Communication Sciences and Disorders

Students completing a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders learn about all aspects of human communication, such as the neurological, physiological, acoustic, and psychological bases of speech, language, and hearing, the interaction between communication and cognitive and social skills, the impact of cultural and linguistic diversity on communication, and the wide variety of communicative disorders experienced from infancy through late adulthood. By completing a major in communication sciences and disorders, students develop a broad knowledge base, set of skills, and professional dispositions through a variety of different learning formats and contexts. As students progress through the undergraduate curriculum they have multiple opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills, solve problems, think critically, and develop effective oral and written communication skills.

The department is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The College of Education is fully accredited by the Department of Public Instruction and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

An undergraduate major in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) provides students with the academic and pre-professional training necessary for more specialized study at the graduate level. A graduate degree is required to work in most settings as a speech-language pathologist. These settings include schools, universities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics, geriatric facilities, home health care services, and public health departments, or in private practice. The major’s focus on human development and disability provides a solid academic foundation for those students wishing to pursue other related careers in human services. Some graduates have pursued graduate work in the fields of special education, counseling and rehabilitation, and occupational therapy, as well as careers in education, healthcare, government services, and private industry.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders office is located in the Roseman building. This facility houses faculty offices, treatment/observation rooms used for on-campus clinical work and two research/teaching laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art computing technology. In addition, our classes are taught in high-technology classrooms. In these facilities, students receive individual and collaborative academic and clinical training during their undergraduate and graduate programs.

All Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty are teacher-scholars and clinicians who collectively have a broad range of teaching, clinical and research experience. They are committed to students\' academic, clinical, and professional development, and all faculty members are involved in advising and mentoring students. The low faculty-student ratio provides opportunities for personalized attention and for student involvement in a wide range of clinical, research, and community-based experiences.

Students interested in majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders should have a strong background in both the humanities (English, Foreign Languages, Speech, Social Studies, Psychology) and the sciences (Math, Biology, Physical Sciences). They should enjoy working with people, and have good interpersonal and oral and written communication skills. Experience with people with disabilities and with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds is also valuable.

Members of our faculty have received awards for research, teaching and service within the College of Education and the prestigious Roseman Award for Excellence in Teaching. They have also been awarded research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Our students have often been recipients of scholarships awarded by the College of Education and the Wisconsin Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Students have opportunities to explore career interests in rural and urban off-campus practicum sites which include a variety of hospital and nursing home environments, and numerous PreK-12 placements.

Since 1993, 100 percent of our graduates find employment within the first three months following graduation.

Freshman in the major participate in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Learning Community. The National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) has an active chapter at UW-Whitewater. Many students in the major are involved in this organization, which provides opportunities for professional development, leadership, and social interaction.