Masters Program - Communication Disorders



	Communication Disorders Department of Communication Sciences



		Communication Disorders Faculty and Staff Contact Information Undergraduate Program Admissions Speech Language Pathology
		Masters PhD Audiology AuD PhD AuD/PhD Speech and Hearing Clinic General Clinic Information Facilities and Laboratories Students Observation Materials AuD Externship Materials Clinical Practicum Materials Course Offerings

Masters Degree Program

General Information

The Communication Disorders Division offers curricula leading to a Master of Arts degree in Speech, Language and Hearing and the General Program. The program is completed in two years (for students with a Bachelors degree in Communication Disorders) or three years (for students with a Bachelors degree in an area other than Communication Disorders) . Once admitted to the program, students choose either the thesis or non-thesis option in the Speech, Language and Hearing programs. The General Program requires a thesis. The M.A. program in speech-language pathology leads to clinical certification and is accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association's (ASHA) Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). The General Program is designed for students interested in speech, language, and hearing processes and their disorders, but not planning a career as certified clinicians.

Pre-professional Background

Students are expected to have course work related to the field of speech-language pathology including math/statistics, the biological sciences, the physical sciences, and the social sciences prior to entrance into the graduate program. Students admitted to the three year program are required to complete the pre-professional course work. The pre-professional background introduces incoming students to the field of communication disorders and provides basic knowledge necessary for graduate study. Students with no previous courses in communication disorders must complete the pre-professional background and typically take a year to do so. Courses taken as part of the pre-professional background include: Speech Science (CDIS 3201), Speech and Language Acquisition (CDIS 3202), Phonetics (CDIS 3247), Structure and Function of the Hearing Mechanism (CDIS 3250), Neurogenic Communication Disorders (CDIS 4244), Introduction to Audiology (CDIS 4248), Articulation, Voice, and Fluency Disorders (CDIS 4251), and Language Pathologies in Children (CDIS 4253). Students who already have a background in communication disorders may be required to complete only a portion of the courses, or none at all, depending on the extent and nature of their background. The determination of this need is made by the advisor(s) at the time of registration.

Knowledge and Skills for Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) in Speech Language Pathology

The M.A. program in speech and language allows students to meet all academic and clinical practicum requirements for the ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competency and the State of Connecticut's requirements for licensure in speech-language pathology. The certification program typically requires two years of full-time graduate study beyond the pre-professional background. According to the Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC), students must obtain and demonstrate knowledge and skills in eight standard content areas: Math/Science (Standard III-A), Basic Human Communication and Swallowing (Standard III-B), Communication Disorders (Standard III-C/D), Ethical Conduct (Standard III-E), Research and Research Integration (Standard III-F), Contemporary Professional Issues (Standard III-G), Professional Credentials (Standard III-H), and Oral and Written Skills (Standard IV-B). The standards for knowledge and skills are achieved through the completion of a minimum of 75 credit hours of course work in these eight content areas. The credit hours may be obtained through courses taken at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition, students must obtain a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum. At least 375 hours must be in direct client/patient contact and 25 hours in clinical observation (325 hours must be earned during enrollment in the graduate program). An intensive summer session of supervised clinical experience between the first and second year is required for completing the clinical clock hours requirement of the certification program.

Clinical Practicum

At the University of Connecticut a minimum of 25 observation hours are required prior to beginning your clinical practicum assignments in speech-language pathology. These observations cover a range of communication disorders and clinical services provided in speech-language pathology. They must be obtained under the direct supervision of qualified supervisors who hold current ASHA certification in the appropriate area and who are approved by the Department’s Clinical Practicum Committee.

Clinical practicum at the University of Connecticut provides students with a wide variety of clinical experiences at the graduate level. Students are scheduled for clinical practicum only when the requirements for academic preparation and observation have been satisfied. Occasionally this sequence may be adjusted so that clinical experiences may be scheduled concurrently with the required academic study. The first 25 earned clinical clock hours of practicum must be obtained under the direct supervision of qualified supervisors at the University of Connecticut Speech and Hearing Clinic and/or its contracted sites. In addition to their initial experiences in the university clinic, students are assigned to a minimum of two off-campus clinical sites during their graduate program. These include settings such as hospitals, private practice, schools, early intervention sites, and rehabilitation centers.

