degrees

BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences

The undergraduate program in speech and hearing sciences emphasizes the normal processes of speech, hearing, and language, and allows the student to explore other academic areas of interest. Since, in most states, the master's degree is the minimum level of preparation for persons seeking professional careers in this field, the BS degree does not qualify the student to work professionally, but is designed to prepare students for graduate studies.

Admission to the university does not assure admission to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Students are initially admitted to the General College. In order to be considered for admission to the department, the student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and must have completed CSDI 2100 with a grade of B or better. The student must also be interviewed prior to formal admission into the department. These requirements are generally completed by the end of spring semester of the sophomore year.

Majors must maintain the overall 2.5 GPA and maintain a 2.5 average for all required CSDI courses. All CSDI courses must be passed with a minimum grade of C. A major earning a D in any CSDI course must petition the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders for probationary continuation and will be required to repeat the course.

Minimum degree requirements is 121 s.h. of credit as follows:

1. Foundations Curriculum requirements including BIOL 1050, 1051; PSYC 1000; PHYS 1050; MATH 1065............. 42 s.h.
2. Required cognates: BIOS 1500; ENGL 3760; SPED 2000….......8 s.h.
3. Communication Sciences: CSDI 2100, 3010, 3020, 3030, 3050, 3105,
4100, 4110, 4335, 5010…...........30 s.h.
4. Minor or electives to complete requirements for graduation

The following is a suggested guideline to assist the student in arranging his/her schedule of courses. The format is based upon a logical sequence of courses in the major as well as the schedule of when courses in the department are offered. (CSDI courses are offered ONLY during the semester indicated.) Any significant deviations from the sequence must be approved by the faculty advisor.

GENERAL COLLEGE PHASE

Freshman Year

Fall	0	Spring	0
ENGL 1100	3	ENGL 1200	3
MATH 1065	3	EXSS 1000	1
HLTH 1000	2	PSYC 1000	3
BIOL 1050	3	PHYS 1050	4
BIOL 1051	1	Hum/FA	2
Soc Sci	3	Soc Sci	3
TOTAL	15	TOTAL	16

Sophomore Year

Fall	0	Spring	0
CSDI 2100	3	SPED 2000	3
ENGL 3760 or Elective	3	ENGL 3760 or Elective	3
Hum/FA	5	Hum/FA	3
Soc Sci	3	Electives/Minor	3
Elective/Minor	3	Hum/FA	2
TOTAL	17	TOTAL	16

Apply for admission to department 4 weeks prior to end of semester.

PREPROFESSIONAL PHASE

Junior Year

Fall	0	Spring	0
CSDI 3029, Language Dev.	3	BIOS 1500	3
CSDI 3010, Phonetics	3	CSDI 3050, Artic/Phonology	3
CSDI 3030, Anatomy	3	CSDI 3105, Hearing Science	3
Electives, Minor	6	Electives, Minor	6
TOTAL	15	TOTAL	15

Senior Year

Fall	0	Spring	0
CSDI 4100, Audiology	3	CSDI 4335, Apprenticeship	3
CSDI 5010, Clinical Mgmt.	3	CSDI 4110, Aural Rehab	3
Electives/Minor	9	Electives/Minor	6
TOTAL	15	TOTAL	12

Call the faculty member assigned to you during the preregistration meeting (approximately 4 weeks prior to the end of the semester) to make arrangements for an interview appointment.

B.S., Speech and Hearing Sciences Application for Admission

Speech and Hearing Sciences Minor

A minor in speech and hearing sciences is designed to provide the student with an overview of the nature of human communication, including its origin, development, and processes. The director of undergraduate studies of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders should be consulted for the schedule plan of the minor. The minor requires 24 s.h. as follows:

CSDI 2100. Introduction to Communication Disorders (3) (F,S)

CSDI 3010. Phonetics (3) (F)

CSDI 3020. Language Development (3) (F)

CSDI 3030. Speech Science: Anatomy, Physiology, and Acoustics (3) (F)

CSDI 3050. Acquisition and Development of Phonology and Articulation (3) (S)

CSDI 3105. Hearing Science (3) (S)

CSDI 4100. Introduction to Audiology (3) (F)

CSDI 4110. Aural Rehabilitation (3) (S)

MS in Speech, Language and Auditory Pathology

Application for admission to the graduate program in speech-language pathology must be initiated through the ECU Graduate School. The department requires that the applicant take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit three letters of reference, preferably on the form provided by the department.

