Overview
The Penn State Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is very highly regarded as a national leader in training health care professionals in the areas of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists provide intervention, diagnostic, and therapeutic services to children and adults having speech, language and/or hearing disorders; they work in a variety of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and public schools.
A bachelor of science degree in 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 course work, observation, writing assignments, experiences, and normal and disordered aspects of speech, language, and hearing. The first two years of the curriculum emphasize general education and CSD introductory course work while the last two years emphasize specialized course work in CSD, observation, writing assignments, experiences, and elective course work. With appropriate scheduling, students can obtain a minor in a related area.
An undergraduate degree in CSD enables students to develop fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for habilitating and rehabilitating persons of all ages having a wide range of speech, language, and hearing problems. 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 Year 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 CSD are not eligible for a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Instructional Level I Teacher Certificate in Speech-Language Impaired.