Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Location: Gunter 1400
Telephone: 970.351.2734
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/audiology-speech-language-sciences/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
Communication is what allows us to connect with each other and the world around us. Make a difference in the world through a career that empowers people with communication differences. The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) offers several pathways to career opportunities in this exciting field: A Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Speech-Language Pathology Certificate (SLPA) Program; an on-campus Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program; an online Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program; and Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program.
Our undergraduate program provides students with the opportunity to explore the exciting science behind how we talk, formulate language, speak, hear, and listen. Students will explore a variety of communication disorders including brain injury, stroke, Autism, developmental delays, hearing loss, and more. Through this program, students will learn about how communication disorders are evaluated and treated. Students who graduate from our undergraduate programs go on to pursue meaningful, fulfilling careers in fields such as speech-language pathology, audiology, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, medicine, public health, counseling, human services, special education, and more.
The Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) certificate program equips students pursuing their bachelor's degree, students who have completed their bachelor's degree, and students who have completed equivalent leveling coursework with the knowledge and skills they need to serve students with communication challenges in the public school setting under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP). The employment growth rate for this exciting career pathway is faster than average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Our graduate degree programs include a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) and a Doctor of Audiology (AuD). We offer both an on-campus SLP program and an online SLP program to meet a variety of student needs. Through the SLP degree, students will develop their knowledge and clinical skills to become a practicing speech-language pathologist. Through the AuD degree, students will develop their knowledge and clinical skills to become a practicing audiologist. These clinical degree programs involve a combination of both academic learning as well as hands-on clinical training in a variety of settings, including the on-campus UNCO Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Clinic and participation in our Community Engaged programs. Both career paths are forecasted to have an excellent outlook for job opportunities and career growth. Both career paths rank consistently high in job satisfaction. Our students who graduate from these programs go on to practice in a variety of settings including healthcare facilities, home settings, K-12 schools, universities, private practice, government agencies, industry, and more.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- In addition to fulfilling the specified major requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, a grade of “C-” or better must be earned in all of the Required Major Credit courses in order for the courses to count toward the major.
- In addition, the University requirement of a UNC cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 for graduation must also be met.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 63-70 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
ENG 123 or SCI 291 is recommended to fulfill Intermediate Writing Course requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
STAT 150 and MATH 124 or MATH 125 or MATH 127 or MATH 131 are recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
CSD160 is recommended to fulfill Social & Behavioral Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
In addition, one course with either a PSY or SOC prefix from Social & Behavioral Sciences category is recommended to fulfill the additional course required for Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
BIO 100 and BIO 105 or BIO 110 and one CHEM or PHYS prefix course are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 63-70 credits
Take all of the following courses:
| ASL 101 | American Sign Language I | 3 |
| | | |
| BIO 100 | Exploring BiologyLAS1 | 3 |
| | and | |
| BIO 105 | Exploring Biology LabLAS1LASL | 1 |
| | or | |
| BIO 110 | Biology: Atoms to CellsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| | | |
| BIO 245 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| CSD 160 | Introduction to Human Communication and Its DisordersLAB3 | 3 |
| CSD 260 | Introduction to Phonetics | 3 |
| CSD 266 | Normal Speech and Language Development | 3 |
| CSD 267 | Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism | 4 |
| CSD 343 | Fundamentals of Physiological and Biological Acoustics | 3 |
| CSD 360 | Articulation and Voice Disorders | 3 |
| CSD 365 | Language Disorders in Children | 3 |
| CSD 370 | Basic Audiology | 3 |
| CSD 469 | Clinical Processes in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 4 |
| CSD 478 | Aural Rehabilitation and Amplification | 3 |
| | | |
| ENG 123 | Writing and Research MethodsLAW2 | 3 |
| | or | |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| | | |
| LIB 170 | Communication Sciences & Disorders Library Research | 1 |
| | | |
| MATH 124 | College AlgebraLAX1 | 4 |
| | or | |
| MATH 125 | Plane TrigonometryLAX1 | 3 |
| | or | |
| MATH 127 | Elementary FunctionsLAX1 | 4 |
| | or | |
| MATH 131 | Calculus ILAX1 | 4 |
| | | |
| STAT 150 | Introduction to Statistical AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
| | One course with either a PSY or SOC prefixLAB3 | 3 |
| | One course with either CHEM or PHYS prefixLAS1 | 3-5 |
Choose at least one option from Group A and one practicum from Group B that aligns with area of interest for graduate studies:
Group A:
Option 1
| CSD 366 | Language Sampling Processes | 1 |
| CSD 431 | Organically-Based Communication Disorders | 3 |
Option 2
Group B:
| CSD 473 | SLPA Seminar and Field Experience | 4 |
| CSD 474 | Clinical Practicum in Audiology | 1 |
| CSD 483 | Entry/Primary Speech-Language Pathology Practicum | 2 |
3. University-Wide Credits — 19-26 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 19-26 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.