B.S. ED. In Communication Disorders and Sciences

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) provides a program that leads to a Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a major in Communication Disorders. This program is designed to introduce students to the field of speech-language pathology and to allow them to develop knowledge specific to intervention for individuals with communication disorders. The B.S. E.d. degree is a pre-professional degree.

The program goals for the undergraduate program are to provide undergraduate students an education in normal and disordered aspects of communication and to provide undergraduates with pre-professional training to prepare them to enter graduate programs in communicative disorders. The department of CSD helps students to develop fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for working with people of all ages having a wide range of speech, language, and hearing problems. The four-year curriculum includes coursework, observation, writing assignments, experiences, and normal and disordered aspects of speech, language, and hearing. The first two years of the curriculum emphasize general education while the last two years emphasize specialized coursework in CSD, observation, writing assignments, experiences, and elective coursework. With appropriate scheduling, students can obtain a minor in a related area.

The undergraduate curriculum has been specifically designed to prepare students for graduate study. This occurs because speech-language pathologists and audiologists must have a Master's Degree, pass a national test, and complete a Clinical Fellowship experience to be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) or to obtain a state license to practice speech-language pathology or audiology.  As such, students completing the requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in Communication Disorders are not eligible for state or national certification.

Curriculum

The Communication Sciences and Disorders program provides numerous opportunities for students to apply and practice knowledge and skills obtained in the classroom to individuals with a variety of communication disorders.  Students begin these experiences in the on-campus speech and hearing clinic during their first semester of graduate study under the close supervision of clinical faculty. The Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders is an accredited program in the area of speech-language pathology and is an approved program of the Professional Standards Commission of the state of Georgia.  Students earning the master's degree are eligible for a service certificate (S-5) and the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing (ASHA) Association which allows them to work in the public schools of Georgia, as well as hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and private practices. 

Students majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. All Communication Sciences and Disorders majors complete the core curriculum, Areas A-F, with area F being specific to Communication Sciences and Disorders. Upon being admitted to the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, students then follow a block schedule of their major classes during their junior and senior years. Upon graduation, they are eligible for the graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Prior to applying for the graduate program, students should complete 25 hours of guided observations. See the guided observation guidelines below.


Undergraduate Plan of Study
Guided Observation Guidelines