Our Programs
We offer a variety of pathways in communication sciences and disorders to help you reach your career goals! Our undergraduate program provides a strong foundation in speech, language and hearing sciences so you're prepared for graduate school or a professional role. The graduate program leads to a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in communication sciences and disorders, preparing you to become a certified speech-language pathologists through comprehensive coursework, clinical experiences and external practicums. We also offer a post-baccalaureate program designed for individuals who hold a degree in another field but want to complete the prerequisite coursework needed to apply to graduate programs in speech-language pathology. Whether you’re just starting out, ready for graduate study, or making a career change, we have a program to support your next step!
Communication Sciences and Disorders
The undergraduate program in communication sciences and disorders provides a comprehensive foundation in speech, language and hearing sciences, preparing you for graduate study or careers in related fields.
If you are looking for a career that blends science with the ability to help others, then communication sciences and disorders is a great program to consider. CSD is offered as an undergraduate, as well as a graduate program, at UW-River Falls. Now is an excellent time to enroll in this program, as there is a national shortage that creates a high demand for CSD graduates. At UW-River Falls, CSD undergraduate students learn basic human communication and swallowing processes, including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic and cultural bases. Undergraduate students also learn basic prevention, assessment and intervention strategies for language disorders, hearing disorders, fluency disorders, voice disorders and articulation/phonological disorders.
CSD graduates enter their careers as speech/language pathologists and audiologists. To be employed as a speech-language pathologist, students should expect to earn a minimum of a master's degree (offered at UW-River Falls). To be employed as an audiologist, students should expect to earn a minimum of a clinical doctorate (not offered at UW-River Falls). Employment is available in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, early childhood centers, private practice and the sales industry.
Post-Baccalaureate
The Post-Baccalaureate CSD program is designed for individuals with a degree in another field who want to complete the prerequisite coursework needed to apply to graduate programs in speech-language pathology.
A post baccalaureate student holds a degree in another field and may take the required courses to become eligible to apply for a graduate program in CSD. To become a licensed speech-language pathologist, you are required to earn a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. The prerequisites for eligibility to apply to the River Falls graduate program are listed below. Equivalent courses earned from accredited colleges or universities that offer baccalaureate-level degrees in speech pathology may also be accepted.
The 35 credits must include college-level courses in each of the five core areas. In most cases, all courses should be taken through a baccalaureate-level program.
- Anatomy & Physiology of Speech and Hearing
- Speech & Hearing Science
- Normal Communication/Language Development
- Phonetics
- Audiology
The 35 credits must also include individual college-level courses appropriate for certification as a speech-language pathologist in at least three of the following five categories of disorders:
- Phonology/Articulation
- Child Language
- Voice & Resonance
- Fluency/Stuttering
- Aural Rehabilitation
CSD 261 Language Development 4 cr.
CSD 262 Speech Systems 4 cr.
CSD 263 Phonetics 3 cr.
CSD 264 Speech Science 3 cr.
CSD 275 Practicum: Observation/Discussion 1 cr.
CSD 350 Articulatory and Phonological Disorders 3 cr.
CSD 360 Audiology I, 3 cr.
CSD 362 Language Appraisal and Intervention 3 cr.
CSD 460 Voice Disorders 2 cr.
CSD 463 Behavior Modification/Stuttering 3 cr.
CSD 466 Aural Rehabilitation 3 cr.
CSD 479 Clinical Procedures and Experience 3 cr.
Graduate
Our Master of Science (M.S.) program in communication sciences and disorders trains students to become skilled speech-language pathologists. Graduates work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, long-term care facilities, and private practice. This full-time, two-year (five-semester) program combines coursework with hands-on clinical experience.
In the first year, students complete courses while gaining practical experience at our state-of-the-art Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. In the second year, students take one evening course each semester and complete two full-time 12-week externships—one pediatric and one adult—at external practicum sites, which can be urban, suburban or rural, thanks to our location near the Twin Cities. Students learn the fundamentals of communication and swallowing, including their biological, neurological, and cultural bases, while gaining expertise in areas like articulation disorders, fluency, language, hearing, swallowing, voice, cognitive communication, and more.
The M.S. program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA), ensuring high-quality education and preparation for a career in speech-language pathology.
The graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders leads to a Master of Science (M.S.) degree and trains students to become speech-language pathologists. Our graduates are employed in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, schools and private practice.
The curriculum is a full-time, two-year (five semesters) program. The first three semesters (fall, spring, summer) students enroll in courses and gain clinical experience in the state-of-the-art, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. The second year (fall, spring) students enroll in one evening course each semester and gain experience in a full-time 12-week external practicum experience each semester (pediatric site one semester and adult site the other semester). Because of our location on the outer edge of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, students can choose external practicum experiences in urban, suburban or rural sites.
Students learn basic communication and swallowing processes (including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic and cultural bases), standards of ethical conduct, research process, and the etiologies, characteristics, prevention strategies, assessment strategies, and intervention strategies for:
- Articulation/phonological disorders
- Fluency disorders
- Receptive and expressive language disorders
- Hearing disorders
- Swallowing disorders
- Voice and resonance disorders
- Cognitive aspects of communication
- Social aspects of communication
- Communication modalities
The Master of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls 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.