Completed applications should be received no later than February 1 for enrollment in the fall semester. Applications for full-time study beginning in either the spring or summer semesters will be considered only under special circumstances because of the sequential nature of the program of study.

Major Areas of Study
Candidates for the MS degree in speech, language, and auditory pathology may select from the following major emphasis areas: speech-language pathology, communication sciences.

The speech-language pathology emphasis area is a professional program designed to prepare students for immediate placement in hospital, public school and other clinical positions. Persons completing this program of study meet all academic and clinical requirements for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, licensure in North Carolina as well as in most other states, and graduate certification by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. The graduate program in speech-language pathology is accredited by the Council of Academic Accreditation.

The communication sciences emphasis area is tailored to the special interests of the student. The course of study can include a substantial portion of the courses in the speech-language pathology and audiology emphasis areas. Additionally, students are required to complete a thesis and successfully pass a final oral defense of the thesis.

Degree Requirements
The degree of Master of Science in speech, language, and auditory pathology is conferred by the university when the candidate has earned at least 54 s.h. of graduate credit. An additional 6 s.h. of graduate credit is available for those interested in receiving the Advanced Certificate of Teaching from the Department of Public Instruction.

A background of undergraduate courses in speech and hearing sciences is essential. For those students who do not have an undergraduate degree in the field, specific undergraduate courses must be taken prior to formally beginning the MS degree sequence. The following undergraduate courses or their equivalent must be taken prior to acceptance into the graduate program: CSDI 3010 (phonetics), 3020 (child language development), 3030 (anatomy, physiology, and acoustics), 3050 (acquisition and development of phonology and articulation), 3105 (hearing science), 4100 (introduction to audiology), 4110 (aural rehabilitation). See requirements for the BS degree in the undergraduate catalog for course descriptions.

Candidates are required to take a final comprehensive examination, which may be taken upon completion of enrollment in all didactic courses required for the degree in the major area of study.

Required Courses
Regardless of the major emphasis area chosen, 9 s.h. of specific core courses are required as follows: CSDI 6100, 6103, 6121. The communication science emphasis requires an additional 6 s.h. (CSDI 6101, 6523). The communication sciences track requires a thesis. For the speech-language pathology track, only 3 s.h. of thesis credit may count toward the degree. For the communication science track, 6 s.h. of thesis are required for the degree.

In addition to the general core requirements, the track in speech-language pathology requires an additional 33 s.h. of didactic courses. These courses include CSDI 6101, 6104, 6106, 6108, 6109, 6110, 6112, 6113, 6114, 6200, 6900. Clinical course requirements include: CSDI 6226, 6227, 6992, 6993.

For the candidate whose major area of study is in speech-language pathology, a minimum of 250 clinical clock hours in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders is required at the graduate level.

If there are no hours accumulated at the undergraduate level, 375 hours will be required at the graduate level to meet certification and licensure requirements as set forth by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the North Carolina State Board of Examiners.

Ph.D in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The PhD program is designed for advanced scholars with interest in communication sciences and disorders. Two areas of study exist within the program, including speech-language pathology and audiology. Students may enroll in either the research concentration in speech-language pathology or audiology, or the clinical concentration in audiology. Students enrolled in the research concentrations are required to take course work in a science core, which includes computer applications to the fields, physiology, acoustics and language science (speech-language pathology concentration), a support core taken across disciplines, a statistics core and an area of concentration developed with the major professor. Students enrolled in the clinical concentration are required to take course work in a science core, which includes computer applications to the fields, physiology and acoustic sciences, a statistics core, a clinical audiology core, and a clinical residency. All students are required to complete a dissertation project prior to being awarded the degree, doctor of philosophy.

