Requirements for the Major
Major Concentrations
Honors in the Major
Distinction in the Major
Courses
1975 Willow Drive, Madison, WI 53706; 608-262-3951; www.comdis.wisc.edu
Professors Edwards, Ellis Weismer, Fourakis, Fowler, Lutfi, Washington, Weismer, Westbury; Associate Professors Connor, Hustad, Litovsky, Turkstra; Assistant Professors Kaushanskaya, Schairer; Clinical Professors Kwiatkowski, Murray-Branch, Rosin; Clinical Associate Professors Hartman, Heintzelman, Levin, Longstreth, Quinn, Smith, Stoppenbach; Clinical Assistant Professors Cohen, Douglas, Smuda
Please contact the department office at 608-262-3951 to schedule an undergraduate advising appointment.
Faculty diversity liaison: Fourakis, fourakis@wisc.edu
The major in communicative disorders provides students with opportunities for study in the areas of speech-language pathology, audiology, and the normal aspects of speech, hearing, and language. Labs are available for training and research needs in the areas of speech physiology, speech acoustics, language, and audiological science.
It is assumed that the evaluation and treatment of persons with communicative disorders must be based upon a firm theoretical understanding of normal processes of speech and language formulation, production, and perception. Some students pursue this major as a preliminary step toward advanced training in other professional fields (e.g., medicine and law). Many other students pursue this major because they hope to practice as certified clinicians in educational and medical-allied-health settings, assisting clients with communicative impairments arising from disease, trauma, predisposition, and/or idiopathic maladaptive learning. At a minimum, professional certification for clinical practice requires an advanced (e.g., graduate) degree in communicative disorders from an accredited program.
To declare a major, students must earn a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the three courses Com Dis 201, 202, and 240. Major declaration forms may be obtained from the department (Goodnight Hall, Room 416, 1975 Willow Drive) and return them to an undergraduate advisor for processing.
The major in communicative disorders can be completed through the College of Letters and Science or through the School of Education. Each program (L&S and Education) has its own general liberal studies requirements involving, for example, sciences, math, foreign language, social studies, humanities, and so on. Students should plan to complete many of these general requirements as well as some courses in communicative disorders during their first and second years on this campus.
Students are urged to consult with a department advisor as soon as they have decided to major in this field. Course sequencing in the major is not flexible. Certain courses are prerequisites for others. Many of the courses are offered only once a year. Students should begin taking courses in the major in the sophomore year. Typically, L&S students take Com Dis 201, 202, and 240 as sophomores.
The department is accredited in speech-language pathology and in audiology by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Therefore, academic and clinical practica in the Department of Communicative Disorders may be applied toward clinical certification (speech language pathology or audiology) by ASHA.
Com Dis 201 Speech Science, 3 cr
Com Dis 202 Normal
Aspects of Hearing, 3 cr
Com Dis 210 Speech and Language Functions of
the Brain, 3 cr
Com Dis 240 Language Development in Children and
Adolescents, 3 cr
Com Dis 303 Speech Acoustics and Perception, 3
cr
Com Dis 315 Speech Pathology I, 3 cr
Com Dis 318 Speech Pathology
II, 4 cr
Com Dis 320 Introduction to Audiology, 3 cr
Com Dis 371
Pre-Clinical Observation of Children and Adults, 2 cr
Com Dis 425
Auditory Rehabilitation, 3 cr
Com Dis 440 Child Language Disorders,
Assessment and Intervention, 3 cr
Students select one of the following programs. (Students are urged to check course offerings with the department at 262-3951.)
A major in this program allows students to receive a liberal arts and science education with an emphasis on communicative disorders. This is a pre-professional program for students wishing to be employed as speech-language pathologists or audiologists. Those employed in such positions are required to obtain a graduate degree. (For a description of the graduate program please consult the Graduate School Catalog.) The department wishes to point out that admission to most graduate programs in communicative disorders requires a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
All students earning a Letters and Science degree are required to fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major completed in residence. Courses that count toward this requirement are Com Dis 303, 315, 318, 320, 425, 440, 503, 699.
A major through the School of Education leads to a bachelor's degree with a major in communicative disorders and allows students to complete many of the requirements for a teaching certificate from the State of Wisconsin. Application for admission to the School of Education should be made at B117 Education Building (262-4917). A graduate degree in communicative disorders is required for teacher certification in the State of Wisconsin. For more information please see the School of Education section in this catalog and consult the Graduate School Catalog.
Course requirements:
GPA requirements:
Applications for Honors in the Major can be submitted after a student is admitted to the communicative disorders major.
Students majoring in communicative disorders who are not honors candidates may pursue a junior-senior honors curriculum and thereby earn Distinction in the Major, provided they obtain consent of the department honors advisor.