BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences

The undergraduate program 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 the student for graduate studies. Admission to the university does not assure admission to the program. Students are initially admitted to the General College. In order to be considered for admission to the program, the student must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA and must have completed CSDI 2100 with a minimum grade of B. The student must also be interviewed prior to formal admission into the program. These requirements are generally completed by the end of spring semester of the sophomore year. Majors must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA and a 2.5 GPA 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 requirement is 121 s.h. of credit as follows:

1. Foundations curriculum requirements (See Section 4, Foundations curriculum Requirements for all Baccalaureate Degree Programs), including those listed below - 42 s.h.

   BIOL 1050. General Biology (3) (F,S,SS) (FC:SC)

   BIOL 1051. General Biology Laboratory (1) (F,S,SS) (FC:SC)

   MATH 1065. College Algebra (3) (F,S,SS) (FC:MA) (P: Appropriate score on mathematics placement test)

   PHYS 1050. Physics and the Environment (4) (F,S,SS) (FC:SC)

   PSYC 1000. Introductory Psychology (3) (F,S,SS) (FC:SO)

2. Core - 30 s.h.

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

   CSDI 3010. Phonetics (3) (F) (P: CSDI major or minor; CSDI 2100; PSYC 1000; or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 3020. Language Development (3) (F) (P: CSDI major or minor; CSDI 2100; PSYC 1000; or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 3030. Speech Science: Anatomy, Physiology, and Acoustics (3) (F) (P: BIOL 1050, 1051; CSDI 2100; or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 3050. Acquisition and Development of Phonology and Articulation (3) (S) (P: CSDI 3010, 3030; or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 3105. Hearing Science (3) (S) (P: CSDI 3030; PHYS 1050; or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 4100. Introduction to Audiology (3) (F) (P: CSDI 3105 or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 4110. Aural Rehabilitation (3) (S) (P: CSDI 4100 or consent of instructor)

   CSDI 4335. Apprenticeship (3) (WI) (S) (P: CSDI major; consent of dept director of undergraduate studies; minimum of 25 hours of observation of treatment as administered or supervised by ASHA certified speech-language pathologist/audiologist; CSDI 3020, 4100, 5010)

   CSDI 5010. Procedures in Clinical Management (3) (F) (P: CSDI major; CSDI 3020, 3050, 3105; or consent of instructor)

3. Cognates - 8 s.h.

   BIOS 1500. Introduction to Biostatistics (3) (F,S) (P: MATH 1065 or equivalent or consent of instructor)

   ENGL 3760. Linguistic Theory for Speech and Hearing Clinicians (3) (F,S) (P: ENGL 1200)

   SPED 2000. Introduction to Exceptional Children (2) (F,S,SS)

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

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

PREPROFESSIONAL PHASE

Junior Year

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 Communication Sciences and Disorders

Admission

Application for admission to the graduate program in communication sciences and disorders must be initiated through the Graduate School. (See Section 2, Admission and Readmission.) The department requires that the applicant take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and submit three letters of reference.

Completed applications should be received no later than February 1 for enrollment in the fall semester. Applications for fulltime 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 communication sciences and disorders may select from the major emphasis areas of speech-language pathology and communication sciences.

The speech-language pathology emphasis area is a professional program designed to prepare students for immediate placement in public school and other clinical positions. Persons completing this program of study must 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 communication sciences emphasis area is tailored to the special interests of the students. 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 university confers the degree of master of science in communication sciences and disorders 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 enrolling in graduate courses (a limited number of applicants may be accepted into the graduate program on a provisional basis): 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 and pass 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 emphasis also requires a thesis. For the speech-language pathology emphasis, only 3 s.h. of thesis credit may count toward the degree. For the communication science emphasis, 6 s.h. of thesis are required for the degree.

In addition to the general core requirements, the emphasis 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, 6320, 6321, 6900, 6901. Clinical course requirements include: CSDI 6226, 6227, 6229, 6990, 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.

Doctoral Programs

The doctoral programs are designed for advanced scholars with interest in communication sciences and disorders. There are two doctoral programs, the PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the clinical doctorate in audiology (i.e., AuD) which is only offered through a joint AuD/PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders program. The PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders is designed to provide doctoral students with a program in a major area of focus (speech-language pathology, audiology, or communication sciences). The AuD in the joint AuD/PhD, is designed to provide students with a strong clinical background in audiology. The AuD is offered only as a joint program with the PhD. All PhD students 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. In addition, students enrolled in the joint AuD/PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders are required to take course work in a clinical audiology core, and complete a clinical residency. All students are required to complete a dissertation project prior to being awarded the degree.

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 also be sent to the Graduate School: Graduate Record Examination scores; three letters of recommendation, with at least two from previous faculty of previous colleges or universities attended; 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 PhD program. 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 joint AuD/PhD is offered.

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.

Admission Requirements for the PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders

1. A master’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution, in speech-language pathology, audiology, 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 is required.
2. The Graduate Record Examination must have been taken within the past five years. A minimum score of 1000 (Verbal and Quantitative subtests) will be required for consideration of admission. The Graduate Record Examination is waived as an entrance requirement for Merit Scholars at East Carolina University if other criteria are met.
3. Three letters of recommendation, at least two from faculty of the college(s) or university(s) previously attended are required.
4. A sample of scholarly writing which may be a thesis, a published or unpublished reprint, or term paper must be submitted.
5. A statement that summarizes reasons for pursuing doctoral study and doctoral research objectives in as much detail as possible must be included.
6. A face-to-face or telephone interview is required.

