Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is to foster a collaborative learning environment for faculty, students, and colleagues in the community that furthers understanding of the science of communication as well as the scientific bases of clinical practice.   We  partner with  our students in  research and clinical endeavors that result in the generation and application of new knowledge . By cultivating critical thinking, advocacy, innovation , and leadership, we enable students to advance scholarship in our field and to provide optimal services to individuals with diverse cultural and communication needs.

Overview

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has been dedicated to comprehensive quality training of professionals in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology since 1948. Although solidly based on almost five decades of training experience, the CS&D programs today are new, innovative and dynamic.

The Master's of Science (MS) program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) and the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program at Syracuse University are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and are dedicated to comprehensive quality training of professionals in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Degree programs in these areas have been offered at Syracuse University since 1948. Although solidly based on almost five decades of training experience, the CSD programs today are new, innovative and dynamic.

Syracuse University also offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, preparing students for the professional training they will receive in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology graduate programs. In addition, PhD degree programs are offered in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology for students pursuing careers in research and academia. This variety of programs contributes to the richness of our coursework, clinical experiences, and research opportunities.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is within the College of Arts and Sciences and is housed in the Gordon D. Hoople Building, which contains the Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinics and also the Center on Human Policy.

Approximately 70 master's and doctoral-level graduate students are typically enrolled in the CSD programs along with about 50 undergraduate students. These students come from throughout the United States, Canada, and other countries.

There is an active chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) for both graduate and undergraduate students. Members of the organization do fundraising work to support community agencies in the areas of speech-language pathology and audiology. They arrange social activities for the students and department staff to participate in, as well.(NSSLHA)

Speech-Language Pathologists

Speech-language pathologists assess, treat, and help to prevent speech, language, cognitive, communication, voice, swallowing, fluency, and other related disorders. They work with people who cannot make speech sounds, or cannot make them clearly; those with speech rhythm and fluency problems, such as stuttering; people with voice quality problems, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice; those with problems understanding and producing language; and those with cognitive communication impairments, such as attention, memory, and problem-solving disorders. They may also work with people who have oral motor problems causing eating and swallowing difficulties.

Audiologists

Audiologists identify, assess, and manage auditory, balance, and other neural systems. They work with people who have hearing, balance, and related problems. They use audiometers, computers, and other testing devices to measure the loudness at which a person begins to hear sounds, the ability to distinguish between sounds, and the nature and extent of hearing loss. Audiologists interpret these results and may coordinate them with medical, educational, psychological information to make a diagnosis and determine a course of treatment.