Speech and Hearing (B.A.)
At-a-Glance
Minimum hours required for major: 40
Minimum hours required for minor: 18
Advising: Faculty adviser assigned upon declaration of major. Phone (216) 687-3807.
Student organization: Chapter of NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
The Speech and Hearing Program offers course work for students who wish to enter the professions of speech-language pathology or audiology, which are concerned with the identification and treatment of communication disorders in human beings across the lifespan. Speech and hearing are interrelated fields that require knowledge of biology, psychology, sociology, and linguistics. The program at Cleveland State University provides an excellent pre-professional foundation that prepares students for professional training at the master's and doctoral levels. Students may also earn an undergraduate minor in Speech and Hearing which is especially valuable for students majoring in education, special education, or the health care professions.
Major-Field Requirements
At the undergraduate level, students majoring in Speech and Hearing are required to take the following 40 credit hours:
Core Courses
- SPH 228 Phonetics
- SPH 231 Introduction to Communication Disorders
- SPH 232 Introduction to Audiology
- SPH 251 American Sign Language I
- SPH 335 Clinical Methods in Communication Disorders
- SPH 349 Speech and Language Development for Majors
- SPH 351 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
- SPH 431 Basic Speech-Language Disorders
- SPH 434 Clinical Practicum in Speech-Language Pathology
- SPH 438 Dialect Differences in the Schools
- SPH 481 Aural Rehabilitation
- SPH 482 Audiometry
- SPH 485 Speech and Hearing Science
- SPH 486 Clinical Practicum in Audiology
- SPH 497 Senior Capstone Portfolio
Evening Program
It is not possible to complete the undergraduate Speech and Hearing major solely in the evening. The program attempts to offer a variety of required courses in the evening but cannot staff a complete evening major. Evening students should make an appointment with the Program Director to discuss the program and its offerings.
School Speech-Language Pathology
The Master of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology is the minimum degree requirement for those students seeking the Professional Pupil Services License to practice as a school speech-language pathologist. In addition to the courses required for the Master of Arts degree students must also complete the coursework listed below, some of which is available at the undergraduate level. Master’s degree recipients who have completed these additional course and practicum requirements may apply to the Ohio Department of Education for a Pupil Services (teaching) license.
- SPH 435/535 Organization and Administration of a Public School Speech and Hearing Program (See Graduate Catalog)
- SPH 438 Dialect Differences in the Schools OR
SPH 594 Seminar in Dialect Differences in the Schools (See Graduate Catalog) - EST 575 Practicum in Speech and Hearing Therapy (See Graduate Catalog)
Undergraduates may complete SPH 435 and SPH 438 in preparation for completion of EST 575 at the graduate level.
Speech and Hearing Minor
The Speech and Hearing minor, which is especially valuable for students majoring in education, special education, or the health care professions, provides the student with a foundation in the study of the developmental and normative aspects of speech, language, and hearing. Required courses amounting to 18 credits include: SPH 228, SPH 229, SPH 231, and SPH 232. Two additional courses are to be selected from the following: SPH 351, SPH 431, SPH 438, SPH 481, SPH 482, and SPH 485. Students should discuss with their adviser whether it is appropriate to enroll in SPH 229 Speech and Language Development or SPH 349 Speech and Language Development for Majors. SPH 349 is advantageous for students who expect to enroll in a graduate program in speech-language pathology and pursue professional practice.