Undergraduate Program
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Northern Iowa offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Our undergraduate students complete an undergraduate major in Communicative Disorders. Students choosing this major complete both liberal arts and preprofessional course work leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The preprofessional aspects of our undergraduate program in Communicative Disorders include meaningful experiential learning experiences
To learn more about this degree program, choose from a topic below.
Summary
To meet most state licensure and national certification standards, individuals who wish to work as a Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist must complete a Master's degree in their desired discipline. Therefore, the undergraduate major in Communicative Disorders is designed to provide the academic preparation and experiences required for admission into a graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Students in the undergraduate major may also elect to complete the course work requirements for the Iowa Department of Education endorsement for educational audiologists or speech-language pathologists.
Admission to the Major:
To declare a major in Communicative Disorders at the University of Northern Iowa, students must have an overall grade point average of 3.00 or consent of the department head. The declaration of major is usually made in the semester following enrollment in 51C:100 - Understanding Communicative Disorders. Students may complete a declaration as a prospective major in Communicative Disorders in their freshman year or when they transfer into the University or major. Completion of the declaration as a prospective major ensures that the student will be assigned an advisor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Graduatin Requirements:
Students who major in Communicative Disorders are candidates for a Bachelor of Arts degree and must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours. Included in this total is a minimum of 45 credit hours to satisfy the requirements for the Liberal Arts Core, a minimum of 48 credit hours to satisfy course requirements for the major, with the remaining credit hours consisting of elective courses. In addition, an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 must be maintained throughout the undergraduate program. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below a 3.00, she/he must obtain approval to continue from the department head. Students must also receive a grade of "C" or better in required courses in the major. Students must repeat any major course (other than the course in statistics) for which they receive a "C-" or less.
Liberal Arts Core:
All students in undergraduate degree programs at the University of Northern Iowa must complete the prescribed Liberal Arts Core requirements. The Liberal Arts Core program is designed to provide a broad background in six core areas: (1) Core Competencies; (2) Civilizations and Cultures; (3) Fine Arts, Literature, Philosophy & Religion; (4) Natural Science & Technology; (5) Social Science; and (6) Captone Experience. Students who have completed the Associate of Arts degree from an Iowa community college meet the Liberal Arts Core requirements when they are accepted into the University of Northern Iowa, with a few exceptions.
Major Courses: Download Required Courses Worksheet (.pdf)
The undergraduate major in Communicative Disorders includes a required core of 39 credit hours of course work in speech, language, and hearing sciences and disorders. These courses cover anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms, normal development of speech and language, speech and hearing science, and introductory courses in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
Fall Semester
|
Spring Semester |
Freshman Year |
|
Liberal Arts Core / Elective Courses (No Courses in the Major) |
Liberal Arts Core / Elective Courses (No Courses in the Major) |
Sophomore Year |
|
51C:006 Understanding Comm. Disorders - 3 hrs. |
51C:106 Language Acquisition - 3 hrs. |
Junior Year |
|
51C:125 Disorders of Speech Sounds - 3 hrs. |
51C:152 Clinical Processes II - 1 hr. |
Senior Year |
|
51C:164(g) Neuroscience & Comm. Dis - 3 hrs. |
51C:168(g) Special Populations - 2 hrs. |
120 credit hrs. needed for graduation - Average of 30 hours per year |
|
Financial Aid and Scholarships:
Please go to our students and alumni page to view individual scholarships. Students are encouraged to contact the UNI Financial Aid Office to determine their eligibility for university grants and scholarships as well as student loan programs. UNI grants are institutional awards made to students based on financial need. The amount of these awards ranges from $200 to $2300. Students should obtain a financial aid booklet from the Financial Aid Office to identify scholarships, such as the Irene M. Thompson Award, that are available for students in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
Program Highlights:
-Caring, knowledgeable, and available faculty within the department.
-Modern technology-equipped classroom located in the department.
-Courses in the major are taught by faculty, not graduate assistants.
-Considerable experiential learning (clinical practice) opportunities.
-Involves both faculty and peer mentoring.
-Modern well-equipped on-campus Speech and Hearing Clinic.
-A variety of possible off-campus practicum experiences for undergraduate students.
-Faculty provide clinical supervision in their areas of expertise to better integrate classroom and clinic-based instruction.
-Two Departmental computer laboratories:
-Teaching/Learning Lab with multiple (13) computer stations.
-Clinical Lab with multiple (8) computers to use in clinical activities.
-Opportunities for undergraduate student research.
-Undergraduate student research fund available within the department.
-Modern well-equipped Sertoma Research Laboratory which is available for undergraduate student research.
-Modern facilities and state-of-the-art technology.
