University of North Texas

About the Program

 

Introduction
Speech and hearing sciences is concerned with the scientific study of human auditory-verbal communication with reference to disorders involving speech, language and hearing. The emphasis of the department is to provide an educational and research setting where students may learn models and theories of normal communicative function, and appropriate rationale, techniques and procedures for the evaluation and management of people with speech, language, and hearing disorders.

In addition to classroom instruction in the areas of normal and disordered communication, the department maintains a clinical facility for students to acquire practical experience through clinical services offered to clients by the UNT Speech and Hearing Center. The primary goal of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences is to prepare students to work professionally with communicatively handicapped individuals. The department provides course work, laboratory training, and clinical practicum experiences that enable students to satisfy the educational and clinical requirements for national professional certification and state licensure in speech-language pathology, audiology, or both. A second and equally important mission of the department is the professional development of the discipline through research and clinical services.

Programs of Study
The department offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the following areas:

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The bachelor's degree is a pre-professional degree for persons wishing to pursue graduate study in speech-language pathology and audiology. The master's degree is required to be licensed in Texas and for clinical certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Beginning in the year 2007, the Doctor of Audiology will be the entry level degree needed to practice audiology.

The pre-professional program provides basic preparation in the normal development and functioning of speech, language, and hearing, and introductory courses concerned with communication disorders and appropriate remedial procedures. Clinical activities are scheduled concurrently with academic progress and involve diagnostic and therapeutic interaction with speech, language and hearing handicapped individuals under closely supervised conditions. Satisfactory completion of the master's programs or the professional doctorate program enables individuals to meet the academic and clinical practicum requirements for ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence and the state of Texas license in speech-language pathology and/or audiology.

Accreditation 
The graduate programs in both speech-language pathology and audiology are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) [10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852; (301) 897-5700 or (800) 498-2071]. Students who earn the master's degree or professional doctorate will meet the academic and clinical practicum requirements for ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence in their specialty areas. Those students whose programs of study at the master's level satisfy the ASHA requirements will simultaneously satisfy the requirements for licensure by the state of Texas in the professional area of the student's degree program.

Career Opportunities in the Field of Communication Disorders
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists assess, care for, and provide necessary medical referrals for persons with auditory or speech and language disorders, respectively. Both professions are employed in a wide variety of settings including public schools, clinics, hospitals, industry and business, private practice, government agencies, as well as colleges and universities. Communication disorders affect persons of all ages and backgrounds and as such there is opportunity to work with a diverse patient population or to focus upon one or two particular special populations (e.g., persons with cochlear implants, persons who stutter, persons with cleft palate and other cranio-facial anomalies, pediatrics, persons requiring augmentative communication devices).

The American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) states that future career opportunities within the communication disorders appear tremendous due to the great emphasis being placed on early detection of communication disorders, the growing geriatric population, increasing concern over occupational hearing loss, and rapid advances in technology. In addition to an alluring job market, the compensation and fringe benefits for audiologists and speech-language pathologists are respectable. A 2000 survey sponsored by ASHA found that the median salary for speech-language pathologists was $45,000 and for audiologists was $50,000. Overall, the career outlook for the near future is bright and the salary and benefits for those in the profession make a career in communication disorders an appealing choice.

Admission Requirements
Applications for the graduate program in Audiology are due March 1 for the following Fall semester.  Applications for the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology are due February 15 for the following Fall Semester and October 1 for the following Spring Semester.  Requirements for admission to the undergraduate and graduate programs can be found at the following websites:

Application Requirements
Audiology pdf file
Speech-Language Pathology pdf file

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How to Apply to UNT
Online Application to UNT (via the Texas Common Application)
UNT Graduate Application 
Additional Graduate Application Forms for the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences
On-Line Financial Aid Form (via FAFSA on the Web)
GRE Information

Registration Information
www.unt.edu/attendingclasses.htm
Complete information relative to registering and attending classes at the University of North Texas.

Web Registration
http://www.unt.edu/webreg
Convenient registration provided online.

For Additional Information 
about the undergraduate program contact Amyn M. Amlani, Ph.D.
about the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology contact Fang-Ling Lu, Ph.D.
about the graduate program in Audiology contact Kamakshi V. Gopal, Ph.D.