Admission
The Admissions Committee will make a holistic judgment of applicant qualifications. Admission to study at the doctoral level requires acceptance by the Graduate School and the department. The application for admission to the Graduate School and official transcripts from each college or university attended must be sent to the dean of the Graduate School. In addition, the following must be sent to the chairperson of the Doctoral Admissions Committee, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders: Graduate Record Examinations scores; three letters of recommendation, with at least two from faculty of the college or university that awarded the master's degree (or the bachelor's degree); a sample of scholarly writing which may be a thesis, a published or unpublished reprint, or term paper; and a statement that summarizes in as much detail as possible the reasons for pursuing doctoral study and doctoral research objectives.

The applicant must have a master's degree or its equivalent to be considered for entry into the research concentration in speech-language pathology, communication sciences, or audiology Ph.D. programs. Acceptable performance on the Graduate Record Examinations and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in graduate work are required. Post-baccalaureate entry into the clinical audiology program is offered (See clinical audiology concentration).

Applicants seeking admission to doctoral study should have completed a well-integrated program of study that includes course work in biological/physical sciences and mathematics, behavioral and/or social sciences, and human communication sciences and disorders.

Transfer Credit
Credit will be accepted for transfer at the discretion of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the dean of the Graduate School. A maximum of 9 s.h. of doctoral credit (course work taken beyond the master's degree) may be applied toward the support and/or statistics cores. Credit will not be accepted in the science core or area of concentration.

Doctoral Candidacy Requirements
Following completion of most course work and prior to admission to candidacy for the PhD, students must pass a preliminary examination intended to test fundamental knowledge in both the major and support fields. The candidate will undergo written and oral examinations for mastery of the areas of concentration, the support core, statistical applications in the area of basic and applied research, and research design. Critical analysis and synthesis of all related academic, research, and clinical aspects of the field of preparation must be demonstrated. For the clinical Ph.D., the second gateway examination will constitute this preliminary examination.

The student's program committee is responsible for the administration and evaluation of the preliminary examination. The recommendation of the committee is sent to the chairperson of the department who forwards to the dean of the Graduate School one of the following recommendations:

The responses to the preliminary examination are satisfactory and the student is recommended to candidacy.

Some responses to the preliminary examination are unsatisfactory and the student is to be re-examined at a specific time. Areas of deficiency to be rewritten and the dates of re-examination will be determined by the program committee.

The responses to the examination are unsatisfactory and a full re-examination will be administered during the subsequent semester. Failure of the second examination results in termination of the program.

Doctoral Dissertation
After passing the preliminary examination, the candidate must initiate the development of an appropriate dissertation research project. The dissertation must reflect independent, scholarly research that will contribute significant new knowledge to the candidate's area of concentration.

Prior to initiating the dissertation research, the candidate's program committee (composed of the major professor and at least three members of the graduate faculty) must approve a prospectus of the proposed dissertation containing the following:

A review of the pertinent literature
A statement of the nature of the problem and the objectives of the proposed investigation
A complete methodology, based on preliminary pilot investigations, which include a description and number of subjects to be studied, a discussion of the dependent and independent variables that will be manipulated, and a detailed description of the experimental procedures to be employed, including all experimental instrumentation
A detailed outline and justification of the statistical analysis of the data that will be obtained
A copy of the approved Institutional Review Board Application

With the guidance and approval of the major professor, the candidate formally presents the prospectus to the faculty of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at an open meeting. The program committee must agree that the research proposal is satisfactory, with only one dissenting vote allowed.

It is the responsibility of the program committee to counsel the candidate in the research program, critique the dissertation, and conduct the final examination. Upon the satisfactory completion of all requirements, the committee and departmental chairperson will recommend to the dean of the Graduate School the award of the doctoral degree.

The basic form of the dissertation manuscript will follow the East Carolina University manual of style. The East Carolina University library will bind the final copies of the document. Six bound copies of the final approved manuscript must be deposited in the Graduate School office. The Graduate School office will microfilm the dissertation and list the title and abstract in Dissertation Abstracts. The student will be billed, at cost, for this service.

Enrichment
In addition to course requirements, each student will be assigned various preceptorships involving mentored classroom and clinical instruction and administration to assist the student in gaining perspective and experience in university teaching, clinical supervision, and management. Students will be encouraged to participate in university-wide seminars.

