Speech and Language Clinic, where students gain practical experience in evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of individuals with communication disabilities; (2) a community audiology clinic (Community Audiology Services); and (3) laboratories for additional study of stuttering and fluency, alternative and augmentative communication, speech acoustics, speech physiology, dysphasia, and child language.

Additional details about the major, including a recommended four-year course sequence, may be found in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program description, available in the Student Affairs Office, Merrill 115.

Required Courses For Both Health Care and School Tracks

Communication Sciences and Disorders Courses		47 cr.
ComSDis 210	Survey of Communication Disorders	3
ComSDis 220	Anatomy and Physiology of Speech, Hearing, and Language Mechanisms	4
ComSDis 230	Introduction to Phonetics	4
ComSDis 240	Normal Speech and Language Development	3
ComSDis 245	Client Diversity in Health Sciences	3
ComSDis 350	Clinical Process I: Articulation and Phonology Disorders	3
ComSDis 351	Clinical Process II: Child Language Disorders	3
ComSDis 380	Bases of Hearing Science	3
ComSDis 450	Bases of Fluency and Voice Disorders	3
ComSDis 460	Survey of Adult Neurogenic Language and Speech Disorders	3
ComSDis 470	Introduction to Audiology	3
ComSDis 480	Speech Science	3
ComSDis 490	Aural Rehabilitation	3
ComSDis 500	Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology I	3
ComSDis 520	Counseling in Communication Disorders	3

Extra-Departmental Courses

39-41 cr.

Commun 101	Introduction to Communication	3
Anthro 102	Introduction to Anthropology: Culture and Society	3
or
Sociol 101	Introduction to Sociology	3
Psych 101	Introduction to Psychology	3
HCA 102	Health Care Delivery in the U.S.	3
Physics 107	Physics in Everyday Life	3
or
Physics 110	Physics for the Health Professions	3
Bio Sci 202	Anatomy and Physiology I	4
HMS 270	Statistics in the Health Professions: Theory and Practice	3
or
Psych 210	Psychological Statistics	4
or
Ed Psy 624	Educational Statistical Methods I	3
HCA 224	Introduction to Microcomputers for Allied Health Professions	3
Psych 260	Child Psychology	3
Linguis 350	Introduction to Linguistics	3
HCA 250	Allied Health Information Methods	2
or
English 207	Health Science Writing	3
or
English 205	Business Writing	3
ExcEduc 600	Survey of Exceptional Education	3
or
ExcEduc 300	The Exceptional Individual	3
HCA 222	Language of Medicine	3

Requirements for Health Care Track

Other Required Courses

12 cr.

Psych 254	Physiological Psychology	3
HCA 203	Human Life Cycle	3

Two additional courses, to be selected with the help of your advisor

Requirements for School Track

Other Required Courses

12 cr.

Ed Pol 375	Cultural Foundations of Education	3
or
Ed Pol 500	Social Issues and Education	3
or
Ed Pol 505	Sociology and Education	3
or
Ed Pol 530	Urban Education: Foundations	3
or
Ed Pol 540	Modern Philosophies of Education	3
or
Ed Pol 650	History of American Education	3
Ed Psy 330	Introduction to Learning and Development	3
CurrIns 343	Teaching of Reading (ExcEduc sec)	3
or
CurrIns 643	Teaching Reading in the Elementary School from a Whole Language Perspective	3
Hist 263	North American Indian History Since 1887	3
or
Ethnic 203	Western Great Lakes American Indian Community Life of the Past	3

General education requirements beyond the University General Education Requirements (GER) are as follows: 3 credits in fine arts, 3 credits in Humanities, 3 credits in Natural Science, 3 credits in Social Science.

A listing of courses that may be used to satisfy these general education requirements (beyond those required for the GER) are found in the Schedule of Classes. NOTE: Courses used to satisfy the General Education Distribution Requirement or courses used for your program may be used to satisfy these requirements.

Human Relations Certification Requirement. This requirement is met with course work, classroom experience, and a mandatory meeting with the Human Relations Advisor in the Advising and Academic Services Office, Enderis 213, during the graduate program.

*As of the publication date of this catalog, it is anticipated that these will be the required courses for the major. However, please contact the CHS Advising Office for the most up-to-date curricular information.

Courses

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Web Home Pages:
[ College of Health Sciences ]
[ Communication Sciences and Disorders ]

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