Major: Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Imagine you’re in biology class. Today’s lecture is on genes. If you have healthy hearing, you can listen to and recognize the words your teacher is stringing together -- whether or not you actually get what she’s saying about DNA. This may not seem like a big deal, but you’ll learn just how complex human communication is when you study speech-language pathology and audiology.
Majors in audiology and speech-language pathology study communication problems and learn how to help people improve their ability to communicate.
Did You Know?
- Audiologists must learn more than sign language. They must also learn about and respect deaf culture.
Are You Ready To...?
- Study the biology of communication
- Become fluent in American Sign Language
- Work with patients in a hearing clinic or neuroscience lab
- Join the campus chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association
- Continue your studies at the graduate level -- you’ll need a master’s degree to work as a speech pathologist or audiologist
It Helps to Be...
A strong communicator with an interest in language who is patient, dedicated, and enthusiastic. You will need to dedicate long hours to your studies and to forming therapeutic relationships with your patients. Some treatments work only after many sessions and a lot of encouragement.
College Checklist
- Is the program accredited?
- Does the program accept students as freshmen, or can they apply only after the first or second year of college?
- Is it possible to transition directly from a bachelor’s to a graduate program?
- Does the undergraduate degree focus more on childhood or adult disorders, or does it cover both?
- What on- and off-campus opportunities will you have for hands-on learning?
- Will you be able to minor in a related field such as linguistics, neuroscience, or music?
Did You Know?
- Some patients whose speech was damaged by brain trauma have learned to speak again by training their singing voice -- which is activated by a different part of the brain -- to speak.
Course Spotlight
How do audiologists decide who has trouble hearing, and how do they pinpoint the problem? You’ll find out in a class on audiometric testing, which will cover a variety of tests. These include pure-tone audiometry, in which the patient listens to sounds, and speech audiometry, in which the patient listens to and repeats words.
You’ll get experience giving and interpreting tests in the lab and possibly in a clinic with actual patients. Expect to read, take tests, and write reports.
Explore this major in more depth on MyRoad™