ADVISING
MANUAL for
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS in the
COMMUNICATIVE DISORDERS PROGRAM
2007-08 Edition
There are 12 core courses required for the major, constituting 37 units. The Bachelor of Arts degree in Communicative Disorders is not a terminal degree. Graduate course work is necessary to obtain a Master of Science degree with or without the Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential for employment as a speech-language pathologist. A doctorate in audiology is required for employment as an audiologist. San Francisco State University is one of over 200 universities throughout the country that offers graduate studies in communicative disorders.
The undergraduate program in Communicative Disorders is designed to provide students with the prerequisite knowledge necessary for taking graduate courses and clinics leading to the completion of a master’s degree and the Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential in speech-language pathology or the doctoral degree in audiology. The undergraduate courses can be used to fulfill the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) requirements for 15 units in the area of Human Communication Processes and at least 6 units in the Professional Coursework area. Additional units in the Professional Coursework area for undergraduate courses are accepted by ASHA if graduate credit is given for the course by the university. Each semester students are responsible for updating their advising card which is located in the CD Office. Students with freshman or sophomore status are not eligible to take undergraduate CD courses.
Part of the requirements for undergraduate coursework includes completion of 25 observation hours. Observations take place: (1) within the on-campus CD Clinic; (2) at selected off-campus sites; and (3) by observing videotaped sessions of nationally recognized master clinicians. Undergraduate students with senior status, at least a B overall grade point average, and permission from the CD Clinic Coordinator may enroll for a clinical experience as a clinical assistant (CD 680 and CD 711). In some situations, the students assist a graduate student in therapy and can acquire clinical hours. Clinical assistants have direct contact with a child, adolescent or adult who has a communicative disorder when it is deemed appropriate by the supervisor. A maximum of 10 hours of clinical experience may be completed and will be applied toward ASHA clinical experience requirement if the student has the primary responsibility for the session or portion of the session.
All undergraduate students are required to complete 15 clock hours in audiological assessment (e.g., pure tone and bone conduction hearing testing) as part of CD 654 Audiometry.
DESCRIPTION OF UNDERGRADUATE CD COURSES & PREREQUISITES
| Number | Title | Units | Prerequisites | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMM410 | American Phonetics | 4 |
None | Speech sounds and
prosodic features of American English. Relationships between sounds and
the alphabet, and transcribing speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Syllabus (Spring 2006) |
CD300 |
Human Communicative Development and Disorders | 3 |
None; non-CD majors (GE) | Communicative development
and disorders; processes and models; language universals; bases of speech,
language, and hearing impairments; family and cultural influences upon individual
development; bilingualism and dialectal variations; evaluation of communicative
effectiveness. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
CD651 |
Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism | 3 |
Concurrent enrollment in 668 + CD major | Normal structures
and functioning of respiration, phonation, resonation and articulation Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD652 | Audiology | 3 |
Concurrent enrollment in 651 + CD major | Structure and function
of the ear; study of sound as related to hearing mechanism; causes, implication,
and techniques of determination of hearing impairment. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD653 | Fluency and Voice Disorders | 3 |
651, 660 + CD major | The causes of stuttering;
current theories and therapies relative to stuttering in children and adults.
