Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Academic Unit Head: Ayasakanta Rout
Email: routax@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-6440
Location: Health and Behavioral Studies Building, Room 1024
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Website
Mission
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders engages students, faculty and members of the community to advance the state of knowledge through basic and applied research, innovative professional and pre-professional education, and enhanced clinical practices to better serve those with communication disorders.
The department is committed to promoting comprehensive, state-of-the-art undergraduate pre-professional education that includes discipline-specific course work and observation. In keeping with university requirements, this includes a broad-based General Education component. The department also delivers graduate-level course work and practicum experiences for those interested in entering professional practice in either speech-language pathology or audiology, a university teaching and research position, or a management/administrative position in service delivery settings.
The department is committed to advancing the state of knowledge in both basic and applied aspects of communication sciences and disorders through its doctoral research degrees and the research activities of its faculty and students and to providing service to the profession, university and client communities at local, state, national and international levels. Through the Audiology and Speech-Language Clinics, the department provides services as part of the clinical teaching component of its mission and serves as a clinical research resource for students and faculty.
Goals
- Providing course work and observation at the undergraduate level, including study of the underlying science and development of human communication, and an introduction to disorders that may occur in human communication.
- Providing course work at the undergraduate level that will prepare students for:
- Graduate study in the areas of audiology or speech-language pathology
- Graduate school in a related discipline
Programs of Study
The department offers a B.A. and B.S. degree in communication sciences and disorders. The department also offers the M.S. in speech language pathology (professional preparation), the Au.D. (Doctor of Audiology) and the Ph.D. in communication sciences and disorders with emphases in audiology, speech-language pathology and/or speech and hearing science. Inquiries concerning these graduate programs should be directed to the dean of The Graduate School or the appropriate department graduate program director. A master's degree is the minimum requirement for competency/certification endorsed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and for Virginia licensure in speech-language pathology. In audiology, a doctoral degree is the minimum requirement for competency/certification endorsed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and for new Virginia licensure applicants.
The Audiology and Speech-Language Clinics
The JMU Audiology clinic and the JMU Speech-Language clinic provide the following services for individuals with communication disorders across the life span to the local community. Appointments for services may be made by any member of the community.
Areas of Service Delivery
- Speech, language, hearing and/or balance assessments
- Intervention programs in speech, language and hearing disorders
- Preventative and educational consultation
- Referrals for other professional services when indicated
Career Opportunities
Individuals with a graduate degree in audiology or speech-language pathology can pursue a variety of career options:
- Audiologist
- Clinical Educator
- Director of Speech and Hearing Services
- Early Intervention Specialist
- Hearing Scientist
- Private Practitioner
- Researcher
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Speech Scientist
- University Professor
Individuals with a bachelor's degree may be qualified to pursue other career options:
- Audiology assistant
- Speech-language pathology assistant
Keep in mind that graduate study is required for most positions in this field. Some individuals who major in communication sciences and disorders go on for further study in special education, medicine and psychology.
Co-curricular Organizations
- National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- Student Academy of Audiology
Graduate Admission Criteria
Specific admission requirements and prerequisite course work for individual programs are listed with each program description. Applications will be reviewed in accordance with the department's holistic admission philosophy. We commit to the mission and vision of JMU's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, by adopting a holistic review process that fosters inclusive excellence and values the experiences and attributes that students from diverse backgrounds bring to our university. We welcome students who can think critically and who embody compassion, collaboration, adaptability, resilience and openness to feedback.
Students applying for admission to either the M.S. program in Speech-Language Pathology or the Au.D. program should be aware that some of the clinical placement sites in which students are required to complete clinical practica in order to graduate will require the student to produce a current criminal records check. It is the student's responsibility to arrange for the check, to keep it current in order to comply with the requirements of the various clinical sites, and to advise the university and department if the status of the student's criminal record changes at any time during the student's program.
Vision
We will be recognized for bridging science and clinical practice.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders provides graduate-level course work and practicum experiences for those interested in entering professional practice in either speech-language pathology or audiology, university teaching and research positions, or management/administrative positions in service delivery settings. The department is committed to advancing the state of knowledge in both basic and applied aspects of communication sciences and disorders through its master's and doctoral research degrees and the research activities of its faculty and students, and to providing service to the profession, university and client communities at local, state, national and international levels. The Department's Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic provides outreach services to the region as part of the clinical teaching component of its mission and provides a clinical research resource for students and faculty.
The audiology and speech-language pathology clinical training graduate programs in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Audiology and Speech-Language-Hearing Clinics
The JMU Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Clinics, both operated by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, provide evaluation and clinical intervention services for individuals with speech, language and hearing problems. The priority for services offered through these clinics is determined by the needs of practicum students. Appointments for a consultation or evaluation may be made by any member of the general public or university community. Professional services are provided by expert certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists who supervise the practicum of students.
Financial Aid
Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis to graduate students. In addition, fellowships funded by the Scottish Rite Foundation of Virginia are available to graduate students admitted to the graduate program in speech-language pathology. Scottish Rite Fellowships are restricted to Virginia residents who intend to pursue positions working with children who have speech and language impairments in the state of Virginia. Contact the appropriate graduate program director in the department for further information.