Why Elms for your CSD degree?

  • Gain extensive clinical practicum experience — 100 hours or more.
  • Take advanced classes like neuroscience and counseling.
  • Master your skills in our student speech and hearing lab.
  • Enter a rewarding field — by 2026 an estimated 25,900 jobs will open for speech language pathologists, and audiologists will experience 21% employment growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Learn to Treat Speech, Language, and Hearing Conditions

The communication sciences and disorders (CSD) major at Elms empowers you to help people with speech, language, and hearing conditions. CSD majors study human physiology, neuroscience, and speech and language disorders to diagnose and treat the factors that affect communication.

Our program is unique for its strong focus on clinical practicum experience. As a CSD major you will:

  • Gain 100 hours or more of hands-on experience, working alongside a local speech language pathologist (SLP) in a school setting.
  • Become an expert at applying the theories, diagnostics, and treatments that you learn about in the classroom by working with diverse student populations.
  • Have the option to bridge your practicum experience into a graduate program — many schools will accept up to 75 practicum hours toward a master’s or doctoral degree.

Pre-Professional Preparation

To become a licensed SLP or audiologist, you’ll need to earn your master’s degree or doctor of audiology (Au.D.) degree. Our program gives you a competitive edge for applying to grad school by emphasizing academic rigor, clinical experience, interdisciplinary coursework, and personalized teaching from expert faculty. Our small class sizes enable you to collaborate with your professors and benefit from personalized instruction.

Whether you’re called to help children develop fluency or counsel young adults on the autism spectrum, the CSD major at Elms prepares you to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals with speech, language, and hearing disorders.

  • What is a Speech-Language Pathologist? SLPs work to prevent, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
  • What is a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant? An SLPA provides support and performs tasks related to the treatment and intervention of speech and language impairment as directed and supervised by a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist.
  • What is an Audiologist?Audiologists are the primary healthcare professionals who work to educate, prevent, diagnose, and manage hearing loss and balance disorders in children and adults.

Quick Info

Degree Option

BA-CSD; BA-SLPA

  • Elms also offers a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA). With an SLPA degree, you’re immediately qualified to support speech therapists with treatment.
  • CSD and SLPA majors can join the Elms College local chapter of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) to network, complete community service projects, and support local organizations.
  • Our program has a 97% graduate school placement rate. Students have gone on to attend Boston University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Penn State, University of Washington, and others.

Sarah Girouard ’18

Photo of CSD major Sarah Girouard

After double majoring in CSD and SLPA — and gaining over 100 hours of practicum experience — Sarah Girouard ’18 was accepted to the master’s program in speech-language pathology at UMass Amherst.

Read more about Sarah’s experience at Elms.

Taylor Borla, ’23

student, elms college, 2023, western ma

Communication Science and Disorders
Class of 2023, co-Valedictorian.
Attending Southern Connecticut State University Graduate School

“The first time I came to Elms College and set foot on the campus, I felt as if this was going to be my second home.”

Read more about Taylor’s experience at Elms.

Suggested Course Sequence BA in CSD (PDF)

Curriculum

Click to view course requirements for the Communication Sciences and Disorders (B.A.).

Students must also complete all core course requirements of the college.

Major in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Course #Course Name# of Credit Hours
CSD 1001Introduction to CSD3
CSD 1003Sign Language I3
CSD 1004Sign Language II3
CSD 2000Professional Communication in CSD3
CSD 2002Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism3
CSD 2003Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism II3
CSD 2004Phonetics and Phonology3
CSD 3001Speech & Hearing Science3
CSD 3005Speech and Language Acquisition3
CSD 3006Audiology3
CSD 3007Observational Methods and Procedures4
CSD 3008Diagnostic Procedures3
CSD 4003Speech and Language Disorders: Pediatric Population3
CSD 4004Speech and Language Disorders: Adult Population3
CSD 4005Aural Rehabilitation3
CSD 4100Seminar in Communication Sciences and Disorders3
CSD 4104Counseling Methods in Communication Disorders3
CSD 4200Neuroscience3
Total Credits55

Students may enroll in one or more clinical practicum only with permission of the program director

Course #Course Name# of Credit Hours
CSD 4008Clinical Practicum in Schools I3
CSD 4008LClinical Practicum in Schools I Lab1
CSD 4105Clinical Practicum in Schools II3
CSD 4105LClinical Practicum in Schools II Lab1
Total Practicum Credits8

Additional Course Requirements (27 credits)

Course #Course Name# of Credit Hours
BIO 1005Human Applications3
MAT 1008College Math3
MAT 1009Statistics3
PHI 2408Health Care Ethics3
PHY 1003Survey of Physics3
PSY 1001General Psychology3
SWK 2004Human Behavior Social Environment3
REL 2104Eastern Traditions, REL 2105: Western Traditions, or equivalent3
ASD/ABAIntro to Autism/Applied Behavioral Analysis3
Total Credits27