Communicative
Disorders . . .
offers a
curriculum in the study of
normal and disordered
speech, language and
hearing. The undergraduate
curriculum
prepares students for
graduate study in the
field of communicative
disorders.
Department of Communicative Disorders
B31 Wyman Education Building
(715) 425-3801
Undergraduate Catalog
Mission
The department of communicative disorders shares in the University of Wisconsin
System (UWS) Mission, the University Cluster Core Mission and the Select Mission of the
University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The select mission of the Department of Communicative
Disorders and the UWRF Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic is to ensure, through coursework,
laboratories, and practicum experiences, that students demonstrate the knowledge and
skills required to become competent and ethical entry-level professionals in the field of speech-language
pathology.
Goal
To prepare undergraduate students for graduate study in the fields of speech-language
pathology and audiology.
Program
The undergraduate program includes 39 credits in the major:
COMD 160 Introduction to Communicative Disorders
COMD 261 Language Development
COMD 262 Speech Systems
COMD 263 Phonetics
COMD 264 Speech Science
COMD 275 Clinical Observation/Discussion
COMD 350 Articulation/Phonological Disorders
COMD 362 Language Assessment and Intervention
COMD 375 Clinical Procedures
COMD 360 Audiology I
COMD 379 Clinical Experience
COMD 460 Voice Disorders
COMD 463 Stuttering/Behavior Modification
COMD 466 Aural Rehabilitation
Faculty
The department of communicative disorders consists of five full-time professors,
a clinic director, and two part-time clinical supervisors. All faculty members hold certification
through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Why Major in Communicative Disorders?
- Upon completion of the master’s degree, students are prepared to work as speech-language
pathologists in hospital settings, rehabilitation centers, early childhood centers, public schools,
long-term care facilities, and private practice.
- Speech-language pathologists and audiologists have day-to day contact with children and
adults who experience a variety of communicative disorders (including language disorders,
articulation disorders, autism, stroke, traumatic brain injury, hearing impairments, swallowing
disorders, cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders).
- There is a national shortage of speech-language pathologists. The department of
communicative disorders boasts 100 percent placement of its graduate students since 1975.
