Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology are the health sciences focused on the processes and disorders of speech, language, and hearing. Speech-Language pathology includes study of the physiological and anatomical mechanisms underlying the production of speech; the cognitive, social, and brain activities which influence language skills across the life span; and disorders which affect the ability to speak and understand language. Audiology is the study of the perception of sounds, the physical and physiological characteristics which underlie hearing, and the disorders which affect the ability to hear.
Many students use their B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as a foundation for graduate study in communication sciences and disorders. With a masters degree, students are eligible for national certification and state licensure as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are employed in a variety of school and health care settings. Students completing the B.S. degrees and who meet specified clinical practicum requirements are eligible for state licensure as assistants in speech-language pathology and can provide therapy services under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist.
