The undergraduate program in Communication Disorders educates and prepares students for admission to competitive graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology through a comprehensive academic and clinical curriculum that is grounded in evidence-based practice and community-based collaboration.
Undergraduate Degree Program
Communication Disorders, B.S. (Bachelor of Science)
Major in Communication Disorders
What is a Communication Disorder?
A communication disorder affects an individual's ability to hear, speak, understand, read and/or write. The various types of communication disorders an individual can exhibit include: fluency, articulation, voice, swallowing, cognitive, and language disorders.
Which Professionals Assess and Treat Individuals Exhibiting Communication Disorders?
Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat communication disorders. Speech pathologists are employed in a variety of settings including: public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing care facilities, community clinics, colleges and universities, private practice, health departments, home care, adult day care centers, and research laboratories. Speech-language pathologists also assess and treat swallowing disorders, cognitive-communication disorders, and auditory processing disorders.
Admission Process
Students are initially considered pre-communication disorders majors. Once the student is accepted into the junior/senior sequence, the major becomes communication disorders. Requirements for the junior/senior sequence:
- Students must be in overall good standing to apply.
- An overall GPA of 3.0
- The following courses should be completed by the end of Summer 1 session* in the same calendar year in which the student whishes to begin the junior/senior sequence:
- PHYS 1310: Elementary Physics
- CDIS 1331: Introduction to Communication Disorders
- BIO 2430: Human Anatomy and Physiology
- HP 3302 Biostatistics or equivalent
- PSY 3300: Lifespan Development
- A minimum grade of C in all CDIS courses and those listed in italics on the Degree Plan.
The priority deadline to apply for admission is June 1; admissions will remain open until the cohort is full. All students will be notified by email of the admission decisions. For qualified students, admission to the junior/senior sequence is based on academic performance on the five required classes.
*Exemptions are made on a case-by-case basis. Please, contact the CDIS department to inquire about exemptions.
Pre-CDIS Orientation
For detailed information for CDIS pre-majors, please watch the recording of our Pre-CDIS Orientation. Below is the powerpoint presentation and the recorded video. Please contact the department at cdis@txstate.edu with any questions.
Tuition & Fee Information
Communication Disorders (B.S.)
Major in Communication Disorders
Minimum required: 120 semester hours
General Requirements
- Any student who did not complete at least two years of the same foreign language in high school is required to take 6-8 hours of the same foreign language. If the computer proficiency requirement is not met through high school coursework, the student will be required to take a computer science course.
- Students are required to complete the elective support course requirements by taking nine hours from the following courses: ANTH 3302, ANTH 3331F, COUN 3320, ENG 3319, HIM 3301, HIM 3310, PSY 3315, PSY 3316, PSY 3322, PSY 3350, PSY 3341, SOCI 3383.
- If US1100 is waived, the student must have a minimum of 120 hours to graduate. See the College Advising Center.
CDIS Junior/Senior Sequence
- The junior/senior-level sequence begins during the fall semester only.
- Courses must be taken in the sequence identified in the catalog.
- Failure to enroll in all of the recommended CDIS courses will delay graduation at least 1 year.
- CDIS students must receive a grade of “C” or higher in all support and CDIS courses. Otherwise, the student will not be allowed to continue as a communication disorders major and must change majors to something other than CDIS.
- Have a GPA of 2.75 in the major in order to graduate. If lower than 2.75, the student will be allowed to re-take CDIS courses until the student achieves the GPA of 2.75.
- The department will assign CDIS 4344, Clinical Practicum in Communication Disorders (Lab), to senior students in their first or second semester.
Background Check
Students must pass a background check before participating in the clinical activities (CDIS 4344 - Clinical Practicum).
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| COMM 1310 | 3 |
| CDIS 1331 | 3 |
| ENG 1310 & 1320 | 6 |
| US 1100 | 1 |
| HIST 1310 & 1320 | 6 |
| MATH 1315 | 3 |
| PHIL 1305 OR 1320 | 3 |
| PSY 1300 | 3 |
| BIO 1330 & 1130 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 32 |
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| CDIS 3325, 3312, 3359, 3377 | 12 |
| CDIS 4330, 3369, 3375 | 9 |
| Support Elective x2 (see list) | 6 |
| TOTAL | 27 |
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| BIO 2430 | 4 |
| ART, DAN, MU, or TH 2313 | 3 |
| ENG LIT (see catalog) | 3 |
| HIM 2360 | 3 |
| PHIL 1305 or 1320 | 3 |
| PHYS 1310 or 1320 or 1315 or 1325 or 1335 or 1345 | 3 |
| POSI 2310 & 2320 | 6 |
| HP 3302 or equivalent statistics | 3 |
| PSY 3300 | 3 |
| ENG 3303 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 34 |
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| CDIS 4350, 3462, 4340, 4420 | 14 |
| CDIS 4317, 4370, 4344, 4466 | 13 |
| Support Elective (see list) | 3 |
| TOTAL | 30 |
Clinical Experience
Candidates for the bachelor's degree in communication disorders gain practical experiences by observing therapy. These experiences allow students to begin to develop their clinical skills by exposing them to a variety of communicative disorders and offer students the opportunity to develop insight into communicative disorders and remediation. Senior-level students have the opportunity to deliver services as clinical aides alongside graduate student clinicians.
Forms
Verification Hours, Licensure, and Certification Forms
SLP Assistant
Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant
The Master of Science in Communication Disorders (MSCD) and the Master of Arts (MA) in Communication Disorders residential education programs in speech-language pathology at Texas State University are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.