Communicative Disorders
Undergraduate Program in Communicative Disorders (CD)
The Bachelor's degree program in communicative disorders is designed to provide students a solid foundation for graduate and or professional programs in speech language pathology, audiology, or other fields.
Undergraduate majors should be aware of the following:
- If your goal is to become a certified Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist, keep in mind that you must complete a graduate degree.
- At present, a cumulative GPA of 2.0 is the minimum required for admission to the program at the upper division level. This helps to assure that the student will have an upper division GPA of at least 3.0 which is the minimum requirement for most graduate programs in the field.
- During your freshman and sophomore years, you will see the college advisors, Melissa Jones or Wanda Washington, both of whom are located in room G205 in the HPNP complex. You may reach Ms. Jones or Ms. Washington at 273-6400.
- There are two Undergraduate Coordinators, if your last name starts with A - M your Undergraduate Coordinator will be Mrs. Betsy Vinson, Office: Dauer Hall Room 464.
If your last name starts with N - Z your Undergraduate Coordinator is Dr. Scott Griffiths, Office: Dauer Hall Room 339. - Once you have been admitted to the College and to the program, you must set up an appointment with your undergraduate coordinator from above, they will also be your academic advisor.
Links:
- Course of study
- Tracking sheet for Juniors and Sophmores
- Tracking sheet for Seniors
- About the professions
- The minor in CD (Contact Dr. Griffiths for more information)
- Taking a graduate course as an undergraduate student (Contact Dr. Griffiths for more information)
- Undergraduate FAQs
- CD Academic Learning Compact
Course of Study:
Freshman and Sophomore Years:
- General Education Requirements:
6 Credits in Mathematics (STA 2023 counts as 3 of these)
6 Credits in Composition
9 Credits in Humanities
9 Credits in Social and Behavioral Science
6 Credits in Biological Science
3 Credits in Physical Science
1 Science Lab
3 Credits in International
3 Credits in Diversity (EEX 3312 will satisfy this)
- PSY 2012
- STA 2023
- COM 1000 or SPC 2600 or SPC 2300
- LIN 2210
- Lower level electives
Junior and Senior Years:
- Major Coursework:
SPA 3011 Speech Acoustics
SPA 3101 Speech Anatomy and Physiology
SPA 3032 Fundamentals of Hearing
SPA 4004 Language Development
SPA 4104 Neural Bases of Communication
SPA 4250 Intro to Speech Disorders (pre-reqs: LIN 2210 & SPA 3101)
SPA 4400 Intro to Language Disorders (pre-req: SPA 4004)
SPA 4302 Audiometry and Hearing Disorders (pre-req: SPA 3032)
SPA 4321 Audiologic Rehabilitation
SPA 4050 Observation Lab
- ENC 3254
- EEX 3312
- PHC 4101
- Upper level electives
Suggested Electives:
ANT 4464 Culture and Aging
APB 3203 Human Physiology
CGS 3063 Computers and Modern Society
CIS 3020 Introduction to CIS
CLP 3144 Abnormal Psychology
COP 3110 Introduction to Computer Programming
DEP 3053 Developmental Psychology
DEP 4115 Infant Psychology
DEP 4305 Adolescent Psychology
DEP 4404 Psychology of Aging
EAB 3002 Introduction to Behavior Analysis
EAB 3764 Applications in Behavior Modification & Behavior Therapy
EGC 3935 Special Topics: Mental Health and Aging
ENC 3213 Technical Writing and Business Communication
EXP 3604 Cognitive Psychology
GEY 4930 Special Topics in Gerontology: Issues and Concepts
HSC 3134 Education for Emotional Health and Health Counselling
HSC 3532 Health and Medical Terminology
LIN 2000 Language and People
LIN 2001 Language: Social Science Perspective
LIN 3010 Introduction to Linguistics
LIN 3201 The Sounds of Human Language
LIN 3460 Traditional Grammars
PSB 3004 Physiological Psychology
SPC 2300 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
SPC 2600 Intro to Public Speaking
SYO 3410 Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
SYP 4730 Sociology of Aging and Life Cour
About the Professions:
What is an Audiologist? from the American Academy of Audiology
Speech-Language Disorders and the Speech-Language Pathologist from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Requirements for licensure and certification in:
Audiology
Requirements for Florida Licensure:
- Doctoral degree with a major emphasis in audiology
- Applicants who earned a doctoral degree from an approved program conferred before January 1, 2008, must complete sixty (60) semester hours, of which twenty-four (24) semester hours must be in audiology
- Applicants who earned a doctoral degree from an approved program conferred after January 1, 2008, must complete seventy-five (75) semester hours
- 300 clock hours supervised experience with at least 200 of the 300 hours in the area of audiology
- Eleven (11) months professional employment experience.
