Student Outcome Data
We are proud to share some statistics regarding our on-campus and online master's students.
Program Summary
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers an on-campus graduate degree program that provides students with career-ready skills and the hands-on experience needed to make an immediate impact on people’s lives.
Students receive classroom and hands-on preparation in applying family-focused, developmental, cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral, and medical models to the assessment and treatment of a broad range of communication disorders and differences. We welcome students applying from a wide variety of undergraduate degree programs. Our diverse pool of applicants includes those who have not completed their undergraduate studies in communication disorders.
Students interested in the Online Communication Disorders (MS) program should visit the Speech@Emerson website.
Curriculum
The 72-credit curriculum is designed to prepare you to work with the full array of communication disorders across the lifespan. It is a combination of 18 credits of foundational coursework, 42 credits of academic coursework, 4 credits of clinical methods, 5 credits of clinical practicum and 3 credits of intersession courses.
| Number | Term | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD 680 | Fall 1st year | Neurologic Bases of Communication | 3 |
| CD 686 | Fall 1st year | Preschool Language Disorders | 3 |
| CD 609 | Fall 1st year | Research Methods and Measurements | 3 |
| CD 645 | Spring 1st year OR Fall 2nd year | Language and Literacy Disabilities | 3 |
| CD 635 | Spring OR Summer 1st year | Speech Sound Disorders | 3 |
| CD 642 | Spring 1st year | Autism: Social Communication | 3 |
| CD 690 | Spring OR Summer 1st year | Aphasia | 3 |
| CD 641 | Fall 2nd year | Dysphagia | 3 |
| CD 689 | Summer 1st year OR Fall 2nd year | Aural Rehabilitation for the Speech-Language Pathologist | 3 |
| CD 623 | Fall OR Spring 2nd year | Fluency Disorders | 3 |
| CD 650 | Spring 2nd year | Motor Speech Disorders | 3 |
| CD 677 | Fall OR Spring 2nd year | Voice Disorders | 3 |
| CD 684 | Fall OR Summer 1st year | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 3 |
| CD 692 | Fall OR Spring 2nd year | Cognitive Communicative Disorders | 3 |
| Number | Term | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD 600 | Fall | Intro to Clinical Methods* | 1 (non-tuition course) |
| CD 601 | Fall OR Spring 1st year | Clinical Methods I | 1 |
| CD 602 | Spring 1st year OR Fall 2nd year | Clinical Methods II | 1 |
| CD 603 | Fall OR Spring 2nd Year | Clinical Methods III | 1 |
| CD 604 | Spring 2nd Year | Clinical Methods IV | 1 |
*CD 600 is only required if you begin the program without 25 hours of clinical observation.
| Number | Term | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD 605 | Fall or Spring 1st year through Spring or Summer 2nd year (five enrollments total) | Clinical Practicum | 1 |
Students must satisfy both (1) the Emerson College requirements that they enroll in at least 5 semesters of Clinical Practica (CD 605) while in the program and (2) the ASHA requirements to accumulate at least 400 hours. These are both minimums and they are independent requirements. To complete the 400 clock hours required by ASHA, 25 hours must be spent in clinical observation and 375 hours must be spent in direct client/patient contact. Of the 375 contact hours, at least 325 must be obtained within the graduate program.
Intersession Course Requirements (3 credits):
Three 1-credit seminars are taken during winter and spring intersessions. Students choose three from the available courses offered.
Sample Courses:
- Craniofacial Anomalies
- Counseling and Family Systems
- Early Intervention
- Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Populations
- Progressive Neurodegenerative Disorders
- Practical Approaches to Fluency Therapy
- Practicing Speech-Language Pathology in a Medical Setting
Program Foundations
All students must complete foundational courses in six topic areas before they start their clinical coursework in the fall.
Please note that students who have taken these courses and either received a B- or below, or have taken these courses over five years ago, will need to retake foundational coursework in order to satisfy this requirement.
| Number | Course Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CD 625 | Structures and Functions for Speech, Hearing, and Swallowing (3 credits) | Covers anatomy and physiology of the speech, language, swallowing, and hearing mechanisms |
| CD 626 | Language Development (3 credits) | Covers language development from birth to adulthood |
| CD 627 | Survey of Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan (3 credits) | Introduces students to the broad range of speech, language, hearing disorders across the lifespan |
| CD 629 | Speech Sounds: Phonetics and Acoustics (3 credits) | Combines phonetics and speech science |
| CD 630 | Foundations of Audiology (3 credits) | An introductory course in audiological assessment and disorders of hearing |
In order to take Communication Disorders foundational coursework at Emerson, students must be admitted into the program and have confirmed their enrollment. Once admitted into the program, students will be notified of the foundational coursework they will need to fulfill. Emerson will be offering these courses over the Summer Term, and we highly recommend completing foundational courses with us.
The Graduate Program Director will need to approve foundational coursework taken at Emerson or at an alternative institution. If students intend on taking foundational courses with Emerson, the Graduate Program Director will handle registration for these courses. Students should contact Lisa Wisman Weil to confirm their foundational plan of study.
Accreditation
The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential and distance education) at Emerson College is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.
Any concerns specific to the program's accreditation status should first be addressed to the program and Emerson College and then to the CAA.
Last updated June 24, 2022.