Habilitation and rehabilitation of children and adults with organic and
non-organic voice disorders. Previously offered as CD705 and CD709. Syllabus for CD705 (Fall 2007) Syllabus for CD709 (Spring 2007) |
| CD654 | Audiometry | 3 |
652 + CD major | Pure-tone and bone
conduction hearing testing. Masking, immittance testing, electrophysiological
testing, pediatric audiology, speech audiometry and public school hearing/conversation
program. Syllabus (Spring 2008) |
| CD655 | Dynamics of Communication Development | 3 |
None; for |
Psychosocial and
sociological determinants of communication. Theories of language development;
understanding the language acquisition process of verbal and non-verbal
communication. Syllabus (Spring 2008) |
| CD656 | Diagnosis of Communicative Disorders | 3 |
658, 668 + CD major | Diagnosis of communicative
disorders. Observation, language sample analysis, and distinctive feature
analysis. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD658 | Communication Development and Disorders | 3 |
668 + CD major | Language acquisition,
disorders and their causes in school-age children. Application of diagnostic
and intervention techniques. |
| CD659 | Articulatory and Phonological Disorders | 3 |
651, SPCH410 + CD major | Disordered articulation;
accent/dialectal differences; normal phonological processes; phonological
disorders and distinctive features. Practicum for diagnosis and therapy
for articulation, phonological, and accent problems. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD660 |
Communicative Disorders | 3 |
Concurrent enrollment in 651 + CD major | Voice disorders,
adult neurogenic disorders, stuttering, cerebral palsy, and craniofacial
anomalies. Etiology, pathology, diagnosis, and intervention techniques. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD661 | Neurolinguistics | 3 |
651, 652, 660, 668 + CD major | Seminar in cortical
and sub-cortical components of language processing with attention to current
research on the central nervous system and its application to speech, language
and hearing. Syllabus (Spring 2008) |
| CD663 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 3 |
658, 668 + CD major | Introduction and
applied experiences with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC),
including low- and high-tech systems. Assessment, team collaboration, funding,
and use of AAC within the context of designing systems that meet the functional
communication needs of individuals. Syllabus (Spring 2008) |
| CD668 | Language Acquisition and Development | 3 |
Concurrent enrollment in 651 + CD major | Exploration of
the acquisition patterns of normal speech, language, and pragmatic behaviors.
Theories of language development, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Language analysis with typically developing children. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD680 | Practicum in Communication Therapy | 2 |
Concurrent enrollment in 711 or 713 + CD major | Supervised clinical
experiences in communication rehabilitation for communicative disorders.
May be repeated for a total of 10 units. Type of experience and number of
units determined by advisement. Syllabus (Fall 2007) |
| CD699 | Special Study | 1-3 |
1 year of courses + CD major | Study of a particular problem in communicative disorders under direction of a member of the program. Enrollment by petition approved by the instructor, adviser and program director. Open to regularly enrolled students only. |
| SPED702 | Professional, Legal, Ethical Practices: Opportunities for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
None | Laws, practices,
safeguards and regulations, ethics and values of professional educators.
Research on learning assessment, curriculum, and instruction. Syllabus (Spring 2007) |
| SPED803 | Communication, Diversity, Exception-ality: Cultural and Communicative Competence | 3 |
None | Issues in diversity and exceptionality in a communication context. Impact of disability, risk factors, and cultural contexts on acquisition of communicative competence. |
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SCHEDULE (Example)
Below is an example schedule for core CD courses. Other courses necessary to complete requirements for the bachelor's degree are described in the university bulletin.
| FIRST SEMESTER: FALL | SECOND SEMESTER: SPRING | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD651 | Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism | 3 | COMM410 | American Phonetics |
4 | |
| CD652 | Audiology | 3 | CD654 | Audiometry | 3 | |
| CD660 | Communicative Disorders | 3 | CD658 | Communication Development Disorders | 3 | |
| CD668 | Language Acquisition and Development |
3 | CD661 | Neurolinguistics | 3 | |
| Total
units |
12 | Total
units |
13 | |||
| THIRD SEMESTER: FALL | FOURTH SEMESTER: SPRING | |||||
| CD656 | Diagnosis of Communication Disorders | 3 | CD653 | Fluency and Voice Disorders |
3 | |
| CD659 | Articulatory & Phonological Disorders | 3 | CD663 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 3 | |
| SPED702 | Professional, Legal, and Ethical Practices* | 3 | SPED803 | Communication, Diversity, and Exceptionality* | 3 | |
| CD680/711 | Practicum in Communication Therapy (optional) | 3 | CD680/711 | Practicum in Communication Therapy (optional) | 3 | |
| Total
units |
9-12 | Total
units |
9-12 | |||
*SPED 702 and SPED 803 are requirements
for the Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential. Undergraduate CD students
have permission to take these two graduate courses. Students not preparing for
the SLPSC do not have to take SPED702 and SPED803.