- Every applicant for licensure as an audiologist with a masters degree conferred before January 1, 2008, shall document that prior to licensure, the applicant completed one year clinical work experience
- Passage of the Educational Testing Services Praxis Series Examination
- One (1) hour of HIV/AIDS
- Two (2) hours in Prevention of Medical Errors
- ABA certification
- ASHA certification
Speech-Language Pathology
Requirements for Florida licensure:
- Masters degree or completion of the academic requirements of a doctoral program, with a major emphasis in speech-language pathology
- Applicants enrolled in an approved program prior to January 5, 2005, must complete a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours at least thirty-six (36) hours must be earned in graduate level courses.
- Applicants enrolled in an approved program after January 5, 2005, must complete a minimum of seventy-five (75) semester hours at least thirty-six (36) hours earned at the graduate level
- 300 clock hours supervised experience with at least 200 of the 300 hours in the area of speech-language pathology
- Nine (9) months of professional employment experience
- Passage of the Educational Testing Services Praxis Series Examination
- One (1) hour of HIV/AIDS
- Two (2) hours in Prevention of Medical Errors
- ASHA certification
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO UNDERGRAD ADVISING
Q: What are the prerequisites for entering the major?
A: You must have completed PSY 2012 and STA 2023 and also need to have completed one of the following three courses: COM 1000 or SPC 2600 or SPC 2300 to be eligible for enrollment in the major.
Q: What courses do I need to take to fulfill my major requirements?
A: See course of study listed above.
Q: What if I can't get into a class?
A: Class size is determined by two factors. One is the department cap which is set by the professor of the course. The other is the room size which is determined by the university. If a class size is at the department cap and the professor agrees, your advisor can enroll you in a course. If the class is at the room cap, you will need to wait until another semester to take the course.
Q: Who is my advisor?
A: If you are a freshman or a sophomore, you need to go to the PHHP advisors (Wanda Washington and Melissa Jones). They are located in the PHHP student services center which is housed in G205 HPNP Complex. You can call 273-6400 to set up an appointment.
If you are a junior or senior already in the major, your advisor is Betsy Vinson, M.Med.Sc., if your last name begins with A-M, and Scott Griffiths, Ph.D. if your last name begins with N-Z. Mrs. Vinson is located in 464 Dauer Hall, and Dr. Griffiths is in 339 Dauer Hall. Advising hours are posted outside their office doors.
Q: What if I am in my last semester and can't get into a course?
A: With instructor permission, you can sign up for the class as an independent study. However, do not rely on this option as these seats are typically limited to no more than 2 per course.
Q: Can I take graduate level courses as an undergraduate?
A: Yes. Certain graduate courses may be taken by seniors who have completed the related undergraduate courses with a grade of A or A- and have gained departmental approval. Students may apply for approval to take a graduate course through their undergraduate advisor. These applications must include an essay describing why they feel prepared for the course and what they hope to gain from it. Undergraduate enrollment in any single section of a graduate course is capped at 10%. Please note that Bright Futures or Florida Prepaid will still pay the undergraduate rate for the graduate course.
Graduate Course |
Semester Offered |
Prerequisite Undergraduate Courses |
SPA 5102 Auditory A & P |
Fall |
SPA 3032, SPA 4302 |
SPA 5304 Principles of Audiologic Evaluation |
Fall |
SPA 3032, SPA 4302 |
SPA 6305 Pediatric Audiology |
Spring |
SPA 3032, SPA 4302, SPA 4321 |
SPA 5204 Phonological Disorders |
Spring |
LIN 2210, SPA 3101, SPA 4250 |
SPA 5225 Speech Pathology- Stuttering |
Fall |
SPA 3101, SPA 4250 |
SPA 5401 Speech Pathology- Language disorders 1 |
Fall |
SPA 4400 |
Q: What is meant by, "The Bachelor's degree is a pre-professional degree?"
