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Degrees & Certificates

Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Therapy

Audiology and Speech Sciences courses concentrate on issues related to understanding and improving the circumstances for individuals who have communication disorders.  At IPFW, the degree which our students will likely be seeking is a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy. Our graduates will be well prepared for pursuing careers as speech-language pathologists (SLP) or audiologists (AuD) as well as for pursuing many other career choices using the transferable skills developed in the undergraduate major of speech and hearing therapy. 

To earn the B.S. with a major in speech and hearing therapy, students must fulfill the requirements of IPFW (refer to Part 7 of the undergraduate bulletin) and the School of Arts and Sciences (refer to Part 3 of the undergraduate bulletin) in addition to the following requirements:

Course No.

Course Title

Credits

IPFW General Education Requirements

Area I—Linguistic and Numerical Foundations

9

COM 114

Fundamentals of Speech Communication

3

One of the following:

3

ENG W131

Elementary Composition I

 

ENG W140

Elementary Composition—Honors

 

One of the following:

3

MA 153

Algebra and Trigonometry I

 

MA 168

Mathematics for the Liberal Arts Student

 

STAT 125

Communicating with Statistics

 

Area II—Natural and Physical Sciences

7

See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses.  The second science course must be in an area other than biology.

3

BIOL 203 required

4

Area III—The Individual, Culture, and Society

6

LING L103 required

3

select one course from SOC S161 or S163 or PSY 120

3

Area IV—Humanistic Thought

6

See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

PHIL 111 or 120 recommended

Area V—Creative and Artistic Expression

3

Select one: ENG W103, JOUR J210, or MUS L153 recommended

Area VI—Inquiry and Analysis (not in AUS)

3

See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

English Writing

ENG W233

Intermediate Expository Writing (or other approved writing course)

3

Foreign Language (111 and 112)

8

Core and Concentration (Major) Courses

 

AUS 115

Introduction to Communicative Disorders

3

AUS 302

Acoustic Bases of Speech and Hearing

3

AUS 304

Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism

4

AUS 306

Introduction to Phonetics

3

AUS 309

Language Development

3

AUS 420

Introduction to Developmental Speech and Language Disorders

3

AUS 460

Introduction to Assessment Audiology

4

AUS 516

Foundations of Assessment in Communication Disorders

3

AUS 521

Phonetic and Phonological Disorders in Children

2

Credits from the following courses:

12

 

Students intending to pursue graduate studies are urged to select AUS 449 and should also consider completion of AUS 549. If 549 is not selected, then 590 should be the selection.

AUS 181

First Course in American Sign Language (3 credits)

AUS 182

Second Course in American Sign Language (3 credits)

AUS 399

Directed Study in Audiology and Speech Sciences (1–3 credits)

AUS 405

Augmentative and Computer Applications in Speech and Language (3 credits)

AUS 430

Speech-Language Disorders in Healthcare Settings (3 credits)

AUS 449

Introduction to Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology (2–3 credits)

AUS 549

Clinical Practice in Speech Language Pathology I (2–4 credits)

AUS 550

Aural Rehabilitation for Adults (3 credits)

AUS 551

Aural Rehabilitation for Children (3 credits)

AUS 590

Directed Study of Special Problems (1–6 credits)

General Elective Courses

Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 124. Recommended: PSY 120, PSY 235, PSY 350, EDUC K201, K206. SOC S161 and S163, COM 303, BIOL 204, PHIL 312. You may wish to consider elective courses that fulfill requirements for a minor that supports preparation of AUS majors.

Total

124

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Employment Opportunities for a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Major

The bachelor's degree in speech and hearing therapy is a pre-professional degree, preparing students to continue on to a master's degree program for certification and licensure as a speech-language pathologist, or to a clinical doctoral program in audiology. However, completion of the undergraduate curriculum alone will equip students with many of the knowledge and skill sets that employers from many organizations and industries seek in the college graduates that they hire. The lists below show the skills developed in the AUS curriculum and how they match the needs that employers have identified as crucial for their new employees.

Jobs Involving AUS and Top 10 Skills Employers Seek

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills:
  • Crisis Manager—First Call for Help
  • Public Opinion Researcher
  • Patient Rights Advocate Human Rights Officer
  • Intake Specialist—First Steps, Healthy Families, mental health agencies, non-profit agencies, Department of Children and Families, Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare
  • Patient Service Technician
Listening, Interpersonal, and Human Relations Skills:
  • Toy/Therapy Materials Representative
  • Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
  • Drug Company Representative
  • Employment Interviewer
  • Human Resources positions (e.g., Human Resources Trainer, Personnel Development Specialist)
  • Admissions Counselor
  • Alumni Relations Coordinator
  • Hospital/Agency Volunteer Coordinator
  • Child Life Specialist
  • College or Company Recruiter
  • Health Care Counselor
  • Student Activity Director
  • Student Services Director
  • Hospice Manager
  • Non-Profit Agency Worker and Director
  • Youth Director/Advisor (schools, religious groups, YMCA)
  • Camp Director
  • Communications Director–community outreach for agencies and businesses
  • National Honor/Sorority/Fraternity Chapter Consultant
  • Customer Service Director
Teaching/Training Skills:
  • Substitute Teacher
  • HR Specialist Manager
  • Health Services Manager
  • Training Specialist for medical, school settings
Planning/Organizational Skills:
  • Event Planner/Special Events Coordinator (Coliseum, Grand Wayne Center, Chamber of Commerce)
  • Conference Planner Fundraiser Administrative Aide
  • Travel Manager
  • Communication Trainer
  • Communication Consultant
  • Activities Director at retirement or group homes
  • Recreational Coordinator/Supervisor
Information Management Skills:
  • Webmaster
  • Web site designer
Cultural Diversity Skills:
  • International Students Coordinator
  • Camp Director
  • Multicultural Specialist
  • Student Disability Services Coordinator
  • Vocational Counselor
  • Group Home Manager/Director
Written Communication Skills:
  • Grant Writer (Medical or agency)—class offered in the summer here on grant writing
  • Child Welfare Worker
  • Editor—publications/newsletters (esp. in your field and for professional organizations)

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A Bachelor Degree in Speech and Hearing is a pre-professional degree for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Related Skills for Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy:
  • Problem solving
  • Task Analysis
  • Attention to details
  • Compare and contrast evidence
  • Thinking critically
  • Finding resources/information using computers
  • Oral & written communication skills
  • Collect and analyze data
  • Interpersonal skills to motivate people
  • Awareness and appreciation of differences in people
  • Advocate for fairness for persons who are different
  • Work in teams/groups effectively
  • Critical listening skills
Related Career opportunities/Work Settings with appropriate graduate degree:
  • Hospital rehabilitation units
  • Extended care facilities
  • Schools: pre-school, general education and higher education College/university faculty
  • Early intervention-0-3 years of age
  • Community service agencies
  • Private practice Ear/Nose/Throat offices—both audiologists and speech-language pathologists
  • Industry-audiologists
  • Military
Related Career Opportunities with Bachelor Degree:
  • Education assistants
  • Communications
  • Media specialist
  • Camp counselor or director
  • Volunteer coordinator
  • Early intervention support staff
  • Student activity directors
  • Toy and therapy material representative
  • Editors for publications
  • Health services manager
  • Travel conference manager
Job Search Web sites for Speech and Hearing Therapy Majors:

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