Master of Science Program in Communication Disorders
Professors: Thomas Campbell,
Sandra Chapman, Christine Dollaghan,
William F. Katz, Robert D. Stillman, Linda Thibodeau,
Emily Tobey, Hanna Ulatowska,
Anne van Kleeck
Associate Professor: Pamela Rollins
Assistant Professor: Mandy Maguire
Clinical Faculty: Michelle Aldridge, Suzanne Bonifert, Lucinda Dean, Diane Garst, Karen Kaplan, Helen Kenedi,
Janice Lougeay, Felicity
Sale
The Master
of Science program in Communication Disorders offers broad-based professional
preparation in speech-language pathology within an environment that supports an
active program of clinical services and research. Students are provided comprehensive
exposure to clinical approaches in communication disorders and to the
scientific foundations from which clinical approaches are derived. Practical
experience is available in a variety of clinical, educational, and medical
settings on- and off- campus
The graduate
program in Communication Disorders is accredited in speech-language pathology
by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The
principal sites for the academic, clinical, and research activities of the
Communication Disorders program are the U.T. Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, adjacent
to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and Callier-Richardson on the University’s main
campus. These facilities, and others throughout the Metroplex, provide the educational, clinical,
research, and medical environments essential for an interdisciplinary program
in Communication Disorders.
The University’s
general admission requirements are discussed here.
Admission to
the Communication Disorders Program is based on a review of the applicant’s
transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose.
The
University’s general degree requirements are discussed here.
The Master
of Science program requires a minimum of 48 semester hours. Students completing
the master’s degree meet the academic and clinical practicum requirements
for the Certificate of Clinical Competence offered by the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Students
entering the master’s program with a bachelor’s degree in
speech-language pathology are required to take the following courses: COMD 6221
Voice Disorders, COMD 6222 Stuttering, COMD 6320 Motor Speech Disorders, COMD
6377 Assessment and Treatment of Adult Neurogenic
Disorders, COMD 7303 Dysphagia, and COMD 7378
Assessment and Treatment of Language Disorders in Preschool and School-Age
Children. Students must also complete approved
elective courses and practicum/internship totaling 48 credit hours. In addition
to the required courses listed above, students must complete
a minimum of three courses in the areas of language disorders in
children or language disorders in adults, Three
courses must be completed in one language disorders area and two courses in the
other. Students enroll in Practicum (HCS 7380) or Internship (COMD 6630) each
semester in order to earn the necessary clock hours for certification and
licensure. In general, a maximum of 9 semester hours of Practicum/Internship
may be counted toward the minimum 48 semester hours required for the degree.
Exceptions to the above requirements must be approved by the program head.
Students who
wish to earn a clinical master’s degree while pursuing doctoral study in
Communication Sciences and Disorders, Cognition and Neuroscience, or
Psychological Sciences may apply for combined master’s/doctoral study. Students approved to
enroll in both master’s and doctoral courses pursue an individualized
plan of study leading to both degrees.
All students
seeking the master’s degree in Communication Disorders must pass a
written comprehensive examination. A thesis is optional.
Students entering the
program who lack undergraduate preparation in speech-language pathology or
audiology are required to take a specified 15 semester hours of preparatory
courses. These courses may be taken at U.T. Dallas in conjunction with graduate
coursework or may be completed at another university.