Audiology and Speech Pathology

Audiology (Au.D.)

The Au.D. curriculum is a four year clinical program. Its primary objective is to produce audiologists who are competent to perform the wide array of diagnostic, remedial, and other services associated with the practice of audiology. The Au.D. places major emphasis on clinical training and the practical application of research, theory, and technology into clinical practice.

The first two years of the program emphasize didactic instruction and laboratory class work combining theory, practicality and emerging technology. The emphasis in the final two years is on combining the theory and clinical learning experiences. The fourth year is a full year externship with monitoring and advisement by the faculty and staff. Both academic and practicum experience focus on the prevention, identification, evaluation and treatment of individuals with disorders of auditory, balance, communication and related systems.

The program includes academic and clinical training in diagnosis, amplification, electrophysiological testing, aural rehabilitation, educational audiology, assistive devices, cochlear implants, industrial audiology, and private practice. The program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and upon graduation, the individual is eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competence issued by the Council for Clinical Certification of the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association. The graduate also meets all requirements for licensure by the Pennsylvania State Board of Examiners in Speech, Language and Hearing.

Requirements

Recommendation form for admission to audiology program.

Speech Pathology (M.S.)

The graduate program in speech pathology prepares students for clinical practice with a variety of communication disorders and in a variety of clinical settings. The program is heavily based on clinical experience both in our in-house clinic and culminating with a full semester of externship practicum in a clinic, hospital and/or school setting.

The graduate speech-language pathology program provides a comprehensive curriculum that prepares the graduate for work in a wide variety of professional settings. In addition to courses typically offered, Bloomsburg has separate course in augmentative communication, swallowing disorders, traumatic brain injury and both a preschool and school-age language course. Over the past seven years, 100 percent of the graduates have passed the National Examination in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Graduates of the master's degree program in speech pathology are eligible for certification in Teaching Speech to Language-Impaired Students granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Pathology issued by the Council for Clinical Certification of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensure in speech pathology issued by the Pennsylvania State Board of Examiners for Speech, Language and Hearing.

Admission. In addition to meeting the general admission requirements for the School of Graduate Studies, applicants for the master's degree program in speech pathology must meet the following requirements:

Applicants are required to submit a one-page, typed letter detailing their professional background, experience and rationale for wanting to be admitted to the program in speech pathology.

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation from references who have knowledge of their academic and/or clinical background. This information must include the name, address, position and telephone number of each reference.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a major in communication disorders and a minimum QPA of 2.8. Applicants must provide up-to-date transcripts. If a student is still completing undergraduate course work, they must indicate (a) the name/titles of the courses being completed, and (b) the expected date of completion. Applicants whose major is in an area other than communication disorders will be required to satisfactorily complete certain academic and practicum deficiencies. These will be prescribed by faculty following analysis of the individual's transcript.

The Graduate Record Examination is required of all applicants. Typically, successful students have had scores of at least Verbal, 500; Quantitative, 500; Analytical writing, 4.5

Deadline for submission of application materials is February 15

Retention. Graduate students must maintain a QPA of 3.0 with no more than two Cs throughout the graduate program. If a grade of C is earned in the final clinic course (Clinic III), the course must be repeated. To progress in graduate school, students must maintain adequate academic standing and adhere to the department suitability clause.

Graduation. The graduate program in speech pathology consists of a minimum of 55 semester hours with most courses being required. Clinical experience is considered necessary and inseparable from the existing course sequence. It becomes an important step in the development of a competent clinician, linking theory with clinical experience, and preparing for certification and eventual employment in the field.

Required Courses

72.550 Aphasia

72.552 Language Disorders in Preschool Children

72.554 Fluency Disorders

72.556 Disorders of Phonology and Articulation

72.558 Clinical Practicum and Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology I

72.560 Voice Disorders

72.562 Language Disorders in School-aged Children

72.564 Craniofacial Disorders

72.565 Motor Speech Disorders

72.566 Clinical Practicum and Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology II

72.570 Cognitive Based Language Disorders

72.572 Augmentative and Alternative Communication

72.574 Clinical Instrumentation in Speech Pathology

72.576 Clinical Practicum and Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology III

72.581 Swallowing I: Anatomy, Physiology, Disorders

72.582 Research in Speech and Language Pathology

72.583 Swallowing II: Assessment and Management

72.584 Field Experience in Speech Language Pathology I

72.586 Field Experience in Speech Language Pathology II

Thesis Option

72.599 Master's Thesis

The thesis may substitute for six credits of required coursework. Courses that may not be substituted include 72.582, 72.558, 72.566, 72.576, 72.584, and 72.586 The substitution of a thesis for six credits of academic coursework will have no effect on the content or credit requirement for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association certification.

Speech/Language Pathology Faculty and Clinical Staff

Shaheen Awan, Ph.D., professor; Voice, research, speech science.

Dianne H. Angelo, Ph.D., professor; Clinic, clinical methods, augmentative communication

Robert J. Lowe, Ph.D., professor; Phonology, phonetics

J. Joneen Lowman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor of Speech Pathology

Pamela A. Smith, Ph.D., asst professor; Traumatic brain injury, aphasia, orofacial disorders of speech.

Sharon Blake, M.S., CCC-SLP Clinical Staff

Peggy Snyder, M.S., CCC-SLP Clinical Staff

Marianne Turosky, M.S., CCC-SLP Clinical Staff

Recommendation form for admission to Speech Pathology MS program(pdf)