B.S. Communicative Disorders

The Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders is designed to provide students with specialized education and training that can be used to diagnose and treat disorders of communication. The curriculum provides specific instruction in speech/language development, child language and speech sound disorders, audiology and audiometry, neurology and neurogenic communicative disorders, fluency disorders, communication development/disorders in children from culturally/linguistically/diverse backgrounds and other related areas. The learning goal for the Communicative Disorders major is for students to acquire the accumulated essential knowledge in the major courses so that they can apply their expertise to clinical issues in graduate school or in their work settings.

Major Requirements

Most students who pursue the Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders intend to complete a Master of Science degree in Communicative Disorders, since this is the entrance-level degree for practice as a speech-language pathologist in both the public school and the health care systems. The Bachelor of Science degree also provides excellent preparation for pursuit of teaching credentials, and students are encouraged to consider this degree to prepare for careers as teachers, especially if they are interested in early childhood, special, or elementary education. Students can complete requirements for entrance into most teaching credential programs within the 120-unit minimum required for a Bachelor of Science degree through careful planning.

The Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders requires 42 units within the major. All students also complete 51 units of general education, leaving 27 units of free electives to obtain the 120 units needed for graduation. In addition to BS degree requirements, there are other coursework requirements that are not required for graduation but that must be completed by the end of a student’s graduate degree program if they are planning to obtain the following two credentials:

1. Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC) from ASHA (required for employment in hospitals, private practice and licensure for most states)
2. Preliminary Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential in Language, Speech, and Hearing (SLPSC) required for work in California’s public schools

For more detailed information regarding the coursework for these credentials, refer to undergraduate handouts under Resources, or click the course catalog below:

Objectives

The Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences Disorders (CSD) is designed to:

• Ensure the pre-eminence of learning by addressing the knowledge and skill areas needed for admission to Master’s programs in speech-language pathology (SLP), clinical doctoral programs in audiology (Au.D.), or speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) programs;
• Provide a high-quality program by ongoing identification of the most appropriate student learning outcomes;
• Incorporate formative and summative assessment instruments to evaluate student achievement;
• Create an environment where students have opportunities to succeed, including some opportunities for research

Resources

• COMD Transfer academic plan (Catalog yr_Fall 21 and Later)
• COMD Freshman academic plan (Catalog yr_Fall 21 and Later)
• Undergraduate Overview handout
• Course requirements with prerequisites
• COMD Checklist
• COMD B.S Roadmap