Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in Speech-Language-Hearing
Why study speech, language, and hearing?
Communication is central to human behavior, and the treatment of communication disorders requires specialized knowledge and skills.
Undergraduates in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders study the basic processes of human communication. Programs are designed for the student who seeks a career in speech, language, or hearing or is interested in normal communication development and communication disorders.
Beginning with the undergraduate experience, you'll find stimulating course work, clinical observation, and a variety of hands-on laboratory projects. To practice as a speech-language pathologist, you will need to earn a master’s degree. Plan to pursue doctoral studies if you want to practice audiology or do research in speech, language, and hearing processes and disorders.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of the University Registrar website.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core 34 General Education | 34 | |
| The KU Core 34 is comprised of 34-35 credit hours typically completed during the first two years of study. The Core 34 consists of the following requirements: English (6), Communications (3), Math & Statistics (3), Natural & Physical Sciences with lab (4-5), Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 in two different disciplines), Arts & Humanities (6 in two different disciplines), US Culture (3), and Global Culture (3) | ||
SPLH 161 is a required course of the major. Students are strongly advised to satsify 3 credits of their Core 34 Social and Behavioral Sciences by taking this course. | ||
| Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) Degree Requirements | 16-21 | |
| Students will follow the BA or BGS degree specific requirements based on their degree selection. BA students will demonstrate proficiency in a Non-English Language, complete a Quantitative Literacy course, a Laboratory or Field Experience, and two semesters of Writing. BGS students will complete a minor, two certificates, or a second major and a Career Preparation Course. Please see the College's undergraduate tab for more detailed information on these requirements. | ||
1 credit hour of a Laboratory of Field Experience, 6 credit hours of Writing, and 3 credit hours of Quantitative Literacy are required for all BA students. These requirements will be met through the completion of the KU Core 34. | ||
| Prerequisite Knowledge | ||
| Mathematics. Satisfied by one of the following: | 0-3 | |
| College Algebra: _____ | ||
| Precalculus Mathematics | ||
Or upper-level placement | ||
| Statistics. An introductory statistics course is recommended. Satisfied by one of the following: | ||
| Statistics in Psychological Research | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or MATH 107 | Introductory Statistics: _____ | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| SPLH 161 | Survey of Communication Disorders | 3 |
| SPLH 220 | The Physics of Speech | 4 |
| SPLH 462 | Principles of Speech Science | 3 |
| SPLH 463 | Principles of Hearing Science | 3 |
| SPLH 465 | Fundamentals of Clinical Phonetics | 1 |
| SPLH 466 | Language Science | 3 |
| SPLH 565 | Language Sample Analysis Lab | 1 |
| SPLH 566 | Language Development | 3 |
| SPLH 568 | Introduction to Audiological Assessment and Rehabilitation | 4 |
| SPLH 571 | Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology | 4 |
| SPLH 620 | The Communicating Brain: The Ultimate Personal Computer | 3 |
| General Electives | 35-27 | |
| Students will need to complete additional general elective credits to reach the required 120 hours. | ||
| Capstone Course | ||
| SPLH 660 | Research Methods in Speech-Language-Hearing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Please refer to the sample 4-year plan of the BA degree in Speech-Language-Hearing for more information.
Please refer to the sample 4-year plan of the BGS degree in Speech-Language-Hearing for more information.
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Critical Thinking Knowledge / Skill Levels:
- Level 1: Develop a disposition to think critically – engage in skepticism, judgement and free thinking.
- Level 2: Draw judicious conclusions, justify results based on logic drawn from a range of information.
- Level 3: Relate issues (e.g., current events) to the academic field and larger contexts.
- Level 4: Engage in abstract reasoning, problem solving, questioning and understanding, and apply these skills to basic science and clinical scenarios.
- Basic Science and Skills in Speech, Language, Hearing Knowledge / Skill Levels:
- Level 1: Identify core concepts in field (e.g., what is a sound wave?)
- Level 2: Recognize core concepts in practical scenarios.
- Level 3: Apply concepts within a class to untaught but related content within the same class. For example, applies core principle from early in class in subsequent opportunities.
- Level 4: Generalize and integrate skills and information across SPLH classes (e.g., integrates information from Hearing science into Intro to Audiology; Frequency from SPLH 220 and its role in Hearing Science and Speech Science; applies concepts of reliability taught in research methods to data collection in clinical practice).
- Written and verbal communication on the principles and practices of communication sciences, assessment, and intervention Knowledge / Skill Levels:
- Level 1: Demonstrate interpersonal skills that reflect respect for all individuals.
- Level 2: Basic written communication on the principles and practices of communication sciences.
- Level 3: Basic written and verbal communication that clearly communicates to others including stakeholders (other professionals and community members).
- Level 4: Use effective and persuasive written and verbal communication to inform audiences about research and clinical practices.
- Knowledge / Skill Levels:
- Level 1: Identify sources of information for Speech, Language, and Hearing, such as scholars, organizations (ASHA) who might produce relevant material text, and whether obtainable from resources available to students.
- Level 2: Demonstrate ability to find primary sources on Speech, Language, and Hearing research (e.g., ASHA portal evidence maps, JSLHR, AJSLP).
- Level 3: Implement search procedures to identify EBP in a variety of sources including research and clinical practices.
- Level 4: Manage search processes and results effectively. Collect and evaluate information/evidence regarding clinical practices and/or research questions and persist in the face of challenges. Know when they have enough information to complete their information task.
Departmental Honors
The honors program offers exceptional undergraduates the opportunity to work closely with individual faculty members on scholarly projects over an extended period of time. Students are admitted to the program and matched with faculty through an application process that occurs each semester during course enrollment. Contact the Honors Coordinator for details. The following are required:
- A grade-point average at graduation of at least 3.5 in the major.
- Completion of 6 to 8 credit hours in SPLH 498 Departmental Research or other eligible courses. Students work under the direction of a faculty member. Students may change areas of interest or faculty supervisors at the beginning of a semester with the consent of the honors coordinator. In the final semester of SPLH 498 enrollment, students also must complete a public oral presentation or a written report detailing the purpose, methods, results, and impact of the research. Academic credit but no honors designation is given to students who meet the requirements for any semester but do not complete all requirements for departmental honors.