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Communication Sciences and Disorders Major, B.A.A.; B.S.

B.A.A. degree or B.S. degree 

Completion of this major will provide a student with a background in communication sciences and disorders and a foundation for application to graduate school in speech-language pathology or audiology. Students will learn about the development and use of speech, language, and hearing, and learn fundamentals of assessing and managing communication disorders. Students who major in communication sciences and disorders will complete a core of undergraduate courses and demonstrate the attributes and meet the expectations listed in the technical standards for CSD major program. Near the end of the four years of undergraduate education, students may apply to a master’s degree program in speech-language pathology (SLP), or a professional doctorate degree program in audiology (Au.D.).

With the exception of CSD 494, courses taken Credit/No Credit do not count toward a major.

Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards

Admission Requirements

Admission to the CSD major is a competitive process in which a student’s academic performance in the five pre admission major courses is evaluated. The average five-course GPA for admission to the major is 3.70. The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) accepts approximately 40 students into the CSD major each fall and spring semester. Generally, 40-50 students apply for admission to the major in each round. To apply to the CSD major, a student must complete an Application for Admission to the Undergraduate CSD Major and submit it to the department no later than November 15 for spring admission or April 15 for fall admission. Students can be enrolled in and completing CSD prerequisite courses at the time of application. Admission decisions are made by CSD faculty at the end of each semester, after final grades have been posted.

To be considered for admission a student must meet the following criteria:

  1. An overall GPA of 2.50 or higher.
  2. A CSD GPA of 3.00 or higher AND a grade of C or better in each of the CSD preadmission major courses (CSD 230, CSD 278, CSD 330, CSD 331, and CSD 335). Students may retake any of these first five courses one time only. (See Item 5 below regarding an appeal.) Students may not register for CSD courses higher than 335 without acceptance into the major.
  3. Completion of at least 40 semester hours of college coursework.

Retention & Termination Standards

  1. Students must adhere to the Essential Functions and Technical Standards for Admission and Continued Enrollment in the CSD Major. This document can be accessed at: https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/CHP/hp_academics/communications_disorders/academic_programs/Pages/default.aspx.
  2. Students must maintain a major GPA of 3.00 or higher.
  3. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each major course.
  4. Students must select courses in consultation with an advisor.
  5. Students will not be allowed to retake any course on the CSD major beyond CSD 335. Under extraordinary circumstances, students may request an exception to this policy through a written appeal to the CSD Department chairperson, elaborating on his or her rationale for exception to this no-repeat policy.
  6. Students must complete a speech-language-hearing screening.
  7. If a student’s overall GPA drops below 2.50, he or she will be encouraged to take courses outside the department until the overall GPA is brought back up to 2.50 or higher.
  8. If a student does not continue to meet the Admission/Retention criteria, he or she may be asked to withdraw from the major. The Department maintains the right to terminate a student from the major if he or she is not progressing satisfactorily.

Program Requirements

Required Courses (43 hours)

CSD 230Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Disabilities/Differences

3(3-0)
CSD 278Normal Speech Developmental/Descriptive Phonetics

3(3-0)
CSD 330Language Development

3(3-0)
CSD 331Introduction to Audiology

3(3-0)
CSD 335The Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing

3(3-0)
CSD 338Introduction to Speech Sound Disorders

3(3-0)
CSD 340Child Language Assessment and Intervention

3(3-0)
CSD 417Introduction to Adult Communication Disorders

3(3-0)
CSD 431Audiologic Rehabilitation

3(3-0)
CSD 439Diagnostic and Intervention Methods in Speech Language Pathology

3(3-0)
CSD 463Introduction to Acoustic Phonetics

3(3-0)
CSD 494Mentored Practicum in Communication Disorders

4(2-4)
CSD 525Research Design in Communication Disorders

3(3-0)
CSD 551Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Clinical Focus

3(3-0)

Total: 43 hours

Additional requirements for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) clinical certification:

  1. Completion of an accredited master’s in speech-language pathology or a doctoral degree in audiology.
  2. Completion of the academic and clinical requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence as delineated on ASHA’s Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) form.
  3. A course in each of the following areas:
    1. Statistics
    2. Biology
    3. Physical Science, chosen from Chemistry or Physics
    4. Social/Behavioral Sciences

For details, see the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders in the Graduate Bulletin.