COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders is a structured, 60-unit program that prepares students for professional practice as speech-language pathologists. The program is organized around a combination of didactic coursework, supervised clinical practica, and culminating experiences, with Fall and Spring cohort options. The first year focuses on foundational coursework in speech, language, and hearing disorders, including motor speech disorders, neurogenic language disorders, child language disorders, voice and fluency, and curriculum for language learning disabilities. Alongside these courses, students engage in practice-based experiences such as speech disorders clinics, language disorders clinics, and hearing screenings, integrating professional writing and assessment techniques. In the second year, students continue advanced courses in counseling, dysphagia, and methods of speech and language assessment, while completing intensive clinical practicum placements in schools, medical settings, private practice, or special class authorization programs. The program includes a culminating experience, which can be completed as a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination, depending on the student’s choice, with thesis or project requiring enrollment across multiple semesters. Clinical internships are a minimum of eight units and may extend into an optional fifth or sixth semester to allow additional specialized clinical experiences. The Fall cohort begins with intensive coursework and clinical practica in the first semester, progressing to advanced practice and culminating experiences in the third and fourth semesters. The Spring cohort begins foundational courses in the first semester, advancing similarly through practice and culminating experiences, with optional additional internships in the fifth and sixth semesters. Throughout the program, students acquire practical clinical skills, evidence-based assessment techniques, and professional competencies necessary to qualify for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competence, California licensure, and the Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential, preparing graduates for employment in schools, healthcare settings, and private practice.