Description of M.A. Curricula

I. The Speech-Language Program

The goal is to educate the student in the normal processes of speech and language development, the prevention, assessment and intervention of speech and language disorders, and the scientific approach to clinical processes. The graduate curriculum is designed to meet these requirements, is generally required of all students, and presumes a pre-professional background in speech-language pathology, audiological assessment, and aural rehabilitation. The student may follow a thesis or non-thesis track, both of which allow for meeting the ASHA's certification requirements.

Speech-Language Curriculum

Fall 1

CDIS 5336 Clinical Practicum in SLP (1)
CDIS 5345 Motor Speech Disorders (3)
CDIS 5348 Language Disorders I: Birth to 5 (3)
CDIS 5353 Articulation Disorders (3)
CDIS 5361 Advanced Speech Science (3)

Spring 1

CDIS 5336 Clinical Practicum in SLP (1)
CDIS 5342 Aphasia (3)
CDIS 5343 Cognitive-Communicative Disorders (3)
CDIS 5346 Dysphagia (3)
CDIS 5349 Language Disorders II: Kindergarten to 12 (3)
CDIS 5359 Voice Disorders (3)

Summer

CDIS 5336 Clinical Practicum in SLP ((1)

Fall 2

CDIS 5335 Fluency Disorders (3)
EPSY 4115* Student Teaching (6)
CDIS 5336 Clinical Practicum in SLP (1)
CDIS 5367 Introduction to Research Methods (3)
CDIS Elective** (3)

Spring 2

EPSY 4115* Student Teaching (6)
CDIS 5336 Clinical Practicum in SLP (1)
CDIS 5374 Clinical Project (3)
CDIS Elective** (3)

* EPSY 4115 may be taken either in the fall or spring terms of the second year (but not both terms) of the MA program. Students also register for 1 credit of CDIS 5336 in the same term.
** Students must take six credits of electives as part of their degree requirements. The electives are typically courses offered within the department, but may be taken outside the department if approval is obtained from the student’s academic advisory committee. The entire list of courses offered in CDIS can be found in the graduate catalog.

Non Thesis Option

The Comprehensive Academic Clinical Project (CDIS 5374) is required for students in the non-thesis track and it is completed during the Spring Semester of the second year. This is a summative activity which draws upon the student’s written and oral communication skills. Students are encouraged to start the project during the end of their first year of study creating a case study using a client with whom they have worked. The case study includes client’s history, assessment, pre-treatment data collection, prognosis, management plan, and post-treatment data collection. Upon approval of the written project by a faculty committee, the student presents the project to faculty and students at the end of their final semester.

Thesis Option

The thesis option is completed in lieu of the clinical competency project. It provides the student with an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member and to conduct research in area of interest. The thesis is a culmination of the student’s research. It consists of a written portion and an oral defense. The written portion is approved by the student’s advisory committee and is followed by an oral defense presented to the faculty and students. It is recommended that students choosing the thesis option should identify a faculty member to mentor the research project by the second semester of their first year in the M.A. program. This should ensure that the student completes the MA program in a timely manner. Students completing the thesis option are not required to complete the clinical competency project.

School Certification for Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech-language pathologists who work in the Connecticut public schools must have school certification. Through an arrangement with the School of Education, students enrolled in the M.A. program in Speech, Language and Hearing can fulfill requirements leading to certification as an SLP for employment in Connecticut's public schools. Requirements include course work in Special Education, Regular Education, Human Development or Psychology, Classroom Instruction and Management, and Health. A practicum assignment as an SLP (EPSY 4115) in a public school setting enables the student to complete student teaching requirements for certification and is completed concurrently with the student's enrollment in the M.A. program. Below are listed the requirements for Connecticut State Board of Education school certification as Speech-Language Pathologists. Courses used to fulfill these requirements are also listed. Although completion of these requirements requires a Master’s Degree, students planning to acquire this certification may begin meeting some of the requirements as part of their undergraduate program. Students who plan to do their graduate training in Connecticut will be required to submit evidence of a combined score of at least 1100 on quantitative and verbal portions of the SAT. If a student cannot meet this requirement s/he must take and pass the PRAXIS I examination. Students who plan to do graduate study in another state and who plan to obtain certification in that state are urged to investigate the requirements particular to that state, as they are occasionally different from Connecticut’s.