A: The entry-level degree for the audiology profession is the AuD degree, and the entry level degree of speech-language pathology is the Master's degree. However, an undergraduate major in communicative disorders is also an excellent foundation for other majors as well. CSD majors have gone on to graduate and professional schools in medicine, nursing, law, psychology, education, rehab counseling, and engineering, as well as others.
Q: How do I apply for graduate school at the University of Florida?
A: All application materials can be found on our department's web site. The deadline for admission is February 1 of the year for which you are seeking August admission. We only admit classes in the Fall semester.
Q: What are the requirements to be certified and licensed as a speech-language pathologist?
A: In order to be certified to practice as a speech-language pathologist by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, an individual must earn a Master's degree with an emphasis in speech-language pathology, complete a 9-month Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) after graduation with the Master's degree, and pass a national examination. The CFY is 9 months of full-time employment under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist.
State licensure varies from state to state, so you should check the requirements of the state in which you plan to practice. Most states accept ASHA certification as qualifications for licensure, but others may require an additional test and/or experience. You will need to get a provisional license in order to do your CFY. The Master's degree is required in order to get the provisional license.
Q: What are the requirements to be certified and licensed as an audiologist?
A: In order to be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to practice as an audiologist, an individual must earn a Master's degree with an emphasis in audiology, complete a 9-month Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY; 9 months of full-time employment) as partial fulfillment of the AuD degree, and pass a national examination.
State licensure varies from state to state, so you should check the requirements of the state in which you plan to practice. Most states accept ASHA certification as qualifications for licensure, but others may require an additional test and/or experience. You will need to get a provisional license in order to do your CFY.
Q: I can't afford to go straight to graduate school. What can I do with my Bachelor's degree?
A: Some states will license assistants in SLP or audiology for individuals with a Bachelor's degree in communicative disorders or related field.
Q: I've heard I can work as a speech-language therapist in the public schools with my Bachelor's degree. Is that true?
A: This varies by district. However, the practice is strongly discouraged at the state and national level because individuals with a Bachelor's degree have little or no experience and only have introductory coursework which is not sufficient for making clinical decisions. IF you are hired to work in the schools, you have 5 years in which to get admitted to a Master's program, and 2 additional years to complete the Master's degree. Failure to comply with these regulations results in loss of the job.
Q: I am currently a senior and will graduate by August of 2010. Am I under the new college requirements or the old ones?
A: Students who will graduate by August of 2010 are still under the requirements of the College of Liberal arts and sciences (CLAS). There are no additional courses required for the students, and there are no pre-existing requirements being removed. Your major coursework, general education, and elective requirements will not change.
Q: I am currently a junior in CSD, and will graduate after August of 2010. How will my course requirements change?
A: The only changes to the course requirements for our current majors graduating after August of 2010 include: 1) the addition of PHC 4101 Public Health Concepts, 2) the removal of the foreign language requirement and 3) the removal of the CLAS 18-hour elective requirement.
Q: I'm currently in another major and would like to change to major in communicative disorders. How do I go about changing my major to communicative disorders?
A: At present, communicative disorders is not accepting requests to transfer into the major. This is because we are attempting to accommodate current majors while simultaneously updating the undergraduate curriculum to reflect our position in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. In the future, we expect to be able to accept students seeking to change majors. Check back with this website or with our departmental advisors regularly for new information.
Q: I would like to add communicative disorders as my second major. How do I do that?
A: We also plan to accept double majors again soon. The form to apply for a double major may be found here for double majors within a college, and here for those in two different colleges (dual degree program).
Q: I would like to minor in communicative disorders. Is that possible?
A: At present, communicative disorders is not accepting requests to transfer into the major. This is because we are attempting to accommodate current majors while simultaneously updating the undergraduate curriculum to reflect our position in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. In the future, we expect to be able to accept students seeking to change majors. The form to add a minor may be found here. Check back with this website or with our departmental advisors regularly for new information.