Research Internship
In addition to the didactic portion of the doctoral program, each student will be required to complete two predissertation directed research projects to gain perspectives and laboratory experiences in the area of concentration and/or areas outside the concentration. These projects will be publishable, data-based manuscripts, one developed by the end of each of the first two academic years. At least one of the two research internships must be completed with a faculty member whose primary appointment is in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Successful completion of an internship requires a written report approved by the supervising faculty member(s) with credit awarded for two of the following courses: CSDI 8070, 8071, 8080, 8081, 8090, 8091.

Time Limits for Completion of Degree Requirements
A doctoral degree program must be completed before the end of the twelfth semester, excluding summers, following initial enrollment. With endorsement of the student's program committee and the departmental chairperson, a student may request one extension of not more than two semesters, summers included.

Research Concentration
1. Master's degree or equivalent from an accredited institution in speech-language pathology, audiology, and/or communication sciences or related area, with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 (on a scale of A=4.0) in graduate work. Equivalents to the master's degree may include a bachelor's degree with extensive post-baccalaureate coursework in CSDI and behavioral sciences. Additional coursework may be required at the discretion of the faculty prior to beginning doctoral coursework.

2. Graduate Record Examination within five years. A minimum score of 1000 (verbal and quantitative subtests) will be required for consideration of admission. Graduate Record Examination is waived as an entrance requirement for Merit Scholars at East Carolina University if other criteria are met. Post-baccalaureate admissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

3. Three letters of recommendation, at least two from faculty of the college(s) or university(s) previously attended.

4. A sample of scholarly writing which may be a thesis, a published or unpublished reprint, or term paper.

5. A statement that summarizes reasons for pursuing doctoral study and doctoral research objectives in as much detail as possible.

Degree Requirements
The research concentration requires a minimum 53 s.h. of didactic and research experiences beyond the master's degree or 95 s.h. beyond the bachelor's degree, involving the entire doctoral faculty. The student will develop a background in a science core curriculum (12 s.h.), a support core taken across disciplines (9 s.h.), a statistics core (statistics and research design) (minimum 9 s.h.), a research internship (6 s.h.), and dissertation (minimum 3 s.h.). The student and major professor will select and design an area of major concentration, including 12 s.h. of course work or independent studies.

Except for credits accepted by transfer, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders requires that all graduate work, including the dissertation, be completed in residence. The course of study ordinarily requires at least three years of full-time study. Students who have not completed a master's thesis are required to complete a research project with the scope of a thesis (thesis equivalence) by the end of the first academic year, approved by a majority of the student's program committee.

Clinical Audiology Concentration
1. Baccalaureate or master’s degree from an accredited institution.

2. The applicant must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. The applicant with a master’s degree or its equivalent must have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 (on a scale of A=4.0) in graduate work.

3. Undergraduate course prerequisites include the following courses: life sciences (6 s.h.), physical sciences (3 s.h.), behavioral sciences (6 s.h.), English (3 s.h.), mathematics (3 s.h.), statistics (3 s.h.), anatomy and physiology (3 s.h.), introduction to audiology (3 s.h.), speech and hearing sciences (3 s.h.), language development (3 s.h.). Other courses in communication sciences and disorders are strongly encouraged.

4. Graduate Record Examination within five years. A minimum score of 1000 (Verbal and Quantitative subtests) is required for consideration of admission. Graduate Record Examination is waived as an entrance requirement for Merit Scholars at East Carolina University if other criteria are met. Merit Scholars at East Carolina University will receive automatic admission to 3 of the 6 class places if application is completed before their senior year of their baccalaureate program.

5. Three (3) letters of recommendation, at least two from faculty of the college(s) or university(s) previously attended.

6. Interview

Degree Requirements for Clinical Concentration: Audiology

Baccalaureate admission: The post-baccalaureate clinical audiology PhD option consists of a minimum of 95 graduate credit hours to include broad-based knowledge in areas of applied clinical audiology, structure and development of hearing and communication disorders, speech and hearing sciences, statistics, computers and instrumentation, and research design. The clinical option is designed to provide course work in an area of concentration guided by the major professor, while securing a background for the student in a science core curriculum (12 s.h.), a support core taken across disciplines (9 s.h.), a statistics core (statistics and research design) (9 s.h.), clinical audiology course work (30 s.h.), clinical experience/residency (24 s.h.), and research internship/dissertation (minimum 6 s.h.).

