Why study speech, language, and hearing?

Communication is central to human behavior. A minor in SPLH can be combined with a variety of majors to better prepare students to work in careers related to normal speech-language-hearing processing and development as well as careers that serve individuals with communication disorders. Typical related careers include neuroscience, medicine, health related professions, education, and assistive technology. Careful course selection can allow you to focus on a theme within SPLH that is well-suited to your career aspirations. Themes include: communication neuroscience, speech-language development and disorders, and hearing science and disorders. Alternatively, a student who wants to get to know the field better can sample a variety of courses to take a more generalist approach to the minor.

Requirements for the Minor: Communication Neuroscience Track

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
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 466	Language Science	3
SPLH 620	The Communicating Brain: The Ultimate Personal Computer	3
Total Hours		19

Requirements for the Minor: Speech-Language Development and Disorders Track

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
SPLH 161	Survey of Communication Disorders	3
SPLH 462	Principles of Speech 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 571	Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology	4
Total Hours		18

Requirements for the Minor: Hearing Science and Disorders Track

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
SPLH 161	Survey of Communication Disorders	3
SPLH 220	The Physics of Speech	4
SPLH 463	Principles of Hearing Science	3
SPLH 516	Speech Perception	2
SPLH 568	Introduction to Audiological Assessment and Rehabilitation	4
SPLH 620	The Communicating Brain: The Ultimate Personal Computer	3
Total Hours		19

Requirements for the Minor: General Track 

Students who would rather create their own area of focus may take SPLH 161 for a broad overview of the discipline. Students then select a minimum of 9 credits of foundational coursework followed by a minimum of 6 credits of applied coursework. Across foundational and applied coursework, students need to obtain a minimum of 12 credits at the junior/senior level. Total required hours = 18

Courses with clinical content can be taken as directed study with the permission and support of a faculty mentor.

Minor Hours & Minor GPA

While completing all required courses, minors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:

Minor Hours in Residence

Satisfied by a minimum of 9 junior/senior (300+) hours of KU resident credit in the minor. 

Minor Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the minor.