Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences students typically enjoy working with people and their families and are highly motivated to explore communication problems in depth. These individuals display excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They are highly motivated to complete the training necessary to become licensed professionals. They are creative problem solvers, sensitive to the needs of others, deal with multiple demands, pay close attention to detail, and work effectively in a team environment.
Admission into the Major
Students must have sophomore standing to enroll in any SLH course. 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). Students who would like to declare Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences as their major should contact the department.
Grade Point Average
A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for completion of the degree. Please see the Office of University Registrar's explanation of grade point average calculations. A minimum of a 3.3 GPA overall and a 3.0 GPA in required SLH courses must be obtained for clinical practicum opportunities. See the Admission to Clinical Practicum section below.
Prerequisites
Sophomore standing is required to enroll in any SLH course except for SLH 102 Disability & Society
and SLH 103 Disability & Society Honors. Completion of all 200-level SLH courses (with the exception of SLH 277 Pre-professional Lab Experience) is required for enrollment in 300- and 400-level SLH courses. Students are strongly encouraged to take courses in a sequential series – 200 level courses before 300 level courses, and 300 level courses before 400 level courses.
- SLH 305 Language Development
is a prerequisite for SLH 420 Pediatric Disorders
- SLH 352 Neurology for SLP is a prerequisite for SLH 440 Acquired Neurological Disorders
- SLH 430 Introduction to Adult Audiology is a prerequisite for SLH 460 Introduction to Pediatric Audiology
SLH 447 Clinical Practicum Speech, SLH 345 Introductory Audiology Lab Experience and SLH 445 Audiology Lab Experience are by application only. Permission of the instructor is also required prior to enrollment in any SLH 350 Independent Study or SLH 360 Independent Study Honors course.
Special Opportunities
The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences provides students with 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 Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. For eligible students, the department also offers clinical practicums for hands-on experience in speech-language pathology and audiology. Our department has an ambassador program that upper level SLH students may apply for.
Degree Requirements
Students earning the bachelor of science degree (BS) with a major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences must complete all University, College and departmental degree requirements. These include the general education requirements, the following major requirements, all requirements for an approved minor and other sufficient credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable hours.
Curriculum Sequence
SLH courses are meant to be taken in the sequence outlined below. Students are required to complete all SLH course-specific prerequisites (i.e., SLH 305 and SLH 320 before SLH 330 and SLH 352, etc.) before taking the next SLH courses in the sequence.
Sophomore 1
SLH 225 Intro to SLHS
SLH 261 A&P Nerv Aud Artic Res OR SLH 262 A&P Resp Phon Swallow
Sophomore 2
SLH 244 Phonetics
SLH 261 A&P Nerv Aud Artic Res OR SLH 262 A&P Resp Phon Swallow
SLH 277 Preprof Lab Exp
Junior 1
SLH 305 Language Development
SLH 320 Hearing Science
Junior 2
SLH 330 Acoustics of Speech
SLH 352 Neurology for SLP
Senior 1
SLH 420 Pediatric Disorders
SLH 430 Intro to Adult Audiology
Senior 2
SLH 440 Neurological Disorders
SLH 460 Intro to Pediatric Audiology
Ancillary Courses
Grades in ancillary courses are not computed into the major GPA. The major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences requires the successful completion of the following courses outside the major. Many of these courses can be used to satisfy general education requirements. Science courses must include a lab.
Select one of the following biological science courses:
Select one of the following physical science courses:
| Code and Title | Hours |
| CH 101 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| CH 104 | Introductory Chemistry | 4 |
| CH 105 | Introductory Org Chem | 4 |
| CH 117 | Honors General Chemistry | 4 |
| CH 118 | Honors General Chemistry | 4 |
| PH 101 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PH 102 | General Physics II | 4 |
| PH 105 | General Physics W/Calc I | 4 |
| PH 106 | General Physics W/Calc II | 4 |
| PH 115 | Des Ph Non-Science Maj | 4 |
| PH 125 | Honors Gen Ph W/Calculus | 4 |
| PH 126 | Honors Gen Ph W/Calculus II | 4 |
Select one of the following statistics courses:
| Code and Title | Hours |
| PY 211 | Elem Statistical Methods | 3 |
| ST 260 | Statistical Data Analysis | 3 |
| CJ 381 | Statistics | 3 |
| BER 345 | Educational Statistics | 3 |
Electives
Students may choose to take elective SLH courses:
Upper-level Residency
A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400- level courses in the major must be earned on this campus.
Required Minor
This major requires the completion of a minor.
Additional Major Requirements
Students are advised that the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major 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 Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences offers a program leading to the master of science degree in speech-language pathology (see UA graduate catalog).
Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be approved for registration each semester. College advisors are also available for additional assistance with minor, College and University requirements.
Students majoring in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences who wish to participate in clinical practicum or audiology practicum must apply for admission into SLH 447 Clinical Practicum Speech, SLH 457 Clinical Practicum Honors, SLH 345 Intro Audio Lab Exp, or SLH 445 Audiology Lab Experience.
Admission into Clinical Practicum
Clinical Practicum: SLH 447 Clinical Practicum Speech and SLH 457 Clinical Practicum Honors admission requirements include the following:
- minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3
- completion and minimum 3.0 GPA in all of the following:
- SLH 420 Pediatric Disorders may be taken concurrently
- The electronic application is on our department website https://slhs.ua.edu/resources/
Clinical Practicum SLH 345 Intro Audio Lab Exp requirements include the following:
- minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- completion and minimum 3.0 GPA in all of the following:
- SLH 320 Hearing Science may be taken concurrently
- The electronic application is on our department website https://slhs.ua.edu/resources/
Clinical Practicum SLH 445 Audiology Lab Experience requirements include the following:
- minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3
- completion and minimum 3.0 GPA in all of the following:
- SLH 430 Intro to Adult Audiology may be completed concurrently
- The electronic application is on our department website https://slhs.ua.edu/resources/
The undergraduate program is not the terminal degree for either the speech-language pathology or audiology professions. Our recent graduate students have accepted positions in local and national schools, hospitals, and skilled-nursing facilities. Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center or by contacting the department.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center