Post-Master’s admission: The post-master’s entrance to the clinical audiology concentration requires a minimum of 53 s.h. to include a broad-based contemporary knowledge in areas of applied clinical audiology. The student will develop a background in a science core curriculum (12 s.h.), a statistics core (statistics and research design) (9 s.h.), a research internship (6 s.h.), a major clinical core (18 s.h.), clinical residency (3 s.h.), and dissertation (minimum 3 s.h.).

Examination: The clinical program of study includes a “Gateway” examination during the summer session of the first year of study. A second “Gateway” or “comprehensive” examination is administered during the summer session at the end of the second year of study. The student’s program will be terminated with the second failure of the “comprehensive” examination.

Clinical Residency: The clinical residency will be a hierarchy of experiences. The student will experience both part-time and full-time clinical placements. The final clinical experience will consist of a full-time clinical residency placement preparing the student for contemporary competent clinical practice upon graduation. Following completion of the clinical residency experience, the student must pass a clinical defense prior to admission to candidacy for the PhD. The student must pass the preliminary clinical examination which is designed to evaluate critical analysis and synthesis of all related academic and clinical aspects of the field of preparation. The student’s program will be terminated with the second failure of the clinical defense.

Sample Curriculum Plan

Fall Year 1
CSDI 8016 Auditory Physiology (3)
CSDI 8004 Embryology, Genetics, and the Auditory System (3)
CSDI 8011 Advanced Acoustics (3)
CSDI 8000 Methods in Clinical Audiology (3)
CSDI 8007 Methods in Clinical Audiology Lab (1)

Spring Year 1
CSDI 8009 Psychoacoustics (3)
CSDI 8015 Electronic Instrumentation and Calibration in Speech and Hearing (3)
CSDI 8013 Methods in Clinical Audiology II (3)
CSDI 8100 Advanced Audiology Methods Lab (1)

Summer Year 1
CSDI 8028 Auditory Pathologies (2)-----Elective
CSDI 8003 Advanced Pediatric Assessment (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (3)

Fall Year 2
CSDI 8005 Methods in Amp1ification (3)
CSDI 6100 Language Disorders (3)
BIOS 7021 Biostatistics for Health Professionals I (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (3)

Spring Year 2
CSDI 8017 Advanced Methods in Amplification II (3)
BIOS 7022 Biostatistics for Health Professionals II (3)
CSDI 8002 Assessment and Management of the Vestibular System (3)
CSDI 8102 Vestibular Lab (1)----Elective
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (2-3)
CSDI 8027 Cochlear Implants (2)---Elective

Summer Year 2
CSDI 6200 Multicultural Communication Disorders (3)
CSDI 6103 Research Design in Speech and Hearing (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (2)

Fall Year 3
CSDI 8006 Auditory Processing (3)
CSDI 8019 Electrophysiological Measures in Audition I (3)
CSDI 8103 Electrophysiological Measures in Audition Lab I (1)----Elective
GRAD 7004 Research Ethics for a Complex World (2)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (3)

Spring Year 3
CSDI 8021 Aural Rehabilitation (4)
CSDI 7500 Professional Issues in Communication Disorders (1)
CSDI 8026 Electrophysiological Measures in Audition II (3)-----Elective
CSDI 8104 Electrophysiological Measures in Audition II lab (1)-----Elective
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (0-2)

Summer Year 3
CSDI 8999/9000 Predoctoral Independent Study/Dissertation (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (0-2)

Fall Year 4
CSDI 9000 Dissertation (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (0-6)

Spring Year 4
CSDI 9000 Dissertation (3)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (0-6)

Summer Year 4
CSDI 9001 Dissertation: Summer Research (1)
CSDI 8234 Audiology Clinical Rotation (0-2)

Fall Year 5
CSDI 9000 Dissertation (3)
CSDI 8993 Clinical Residency (6-9)

Spring Year 5
CSDI 8993 Clinical Residency (6-9)

Total is 109 credit hours if students take minimum hours indicated and add 14 credit hours of elective credit hours.