愛荷華大學

Learning Outcomes

Graduating B.A. students in speech and hearing science will have:

a strong foundational understanding of the physical processes and biological substrates underlying normal audition, normal perception, and production of speech and language;
a strong foundational understanding of the normal development of speech, language, and hearing; and
finished all prerequisite course work needed to begin a graduate program in either speech-language pathology or audiology, and will be prepared to begin more advanced graduate course work focusing on disorders, diagnosis, and treatment.

Overview

The undergraduate major in speech and hearing science emphasizes the normal processes of speech, hearing, and language and does not qualify an individual to work professionally in the field. Instead, it is designed primarily to prepare students for graduate work. It also may be an appropriate major for students earning College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degrees who are not planning careers in speech pathology and audiology. Students who intend to pursue professional careers in communication sciences and disorders must complete a graduate program comparable to the department's Master of Arts in speech pathology and audiology or its Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.).

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in speech and hearing science requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including 63-64 s.h. of work for the major. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major.

The speech and hearing science program provides excellent preparation for a career as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. There continues to be a strong demand for professionals in these fields, and both speech pathology and audiology are consistently ranked highly in “best job” surveys.

Advanced degree holders may work as a teacher, clinician, and/or researcher in the field of communication sciences and disorders.