School Certification Requirements for Speech Language Pathology:

1. A bachelor’s degree from an approved institution.

2. Complete requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology including course work in: Speech Science, Normal Processes in Speech and Language Acquisition, Experimental Methods in Communication, Neuropathologies of Speech and Language in Adults, Speech and Language Disorders, Audiological Assessment, and Aural Rehabilitation.

Requirements include a minimum of three semester hours of credit in curriculum and methods of providing clinical services to children with communication impairments in schools:

CDIS 4251 Intro to Articulation, Voice and Fluency Disorders
CDIS 5348 Language Disorders 1: Birth to 5 Years
CDIS 5349 Language Disorders II: School Age Population
CDIS 5353 Articulation and Phonological Disorders

3. A minimum of six semester hours of credit in professional education, including course work in such areas as:

a. Foundations of Education

EDCI 5006 Comparative and International Education
EDCI 5008 Philosophy of Education

b. Psychology: child, educational, developmental, adolescent or cognitive learning

EPSY 3010 Educational Psychology
EPSY 5402 Individual Differences in Learners
EPSY 5510 Learning: Its Implication for Education
EPSY 5405 Applied Behavior Analysis
EPSY 5530 Theories of Learning: Cognition and Instruction
HDFS 2100 Human Development: Infancy through Adolescence
HDFS 3103 Adolescence: Youth and Society
HDFS 5216 Theories of Human Development
PSYC 2500 Learning
PSYC 2400 Developmental Psychology
PSYC 3400 Child Psychology
PSYC 2501 Cognition and Problem Solving
PSYC 5420 Cognitive Development
PSYC 5470 Special Topics in Developmental Psychology
PSYC 5410 Advanced Child Psychology

c. Classroom instruction and management, bilingual/bicultural education, reading, curriculum development behavioral management

EDCI 5705 Resources in Bilingual-Bicultural Education and ESL
EDCI 5715 Bilingualism and Language Acquisition
EDCI 5850 Introduction to Curriculum Development
EDCI 5875 Multicultural Education
EDCI 5094 Seminar (Analysis of Issues and Research in Education)
EPSY 5121 Curriculum Issues in the Classroom
EPSY 5123 Instructional Strategies and Adaptations for Students with Special Learning Needs
EPSY 5671 School-Based Systems Intervention
PSYC 5541 Reading Acquisition and Reading Disorders

4. Student Teaching (6 credits) Not open to undergraduate students. Offered as part of the Masters Program for those enrolled in the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) through the School of Education.

5. Course of study in special education:

EPSY 5108 Instruction for Students with Special Needs in the Mainstream 3 credits
(not open to undergraduate students)

6. Instruction on the effect of nicotine, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; HIV:

AH 1201 Health Concerns and Wellness 3credits
EDCI 3007 Social and Community Issues 1 credit
or
completion of on-line modules offered through the School of Education (Open only to students jointly enrolled in the MA in CDIS and School of Education teacher certification programs).

II. The General Program

The General Program is designed to provide content and research training for those students who are interested in speech, language or hearing processes or their disorders, but who are not planning to become certified clinicians. The requirements are sufficiently flexible to accommodate individuals with interests in a wide range of related areas which may converge on the speech, language or hearing processes. Individuals who complete this program frequently choose to continue their work at the doctoral level; however, there is no commitment to do so. To meet the requirements of the general program, student must complete a total of 24 credits, at least 12 of which must be taken in Comm. Sciences, Div. of Communication Disorders, and completion of the M.A. thesis.

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