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Each semester, during advising week,
all CD students must have their clinic and course requests approved by their
adviser and recorded on their advising card and advising sheet. The student
keeps one copy of the advising sheet and the second copy is placed in the student’s
file. These forms are obtained from the adviser or the CD clinic office staff.
Notices are posted at least two weeks prior to the beginning of advising week.
Dates of advising week are also announced in the campus newspaper. Students
will not be allowed to register for classes until they have seen their adviser.
The CD undergraduate advisers are:
Dr. Laura Epstein, 415.338.1058
(lepstein@sfsu.edu)
Dr. Minnie Graham, 415.338.7656
(mgraham@sfsu.edu)
Dr. Nancy Robinson, 415.405.2170 (nancyr@sfsu.edu)
Undergraduates enter the program
in their junior year, usually after having completed all or most of the general
education requirements. Students who have questions regarding general education
requirements should contact a general education adviser in the Advising Center.
All undergraduate students must complete 124 units to graduate from the university.
Undergraduate students with senior status may (on advisement and permission
of the instructor) enroll in a maximum of 6 units of CD graduate coursework,
beyond the 124 units required for graduation in their last semester.
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In order to facilitate completion of the CD program within the shortest amount of time, a yearly schedule was created (see Schedule Example). Every attempt will be made to offer courses in designated semesters. If possible, times will be held constant. If changes in times are necessary, they will be made in a way that minimizes class conflicts.
Course offerings in other programs and departments are not under CD Program control. The Department of Speech and Communication Studies typically offers COMM410 during the spring semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Due to budgetary restrictions and changing needs, the constancy of this schedule of course offerings is not guaranteed. Students should check the schedule of classes (online) published by the University (also available for purchase at the bookstore during advising week of each semester).
Undergraduate students who are entering the program from another major are required to complete a "Change of Major" card, obtained from the Special Education Office. They should make an appointment with an undergraduate adviser in CD, then complete the card, have the adviser sign it, and return it to Enrollment Services in ADM 153.
Candidates for baccalaureate degrees must file an application with the Registrar's Office before the end of the fourth week of instruction of the semester in which they expect to complete graduation requirements. Students must consult with their advisers and obtain signatures of advisers and the appropriate department chair before they submit the application for graduation. The graduation fee must be paid at the time the application is submitted. If a student has elected to complete a double major or an official minor, separate applications must be completed and filed simultaneously although no additional fee is required. Click here to view an example of a completed Undergraduate Application for a CD major.
ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATIVE DISORDERS (Speech-Language Pathology)
Although undergraduates are encouraged to apply for admission to the graduate program in Communicative Disorders at SFSU, acceptance is not automatic. Acceptance into the graduate program is competitive due to the significant number of more qualified applicants than spaces available. Because the undergraduate courses closely follow ASHA requirements for human communication processes and professional coursework, the undergraduate program at SFSU meets the undergraduate academic requirements of most other ASHA accredited training CD programs. Descriptions of audiology and speech-language pathology programs that are ASHA approved are posted on the students’ bulletin board and routinely updated.
Candidates for the master’s degree program must complete two application forms: one for the University and one for the Department of Special Education. Information on University applications and deadlines should be addressed to the Admissions Office. Information on Program applications and deadlines should be addressed to the Student Services Admissions Office (415.338.6901). Conditional graduate students (students without an undergraduate degree in communicative disorders) are generally accepted only for the Fall semester. Most acceptances occur for admission in the Fall semester. There are no acceptances for the Summer Semester. In order to take courses in sequence, students are encouraged to apply for the Fall semester.
For more information regarding admission
to the doctoral program in audiology, contact Dr. Marcia Raggio, College of
Health and Human Services, at mraggio@sfsu.edu
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