The Department of Communicative Disorders offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in communicative disorders.
Students majoring in communicative disorders are expected to matriculate to graduate study in speech-language pathology or audiology.
Degree Requirements
Students earning the BA with a major in communicative disorders must complete all University, college, and departmental degree requirements. These include the general education requirements, the major requirements, all requirements for an approved minor, and other sufficient credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours.
Find detailed degree requirements, including course descriptions, in the UA Undergraduate Catalog.
Admission into the Major
Sophomore standing is required to enroll in any 200- 300- and 400- level CD course. Completion of all 200-level CD courses (except CD 277 Pre-professional Lab Experience) is required for enrollment in 300- and 400-level CD courses. To be considered for clinical practicum (CD 447 Clin Practicum I Speech), students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 and at least a 3.00 major GPA based on the following courses: CD 225 Intro Comm Disorders, CD 244 Phonetics, CD 275 Anat Physio Sech Hear Mechanism, CD 277 Pre-prof Lab Exp, CD 305 Lang Dev, and CD 420 Pediatric Disorders.
Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). With the assistance of an advisor in the major department, students should complete the “Declaration of Major” online.
Grade Point Average
A 2.00 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. The major GPA is calculated based on all courses applicable to the major that the student has attempted at UA. Minimum GPA standards are required for clinical practicum and continuance in the major. See “Admission into the major” and “Admission to Clinical Practicum.”
Major Courses
The major in communicative disorders requires the successful completion of 34 semester hours. For a list of required and elective courses, consult the UA Undergraduate Catalog or the CD Student Handbook.
Upper-Level Residency
A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be earned on this campus.
Ancillary Courses
Grades in ancillary courses are not computed into the major GPA. The major in communicative disorders requires the successful completion of the following courses outside the major. Many of these courses can be used to satisfy general education requirements.
Find a list of these courses, consult the UA Undergraduate Catalog or the CD Student Handbook.
Required Minor
This major requires the completion of a minor.
Additional Major Requirements
Students are advised that the major in communicative disorders is considered to be pre-professional. A master’s degree or the equivalent is necessary for membership in and certification by the national professional organizations and for licensure by the state of Alabama and most other states. The Department of Communicative Disorders offers a program leading to the master of science degree in speech-language pathology.
Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, college, major, and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be cleared for registration each semester.
College advisors are also available for additional assistance with minor, college, and University requirements. Students majoring in communicative disorders who wish to participate in clinical practicum or audiology practicum must apply for admission into CD 447 Clin Practicum I Speech, CD 345 or CD 445 Audiology Lab Experience.
Special Opportunities
The Department of Communicative Disorders provides students an opportunity to participate in research with a departmental faculty member. Students are also encouraged to become active in the local and national chapters of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Junior- and senior-level scholarship awards are available for students majoring in communicative disorders. For eligible students, the department also offers clinical practicums for hands-on experience in speech-language pathology and audiology
More Information
For more information about the undergraduate program in communicative disorders, contact Sara Shirley, Director of Undergraduate Studies, at scshirley@ua.edu.