Admission Requirements for the joint AuD/PhD:

1. Applicants must have a 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. The following undergraduate course prerequisites are required: 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. The Graduate Record Examination must have been taken within the past 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 are required.
6. A face-to-face or telephone interview is required

Degree Requirements

PhD Program in Communication Sciences & Disorders

The PhD program requires a minimum 53 s.h. of didactic and research experiences beyond the masters degree or 95 s.h. beyond the bachelors 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.), research ethics (2 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 fulltime study. Students who have not completed a master’s thesis are required to complete by the end of the first academic year a research project by the end of the first academic year with the scope of a thesis (thesis equivalence), approved by a majority of the student’s program committee.

Joint AuD/PhD

Baccalaureate admission: The post-baccalaureate joint AuD/PhD program consists of a minimum of 125 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 joint AuD/PhD contains the curriculum from the PhD in CSDI program because the AuD cannot be obtained without also obtaining the PhD through this institution. Therefore, in total the AuD/PhD degree program includes the following minimum required credit hours: a science core curriculum (12 s.h.), a support core taken across disciplines (9 s.h.), a statistics core (9 s.h. in statistics and research design), clinical audiology course work (33 s.h.), clinical experience/residency (24 s.h.), and research/dissertation (24 s.h.). A minimum of 14 s.h. in elective courses within or outside the department are needed; these can be additional courses in the categories stated above.

Post-Master’s admission: Students with a master’s degree may seek admission to the joint AuD/PhD program. Admission decisions will be made on an individual basis with review of the educational background as well as the admissions requirements. Individuals seeking post-master’s entrance will be required to complete the minimum 125 graduate semester hours. Those hours may include up to 20% of approved transfer graduate credit hours.

Examination: The joint AuD/PhD 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 third 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 the final clinical placement in audiology that may range from half-time to full-time and that allows for the development of comprehensive clinical knowledge, skills and abilities.

Clinical Defense: The Clinical Defense is an examination designed to evaluate the analysis and synthesis of clinical knowledge. This Defense will occur following successful completion of the comprehensive examination and prior to applying for graduation.

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 five years of full-time study, post-baccalaureate degree.

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.

AuD/PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The doctoral programs are designed for advanced scholars with interest in communication sciences and disorders. There are two doctoral programs, the PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the clinical doctorate in audiology (i.e., AuD) which is only offered through a joint AuD/PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders program. The PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders is designed to provide doctoral students with a program in a major area of focus (speech-language pathology, audiology, or communication sciences). The AuD in the joint AuD/PhD, is designed to provide students with a strong clinical background in audiology. The AuD is offered only as a joint program with the PhD. All PhD students 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. In addition, students enrolled in the joint AuD/PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders are required to take course work in a clinical audiology core, and complete a clinical residency. All students are required to complete a dissertation project prior to being awarded the degree.

Admissions

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 also be sent to the Graduate School: Graduate Record Examination scores; three letters of recommendation, with at least two from previous faculty of previous colleges or universities attended; 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 PhD program. 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 joint AuD/PhD is offered.

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.

Admission Requirements for the Joint AuD/PhD

1. Applicants must have a 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. The following undergraduate course prerequisites are required: 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. The Graduate Record Examination must have been taken within the past 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 are required.
6. A face-to-face or telephone interview is required.

Degree Requirements - Joint AuD/PhD

Baccalaureate admission:  The post-baccalaureate joint AuD/PhD program consists of a minimum of 125 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 joint AuD/PhD contains the curriculum from the PhD in CSDI program because the AuD cannot be obtained without also obtaining the PhD through this institution. Therefore, in total the AuD/PhD degree program includes the following minimum required credit hours: a science core curriculum (12 s.h.), a support core taken across disciplines (9 s.h.), a statistics core (9 s.h. in statistics and research design), clinical audiology course work (33 s.h.), clinical experience/residency (24 s.h.), and research/dissertation (24 s.h.). A minimum of 14 s.h. in elective courses within or outside the department are needed; these can be additional courses in the categories stated above.

Post-Master’s admission:  Students with a master’s degree may seek admission to the joint AuD/PhD program. Admission decisions will be made on an individual basis with review of the educational background as well as the admissions requirements. Individuals seeking post-master’s entrance will be required to complete the minimum 125 graduate semester hours. Those hours may include up to 20% of approved transfer graduate credit hours.

Examination: The joint AuD/PhD 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 third 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 the final clinical placement in audiology that may range from half-time to full-time and that allows for the development of comprehensive clinical knowledge, skills and abilities.

Clinical Defense: The Clinical Defense is an examination designed to evaluate the analysis and synthesis of clinical knowledge. This Defense will occur following successful completion of the comprehensive examination and prior to applying for graduation.

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 five years of full-time study, post-baccalaureate degree.

Sample Curriculum

Fall Year 1

Spring Year 1

Summer Year 1

Fall Year 2

Spring Year 2

Summer Year 2

Fall Year 3

Spring Year 3

Summer Year 3

Years 4 & 5 - Clinical Residency & Dissertation (sequence to be determined individually)