Master of Science Program in Communication Disorders
Faculty
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
Objectives
The Master
of Science program in Communication Disorders offers broad-based professional
preparation in speech-language pathology within an environment which 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.
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.
Facilities
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 Uuniversity’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.
Admission Requirements
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.
Degree Requirements
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 and language
disorders in adults., Two courses must be completed in
one area and one course 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 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 taken at another university.