The field of Communication Science and Disorders, or CSD, encompasses the related but distinct disciplines of speech-language pathology (SLP) , audiology and speech, language and hearing sciences (SLHS) . Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are professionals educated in human communication and its disorders. Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat such disorders as delayed language development, stuttering, voice and articulation problems. Audiologists specialize in prevention, identification, assessment and rehabilitation of hearing disorders, particularly in industry. Speech, language and hearing scientists are professionals concerned with exploring trends in communication sciences and disorders, as well as developing strategies for improving or adding to the knowledge base within the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology.

A wide variety of work settings are available to speech-language pathologists and audiologists, a desirable characteristic of working in health professions. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists may work in schools, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, government agencies, private practice and college and universities. SLHSs work primarily in colleges and universities, research labs and government agencies. Professional certification is awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for speech-language pathologists and audiologists. A master's degree is the entry-level degree for SLP, which typically takes 2-3 years beyond the undergraduate degree depending on the student's undergraduate field of study. A doctorate in audiology (AuD) is the entry-level degree for audiologists, which typically takes 3-4 years to complete beyond the undergraduate degree.

The job outlook for the professions in CSD is very good - the U.S. Government's Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that speech-language pathology and audiology will grow much faster than the average of all professions through 2010. Salaries for speech-language pathologists and audiologists are very competitive with those of other health professions, and employment prospects are excellent. Demand is extraordinarily high at colleges and universities holding the PhD in Communication Science and Disorders.

For more information on CSD and the job outlook in the professions, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) web site is an excellent resource:
http://professional.asha.org/careers/careers.cfm

For information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos085.htm

For information on the degree programs offered by the CSD department at MU:
http://www.umshp.org/csd/academic.htm

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last update 1/2005